Talk Shop: Brittany Hakimfar // Far Studio
ABOUT BRITTANY
Brittany Hakimfar is the founder and principal designer of Far Studio, a Philadelphia-based interior design firm known for its refined yet livable spaces. A graduate of George Washington University with a degree in interior design, Brittany began her career in New York City under the esteemed Mark Cunningham before moving to Los Angeles in 2012 to work alongside AD100 designer Waldo Fernandez. As a lead designer at Waldo’s firm, she spent five years shaping high-end residential and commercial spaces across the country, honing her signature approach to timeless, thoughtful interiors. In 2017, Brittany returned to her Philadelphia roots to establish Far Studio and build a life with her family. Now based in the suburbs with her husband and two young children, she continues to create inspired spaces that balance elegance with everyday living.
Photo by Brian Wetzel
Describe your style in three words or less:
Layered, warm, timeless
What have been the three biggest influences on your aesthetic in your life:
Learning and working with some incredible designers on amazing projects for high-profile clients before going out on my own helped influence my style and elevate my taste. It gave me the space to explore different aesthetics. I have always been influenced by travel, and I love traveling to Paris, which I try to do once a year. I spent a year abroad in Paris and have always loved the architecture and design—I always feel inspired when I visit. Lastly, my upbringing has been a huge influence. I think my parents raised my siblings and me to be very cultured and well-traveled; from a young age, I was exposed to beautiful design through our family travels and experiences and a lot of this still influences me now and helped shape my design aesthetic.
How did you start your company, and/or what is your favorite thing about what you do:
Photo by Brian Wetzel
I started Far Studio after my husband, Ben, and I moved from LA to the East Coast to start our family. At the time, I was 7 months pregnant with my daughter Liv, my first; I knew that I wanted to raise my family where I grew up because of my wholesome upbringing. At first, I was working remotely with the firm I worked for in LA, doing smaller and personal projects independently. I found that my style was very different from anything in the area, and my vibe of a West Coast influence with East Coast sensibilities had not been done by anyone locally. I tried to do it alone while having two little ones, but then Covid happened and I got even busier. In 2020, my husband left his career in law and joined me, and we officially started Far Studio and made it the business I dreamed it to be. We now have a fantastic team of talented designers who are working on exciting projects out of our studio space in Bryn Mawr, PA. I love that I am growing something really unique and a true reflection of my style, which continues to evolve and grow through the years, and that we get to work on so many incredible projects for wonderful clients.
Do you have a mentor in your career, and if so, how have they helped to shape your trajectory:
I don’t think I necessarily have a mentor. However, I value and appreciate the designers I worked for previously and have learned so much from them. My best advice to anyone starting in the design field is to work for another designer (or a few) before going out on your own. There is only so much you can learn in school, but real learning happens in the field and on sites, as well as everything that happens behind the scenes. I always say that no matter how prepared you are or how good your drawings are, there will always be questions and things that need to be decided in the field, and you need to be confident and have good problem-solving skills at the moment to succeed. I learned many of those skills by watching how others handled similar situations.
Photo by Brian Wetzel
What does your home say about you:
My home is a true reflection of my and my husband's styles: a bit eclectic and one-of-a-kind but still warm, layered, and timeless. One thing that Ben and I started doing once we had our own home was to start collecting art. I love that each piece in our home has a meaning, is special to us, and adds character to each space. We also love collecting all kinds of found objects and artifacts, so our home is layered with really unique pieces that we love.
Where do you find inspiration:
Traveling, magazines, Instagram, and Pinterest.
What are your key ingredients for entertaining:
Making everyone feel comfortable, spaces should not feel untouchable or uneasy. When I entertain, I want people to enjoy and experience our home fully, and of course, the food and drinks are essential, too!
Do you collect anything:
Everything! We love collecting art and unique pieces to display in our home.
What design “rule” do you always follow, and which is made to be broken:
I will never do an accent wall—for me, that is a no, but a design rule that is meant to be broken is that I typically do not like to do more than two metal finishes in a space. However, when you are dealing with natural materials, vintage pieces, and organic metals, I think you can layer a lot of different tones.
What are you working on right now:
We have a great project in Aspen that we will be installing this summer, a condo in Florida, a beach block home in Avalon, NJ, a full gut condo renovation in Rittenhouse Square Philadelphia, a bunch of local renovation projects, and a few very exciting ground-up construction projects that we have been a part of since inception and are really involved in all the details.
Photo by Brian Wetzel
Wardrobe staples:
Jeans, boots, a belt and a white tee. That is my go-to and always a classic for me - you will almost always see me in jeans, and my current favorites are from Reformation; I love a good boot and typically need it for the messy job sites that we go on - right now I’m loving The Row zip up boot and have it in a few colors, my go-to belts are from Khaite, and my favorite white tee is COS. I typically always have a cardigan or sweater to layer with.
Favorite fabric/wallpaper:
I just did a wallpaper collab with Chasing Paper and I truly love everyone and have used it in my home and clients’ homes!
Best interior advice you ever received:
Learning how to mix highs and lows, that it's important to spend money on certain elements, and that design is an investment that will bring you joy and truly impact your life.
Photo by Brian Wetzel
Photo by Brian Wetzel
Best career advice you ever received:
It’s cliché, but hard work pays off—I think I work really hard, and I know that I have gotten to where I am because of the time and dedication I put into it.
Types of home purchases you invest in, and save on:
Invest in upholstery items, lighting, and unique iconic pieces. Save on accent lights, side tables, and pillows/throws.
Your greatest extravagance:
Photo by Brian Wetzel
Clothes, I love to shop and appreciate nice things, but just as I layer and mix highs and lows in design, I also do that with my wardrobe.
Favorite places to shop for home:
1st Dibs,The Expert, and at trade shows!
Most prized possession and why:
Our home has been and continues to be a labor of love. We have truly used it as an expression of our taste and what we love, and we continue to add to and change it to experiment with style and design.
Advice for someone looking to define their own interior style:
Really lean into what you love and experiment with different materials and colors. Style can constantly change and evolve.
Take Ten: My Favorite…
Food: I actually love healthy food - give me a vegan/healthy restaurant and I am in heaven
Drink: Casamigos reposado on the rocks with an orange
Film: The Holiday
Hotel: Las Ventanas in Cabo
City: Paris
Bedding: Right now loving our bedding and towels from Parachute Home
Tea or Coffee (and how do you take it): Coffee - I always get an almond milk misto extra hot
Playlist: My daughter makes playlists on my phone!
Weekend Activity: Being with my kids- we are big on family time on the weekends since our weeks are so hectic
Design Book: Joseph Dirand: Interior