PRO Visits

Tour Ryan Lawson’s Eclectic New York Studio

The interior designer shows off books and collectibles in his Manhattan workspace
A handthrown vase by Mario Bellini perches on a red pedestal at Ryan Lawsons New York office space. The photograph on...
A hand-thrown vase by Mario Bellini perches on a red pedestal at Ryan Lawson’s New York office space. The photograph on the floor is a contemporary work by John Chiara. Photo: Seth Caplan

“I have such great respect for people who are, at their core, minimalists,” says interior designer Ryan Lawson. “But I just am not one of them.” The New York City–based designer, who is currently working on residential projects in St. Louis, the Hamptons, Palm Springs, and beyond, is known for his layered, architectural approach to interiors. As New York begins allowing some workspaces to reopen, he has started a gradual return to his Manhattan office, home base for his three-person firm. The unit has a coveted location with views overlooking Union Square Park, and an enviable commute for Lawson, who lives a 10-minute walk away.

A Linda Lopez ceramic piece is seen in the foreground.

Photo: Seth Caplan

The two-room studio is as much a workplace as it is a showcase of Lawson’s thoughtful aesthetic. The designer holds court at a large square West Elm desk illuminated by an oversize RH pendant. The clean white surface helps him stay free from distractions, and serves as the only “visual break,” as he describes it, in the room. The work table is surrounded by simple bookshelves full of monographs, design and art books, and other references. “I tried to buy one book a month when I started in New York [16 years ago],” Lawson says, “and now I just have lots and lots of books.”

Sculpture and ceramic pieces add intrigue, while showing off the designer’s eye for art. The black étagère in Lawson’s office is somewhat of a cabinet of curiosities; pieces by California ceramicist Ben Medansky are scattered among works by Alma Allen and Cody Hoyt. Mixed in are an 18th-century red lacquered gourd, a marble ashtray, and a piece of fossilized (supposed) dinosaur poop. “I don’t particularly spend time drawing connections between things until they’re in front of me together, so it’s not so much intentional purchasing,” Lawson explains of his collecting strategy. “It’s more like exploring things through these connections once I see them in place.”

Lawson holds court at a West Elm desk. The pendant is RH.

Photo: Seth Caplan

Works by Ben Medansky, Alma Allen, Cody Hoyt, and other makers fill up an étagère.

Photo: Seth Caplan

A long BDDW table anchors the second room, where Lawson’s two colleagues work. One wall, lined with sleek baskets, is the heart of the firm’s organization system. Each project has its own container filled with samples, materials, and drawings. Above the baskets, a pin-up board displays the designer’s current inspirations. The team uses this as a jumping-off point rather than a space to work out formal schemes. “It’s less of a practical, working board for me as much as a sort of cyclical diary,” he says.

Lawson often has potential clients stop by for meetings. As such, the area must serve as a showpiece of what he can bring to the proverbial table. Does he see this as a challenge? “If you’re working with me, it’s the beginning of a long relationship, and you might as well come to my office and see where everything happens and what it looks like while it’s happening,” he says. “I’m not one who wants to hide a lot from people.”