WAYFAIR: 20 QUESTIONS WITH ANDESIGN

​Designer of the Month
Name: Dana Wang, Principal
Emily Taber-Moore, Senior Interior Designer
Firm: andesign, inc.
Location: La Jolla, California
Years in Industry: 20 & 8, respectively
Social: Facebook | Instagram




Get to Know Emily and Dana
1. If you weren’t a designer what would you be?
Dana: Photographer.
Emily: Lawyer!

2. What’s the first thing you do in the morning? 
Emily: Aside from snoozing my alarm six times? Make a kale smoothie.

3. What’s No. 1 on your bucket list right now? 
Emily: Have an Eat, Pray, Love adventure.

4. What’s on your nightstand? 
Dana: My iPad and a design book.
Emily: Water, a mug of tea, and my iPhone. 

5. What are the three things you do right before company arrives?
Dana: Prepare tea, add fresh flowers, turn on soothing music.
Emily: Ensure my bar is fully-stocked, light naturally scented candles, and frantically organize the million throw pillows on my sofas. 

6. What’s your favorite drink of choice?
Dana: Champagne. 
Emily: A Moscow Mule. 

7. Favorite vacation destination? 
Dana: Tokyo, Japan.
Emily: I love Florence, Italy. I lived there for five months, but Positano—this stunning island—took my breath away.

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​Design Advice
8. Describe your aesthetic in three words.
As a firm, our diverse backgrounds allow us to adapt to any style, but collectively our personal aesthetic reflects clean, organic, and contemporary looks.

9. Design Rules: One to break? One to always follow? 
Emily: One rule to break? Break all of them! There are no boundaries in good design. Always mix styles. Never be afraid to put something vintage in a modern room, it gives the space character. 

10. Favorite color combo?
Dana: Gray, blue, and orange.
Emily: Literally 50 different shades of gray, white, and blue.

11. Which celebrity’s house would you love to get your hands on?
Emily: Emma Stone for the win! I think she would be so fun to work with.

12. Share one tip for someone looking to bust out of a style rut.
Emily: Take a walk, check out a new neighborhood, look around (not at your phone), and ground yourself before diving back in.

13. Is there a trend you would love to try, but haven’t been able to talk a client into yet?
Emily: I've been dying to use Ellie Cashman wallpaper for two years, and I finally found a client who is letting me put it on her office ceiling!

14. What made you go into the interior design field and what keeps you there?
Emily: When I was a kid I'd go to friends’ houses and rearrange their rooms for fun. I decided in 8th grade that I'd pursue a career in interior design. I’ve stayed in the industry because of my passion to create an experience—not just a design. I want a room to tell a story.
Dana: I initially wanted to be an architect because I like the detailed and technical aspect, but I also the fact that every day is different.

15. What’s the best design advice you’ve ever been given?
Emily: Be adaptable. A great designer can design in any style and is constantly evolving.

Inspirations
16. What’s your most treasured piece in your home?
Dana: Caracole arm chairs. 
Emily: Fornasetti face plates. I hung mine on the wall as artwork. They each have their own personality.   

17. Which designer do you admire most?
Dana: Le Corbusier was ahead of his time and forever an influence.
Emily: Patricia Uriquola is a force to be reckoned with.

18. Quote to live by?
Emily: "An idea is salvation by imagination." —Frank Lloyd Wright

19. Where do you go for inspiration when you’re feeling stumped?
Emily: Pinterest and Instagram are my saviors, it’s so inspiring to see such diverse work from all over the globe. 

20. Who do you follow on Instagram?
Emily: More like, who don't I follow? Inspiring designers, artists, small shop owners. Becki Owens, Jessie Miller, and Consort Design are some of my favorites currently.

​The full article can also be viewed here.