Joya Nandurdikar grounds her design practice in India’s rich craft heritage, viewing creativity as both expression and cultural preservation. As cofounder of Untitled Design and later Furgonomics, she champions responsible luxury through deep collaboration with artisans, blending traditional techniques with contemporary form. Her inspiration flows from moments of shared energy as much as from quiet personal reflection. Whether moved by Kerala mural traditions, the spiritual power of goddess iconography, the serenity of the Ganga at dusk, or the timeless craftsmanship of historical objects, Nandurdikar draws from a wide cultural tapestry to shape narratives – both in interiors and in the stories objects hold.
Photo: DBOX
Elizabeth Graziolo’s path to architecture began at Cooper Union, where her perspective – and career – aligned almost instantly. Mentored early on by Ann Kalla, she learned to translate theory into practice while navigating the profession as a woman. After nearly two decades at Peter Pennoyer Architects, she launched Yellow House Architects in 2020, fostering a collaborative studio with offices in New York and Miami. Graziolo draws inspiration from daily observations – sunsets, libraries, artworks, nature, and even door knockers – capturing ideas through photos, sketches, and collected objects. Her work revives historic properties with fresh intent, grounded in curiosity and an ever-evolving creative process.
Photo: Krafton
Sparked by a mountainside home in Bavaria, Karim El-Ishmawi’s architectural curiosity began in childhood. Growing up in post-Wall East Berlin, he explored creativity through graffiti, film, and installations – an early prelude to his collaborative ethos. In 2005, he and longtime friends Chris Middleton and Martin Jacobs founded Kinzo, a studio defined by participatory design and a user-centered approach shaped by El-Ishmawi’s strategic planning. For him, partnership is the engine of innovation. His inspirations span Siza’s scenographic landscapes, experimental Berlin projects, Brutalist icons, immersive art installations, and kaleidoscopic design moments – each fueling his belief in collective imagination and boundary-pushing environments.
Photo: Courtesy of East Fork
Ceramist Alex Matisse grew up surrounded by artistic legacy yet forged his own path through clay, discovering early that making with his hands was his truest calling. After abandoning college for a traditional apprenticeship, he eventually founded East Fork on a former tobacco farm in North Carolina, building his own monumental wood-fired kiln and growing the company into a leading U.S. dinnerware maker alongside his wife, Connie. Matisse’s creative life is deeply personal and place-based – shaped by handmade objects, family histories, a beloved woodland cabin, and the immersive craft processes he built from the ground up. But inspiration strikes even off the wheel, reminding him creation is never separate from living.
Photo: Gavin Cater
Amanda Leigh’s path to design began early, shaped by a love of art, architecture, and service work that deepened her connection to the built environment. After a stint as a New York restaurateur, she realized it was the design process – not the industry – that truly fulfilled her. That clarity led to House of Rolison, the Los Angeles design-and-development firm she founded in 2022 with partner Taylor Hahn. Together, they restore overlooked homes with a signature blend of vintage and contemporary elements, creating highly curated, luxury spaces. Leigh’s inspirations – from iconic architecture to crafted details and classic cars – reflect her passion for innovation, storytelling, and collaboration.
Photo: Lauren Miller
The ability to world build transcends discipline. Sam Sacks’ path to interior design began in journalism, where years spent editing a shelter magazine became an unexpected education in architecture, decoration, and the language of living well. After the 2008 market crash, she transformed that foundation into her Toronto-based firm, embracing design as a natural extension of her storytelling instincts. Today, Sacks creates spaces that reflect clients back to themselves, composing layered narratives through pattern, material, and mood. Endlessly observant – whether traveling, screenshotting inspiration, or savoring music – she draws from sensory joy: Moroccan riads, cedar scents, artisan textiles, anthropomorphic furniture, and the poetry of a great textile hunt.
Photo: Yoshihiro Makino
Nathan Warkentin’s creative trajectory – from photography to music – ultimately led him to interiors, a discipline he considers the most immersive form of expression. In 2023 he founded his New York– and Los Angeles–based firm, known for refined, functional, and deeply resonant spaces across hospitality and residential work. An avid researcher, he draws heavily from an ever-growing library of books on fashion, Japanese design, and rare finds from used shops worldwide. For Warkentin, inspiration is inseparable from daily life, and variety fuels his process. His influences span art, underground ’90s culture, Mexican architecture, urban street life, and the emotional warmth of nuanced browns.
Photo: David Glomb, courtesy of Marmol Radziner
Leo Marmol credits an early instructor for having nurtured his confidence and curiosity for design, later deepened by the poetic philosophy of Louis Kahn. Co-founder of Marmol Radziner, he approaches architecture holistically – spanning construction, furniture, and craft – while maintaining parallel passions that keep him grounded. Painting, once a private outlet for stress, has become a transformative practice exhibited nationally. Nature, museums, and moments of quiet reflection continually recharge him, informing both his art and architecture. Whether contemplating Camus, fly-fishing with his son, or experiencing Modernist spaces, Marmol embraces process over outcome, finding meaning in creation itself.
Photo: Taran Wilkhu
Jun Aizaki’s path to design began with LEGO houses, travel-fueled curiosity, and an early love of drawing. After studying at Pratt and honing his skills at Rockwell Group, he founded CRÈME in 2004, bringing a multidisciplinary, story-driven approach to hospitality, product, and experiential design. Aizaki treats each project as a holistic narrative shaped by collaborators, clients, and the artisans in his orbit. A prolific sketcher who toggles between notebooks and digital tools, he also channels his creativity into pottery, embracing its tactility and unpredictability. Whether inspired by mobility, craft objects, big-idea storytelling, or nature, Aizaki grounds his work in precision, humanity, and enduring curiosity.
And the most popular Friday Five post of 2025 is…
Photo: Justin Chung
Before formative studies at SCI-Arc, Amanda Gunawan’s architectural ambitions began in childhood only sharpened more by global travel. A revelatory visit to Japan’s Tama Art University Library solidified her conviction that great design is both exacting and transcendent. In 2018, she and Joel Wong founded OWIU Design in Los Angeles, a studio where living, making, and collaboration blur seamlessly. Their ceramics line, OWIU Goods, emerged organically from this shared creative environment and now thrives alongside interiors, furniture, and landscape projects. Grounded in discipline yet driven by curiosity, Gunawan draws inspiration from artful hospitality, running, design media, sculptural lighting, and expressive contemporary art.
Check out the rest of Design Milk’s end of the year coverage here!
