There are some designers upon which envy is not a strong enough word to describe your feelings toward their work. Jealousy comes closer, but still not quite right. No, for some interior designers and the amazing work they do, no words can describe the feelings of inspiration and inadequacy that overcome you when viewing their spaces. Steven Gambrel is a designer whose work elicits such visceral responses from viewers.
Divided into “town” and “country,” Gambrel’s online portfolio lets us known up front this is a man and a designer who can easily straddle two extremes of design (and quite beautifully). Click on “country” first, and you’ll be transported to a world where simplicity mingles with style to create comfort, excitement, joy and fresh air. This isn't your “farm house” country, where chicken motifs and cow idolatry rule the roost; this is a sophisticated take on designing spaces for people who treasure family, quality time and the good life. You can see in all these spaces that he’s designed homes for clients who genuinely love life—they enjoyed it before he designed their homes, and their homes now just reflect the kind of joyous lives they lead.
In “town,” you see a whole other side to Gambrel’s talents. Here, you see that he creates spaces for the sort of lives that urban, fast-paced and ambitious clients want to lead. There’s a strong dichotomy that runs through all the spaces, one of fast-moving motivation, but also of slow and simple relaxation. These spaces are certainly slick and smack of a city life, but you can tell there’s an undercurrent of secretly wishing clients could get away to a farm, too.
But what do these spaces actually look like? Very varied. Bold colors poke out from accessories, cool colors coat walls, comfortable seating mixes with furniture with strong structural shape, textures mingle with smooth, cool earthy materials. He’s got an eye for art, and he keeps his spaces very restrained and streamlined. You can tell that while his spaces look beautiful by themselves, it’s the people within them that complete the visual story.
Established in New York in 1995, Gambrel’s firm was a bold step toward leading a bold design career, but well worth it. He started it only three years after earning his architecture degree from the University of Virginia, which just proves Gambrel’s not afraid of taking chances. He works with each client, regardless of whether they live in the city or country, to create comfortable homes that are also timeless and will last. He’s been included in such publications as House & Garden, Elle Décor, Interior Design, Departures, New York Times and New York Magazine. He often dabbles in designing custom furniture from time to time as well. For more information check out his
website.
Trying to figure out how you can always stay up-to-date on Swank Lighting’s great gorgeous Murano glass lamps or fun design posts? You should “like” us on our
Facebook page and
follow us on twitter (@swanklighting).
Divided into “town” and “country,” Gambrel’s online portfolio lets us known up front this is a man and a designer who can easily straddle two extremes of design (and quite beautifully). Click on “country” first, and you’ll be transported to a world where simplicity mingles with style to create comfort, excitement, joy and fresh air. This isn't your “farm house” country, where chicken motifs and cow idolatry rule the roost; this is a sophisticated take on designing spaces for people who treasure family, quality time and the good life. You can see in all these spaces that he’s designed homes for clients who genuinely love life—they enjoyed it before he designed their homes, and their homes now just reflect the kind of joyous lives they lead.
In “town,” you see a whole other side to Gambrel’s talents. Here, you see that he creates spaces for the sort of lives that urban, fast-paced and ambitious clients want to lead. There’s a strong dichotomy that runs through all the spaces, one of fast-moving motivation, but also of slow and simple relaxation. These spaces are certainly slick and smack of a city life, but you can tell there’s an undercurrent of secretly wishing clients could get away to a farm, too.
But what do these spaces actually look like? Very varied. Bold colors poke out from accessories, cool colors coat walls, comfortable seating mixes with furniture with strong structural shape, textures mingle with smooth, cool earthy materials. He’s got an eye for art, and he keeps his spaces very restrained and streamlined. You can tell that while his spaces look beautiful by themselves, it’s the people within them that complete the visual story.
Established in New York in 1995, Gambrel’s firm was a bold step toward leading a bold design career, but well worth it. He started it only three years after earning his architecture degree from the University of Virginia, which just proves Gambrel’s not afraid of taking chances. He works with each client, regardless of whether they live in the city or country, to create comfortable homes that are also timeless and will last. He’s been included in such publications as House & Garden, Elle Décor, Interior Design, Departures, New York Times and New York Magazine. He often dabbles in designing custom furniture from time to time as well. For more information check out his website.
Trying to figure out how you can always stay up-to-date on Swank Lighting’s great gorgeous Murano glass lamps or fun design posts? You should “like” us on our Facebook page and follow us on twitter (@swanklighting). 
