Talk Shop: Alexii Friedman // Studio Friedman
Photo by Sean Litchfield
About Alexii
Alexii Friedman is a New York City and Philadelphia-based interior designer who takes pride in her ability to transform spaces that uniquely reflect her client’s needs and lifestyles. Her passion for interior design began at a young age when she would constantly rearrange furniture in her family home, repaint walls without permission, and force her mother to purchase new pieces to better complement a room. Her innate love for art, objects, furniture, and architecture created a natural path toward the interior design industry.
Alexii holds a Bachelor of Fine Art in Interior Design from Moore College of Art and Design. She has over 17 years of experience in high-end residential design, working with prestigious firms in New York City before founding Studio Friedman in 2019. Alexii’s detail-oriented, client-focused approach makes her flexible and fun to work with. She strives for the perfect balance of form and function and believes a collaborative team is the most important factor in a successful project. Outside of design, Alexii enjoys spending time with her family, including her two sons and artist husband.
Photo by Sean Litchfield
Describe your style in three words or less:
Tailored, elevated, timeless.
What have been the three biggest influences on your aesthetic in your life:
My design aesthetic has been influenced by so many facets of my life that it is difficult to narrow to just three. New York is probably the biggest influence. It's such an energetic and creative environment that it's difficult to not be inspired on a daily basis. Traveling abroad. Modernism.
How did you start your company, and/or what is your favorite thing about what you do:
My company had an organic start. I was working for a larger high-end residential firm in Tribeca and chose to take a pause right before my eldest son began school full-time. This was in 2014. I wanted a chance to experience being a full-time mom before the opportunity passed me by. However, I quickly realized that I was not cut out to be a stay-at-home parent. I missed the work environment, the creativity, the clients, the collaboration, I missed it all. So I took on some freelance projects, which turned into more projects at a larger scale, and soon I was back at it full-time but with a newfound drive. My favorite thing is always the finished product. While I adore almost every aspect of the design process, seeing a client in their new space brings me the most joy. If a client isn't happy, neither am I.
Do you have a mentor in your career, and if so, how have they helped to shape your trajectory:
I've never had a true mentor per se, but I have been influenced by people I've admired in my life. The principal at my first job out of college was extremely inspirational. A wonderful boss, smart, extremely talented, and handled every situation with grace and integrity. My mother, who was my biggest supporter and taught me a strong work ethic can accomplish anything. And my father-in-law, who is the most business-savvy person I know.
Photo by Sean Litchfield
What does your home say about you:
Orderly, relaxed, neutral, artful. My husband is an artist and we tend to disagree often on our home design (though I usually win). He is more eclectic and what I would consider a maximalist. We leave that design sensibility in his studio. I strive for a perfect balance of form and function.
Where do you find inspiration:
Everywhere and anywhere. From architecture to fashion, to art, to people. The list is endless.
Who are your style icons:
Again, there are so many...Ray Eames, Dorothy Thorpe, Kagan, Prouve, Jean-Michel Frank.
What are your key ingredients for entertaining:
Creating the perfect mood. The right lighting and music, not too bright and not too loud.
Do you collect anything:
Tiny things! Mainly in the kitchenware department. It just made me laugh writing that down. I love small spoons and knives, glasses, and appetizer plates that are always vintage.
Photo by Sean Litchfield
Favorite Instagram accounts to follow for inspiration:
Athena Calderone, Marc Costa, Archdigest, Elle Decor, World of Interiors, Galerie Provenance, Studio Mellone
What design “rule” do you always follow, and which is made to be broken:
I don't like to follow rules. I think good design requires you to step outside of the box.
What are you working on right now:
A vacation home in Sagaponack, a serene farmhouse in Pennsylvania, a remodel in Tribeca, and a handful of smaller projects sprinkled around Philadelphia and New York.
Wardrobe staples:
A great pair of Jeans (or 10). Anything black. And if it's winter, my Soho lug sole boots.
Favorite fabric/wallpaper:
Currently loving Rosemary Hallgarten's hand-painted alpaca boucle from Holland and Sherry. Scalamandre silk wallcoverings and Phillip Jeffries suede wallpaper.
Best interior advice you ever received:
Less is more.
Best career advice you ever received:
It's okay to say no.
Types of home purchases you invest in, and save on:
Lighting, art, and bedding are always worth the investment.
Rugs and accessories are areas I tend to hold back a bit.
Your greatest extravagance:
Travel and good hotels
Favorite places to shop for home:
1st Dibs, LES Collection, and Morentz.
Photo by Sean Litchfield
Most prized possession and why:
This is hard. I want to say my children, but they're not really a possession. I guess it would have to be a piece of artwork I inherited from my grandmother. It's an oil painting on metal of a woman in a field holding onto her hat. It's a small painting in a black velvet and gold frame. My grandparents would buy art when they traveled and all their finds were hung above their kitchen breakfast table. As a kid, I loved looking at the pieces they collected from around the world. And now it hangs in my kitchen.
Your interiors motto:
Clear space clear mind
Your life motto:
Don't worry about what other people think. Do you!
Advice for someone looking to define their own interior style:
Be true to yourself.
Take Ten: My Favorite…
Food: Pizza
Drink: Dirty Martini
Film: Ugh! This is hard. Pretty Woman, Dirty Dancing, Pulp Fiction...I have a wide range of tastes when it comes to movies.
Hotel: From a vacation: Andronis Luxury Suites in Santorini...and they had the best restaurant experience on their property, Lycabettus! The Four Seasons Philadelphia is a local favorite.
City: Florence
Bedding: Frette
Tea or Coffee (and how do you take it): Coffee, just milk, please.
Playlist: 90's Hiphop, Classic Rock, Indie Rock, I listen to it all.
Weekend Activity: Hanging with my husband and kids.
Design Book: AD at 100