Market season means fresh inspiration! Our popular design collaboration program, My Rowe Design, is an exciting partnership between Rowe Furniture & Robin Bruce and a select group of some of the most influential voices in interior design today. This fall, we’re bringing it back to market with the talented designers behind RailiCA Design, Max Humphrey, and Laura U Design Collective, challenging them to use their unique perspectives to showcase their Rowe custom furniture favorites in their own individual spaces. Each of them was inspired by the opportunities for customization and diversity of fabric options in the Rowe & Robin Bruce lines, as well as the overall quality of the Rowe experience. As always, our designers stepped up to deliver stunning results! Read on for an introduction to our My Rowe Designers, and a sneak peek at their collections before they debut at market!
About Raili Clasen | RailiCA Design
Raili Clasen turned a dynamic background in the surf industry and fashion industry into a career in interior design when she launched her own full-service design firm. RailiCA Design specializes in new construction, full remodels, and “the occasional cool vintage cottage renovation.” Raili’s signature California style is brimming with color and liveliness, drawing on surf culture, statement art pieces, and vintage chic. Her passion for design, as well as her eye for fashion, is evident in every space she creates. RailiCA Design’s projects have been featured in top design publications including Architectural Digest, House Beautiful and Dwell.
On her signature style…
My style was once described as interior design with a wink. I loved that description. I also definitely get a ton of inspiration from commercial spaces such as hotel lobbies, retail concept shops, and bars & restaurants. Some of the most clever design details are from local coffee shops where the owners have done the design themselves.
Raili’s Go-To Colors: Green, green and green!
Must-Have Room Item: A statement light fixture
Favorite Classic in the Making: Wallpaper. It’s back and here to stay.
Dream Design Project: Boutique hotel! We are starting one now in Seattle, and it is a creative jackpot.
On why she loves Rowe… They are so great! Everything from the styles to the fabrics, and most definitely the customer service. A true joy to work with!
Standout Selections
An eclectic set of 4 Oslyn Dining Chairs in mismatched but coordinating fabrics sets the tone for this space — fun-loving, serious but not too serious, relaxed but stylish. We love that Raili carried the same fabrics over into the sitting area, where they appear on a pair of Beckett Chairs and as accent pillows on a casual white Bradford Slipcover Sofa, creating a sense of continuity and flow. Finally, the modern simplicity and visible wood grain of our Origin Credenza and Dune Desk give the space a hint of Raili’s retro-modern, California cool vibe.
About Max Humphrey
New Hampshire-born Max Humphrey moved to Los Angeles after graduating from college in Boston to play in a major label punk rock band. Eventually, he pivoted from music and spent ten years designing homes before launching his own Portland-based design firm in 2016. His signature style is a lived-in, layered look that is “about knowing who you are and what you want to say,” and he believes that every room should show signs of life. Max has been named a House Beautiful Next Wave Designer and one of the country’s 100 Most Creative People by Country Living. His projects have been featured in Architectural Digest, Luxe Magazine, and The Wall Street Journal.
On his signature style…
Modern Cowboy. Also, I drink 50 cups of coffee and play video games and walk around the supermarket until inspiration hits. I have to trick myself into ’not trying’ to come up with creative ideas.
Max’s Go-To Colors: Olive green | Navy blue | Black & white with pops of red
Must-Have Room Item: Bowl of kettle corn
Favorite Classic in the Making: “Inner Child.” Design is too serious these days and we can all use a disco ball or inflatable unicorn or two in our homes.
Dream Design Project: I’d love to design a laundromat.
On why he loves Rowe… Customer service is everything and my trade partner at Rowe makes life easy for me.
Standout Selections
Max’s design concept called for plenty of seating to complete his vision of a hospitality space. True to this idea and to Max’s eclectic signature style, the main sitting area includes the dramatically tufted Stevens Sofa in a deep azure blue and a Madeline Sofa in forest green with elegant gold nail trim, linked by a neutral-toned Ellice Lounger in between. Another standout is our Atticus Chair in rich brown leather, which creates the Western cabin or lodge feel that Max was after, but in a way that feels fresh and modern rather than antique.
About Laura Umansky | Laura U Design Collective
Laura Umansky is a Houston-based interior designer best known for her warm and luxuriously livable interiors. Since founding Laura U Interior Design in 2006, she has helped clients all over the globe articulate their unique personalities through the art of exceptional design. Her signature “Classically Current” aesthetic is a modern interpretation of iconic styles, resulting in interiors that are bright, bold, and contrasting. In 2020, her firm evolved once more. Now offering residential building design services, the Laura U Design Collective is a multi-disciplinary studio offering a “holistic” approach to home design.
On her signature style…
My personal style spans all modes, from traditional to contemporary to mid-century. That’s my personality. I am open-minded, I love beautiful and unique pieces, and I want to mix them together so I never have to be without something I enjoy.
I have a romantic view of the world and I’m constantly absorbing new information through every adventure. I love to find inspiration in my travels (especially to Aspen or Rome), in restaurants where the food and the ambiance blend well together, and in music and art, too. I love architects like Carlo Scarpa and Alvar Aalto, as well as artists like Marc Chagall and Cy Twombly.
Laura’s Go-To Colors: Black and white (I love contrast) | Deep oxblood | Warm-hued putty
Must-Have Room Item: Something antique or heirloom; really anything that you love, whether it’s artwork, a statement light fixture, or an inherited piece. Just something you couldn’t live without!
Favorite Classic in the Making: I don’t have an answer for this one! I try not to pay attention to anything too trendy.
Dream Design Project: I live to renovate historic homes. My own home is nearly 100 years old and we revived it from top-to-bottom. It is such a remarkable before-and-after, which is what I love most about historic renovations. I think it would be incredibly rewarding to personally own and renovate a historic manse with grounds. Think Downton Abbey. That is my end-all dream project!
On why she loves Rowe… I love working with Rowe because they offer a limitless selection of beautiful fabrics and textiles. My personal style includes many variations, so to have this versatility at such a high quality is a huge benefit.
Standout Selections
Eye-catching watercolor wall murals set the stage for this space, creating a gorgeous background against which her Rowe selections really pop. Laura began her design with the upholstery, selecting a subtle animal print to pair with the delicate caning on a pair of our Klein Chairs, and a bold, abstracted Moroccan pattern on a pair of Wrenn Swivels. Another standout is the Empire Cocktail Table that anchors the sitting area. “Its scale has just the right amount of drama,” says the designer. “It has presence but doesn’t overwhelm the design.”
