When Interiors Are Full of Warmth and Personality

Rodney Lawrence, principal of his eponymous design firm in New York City, creates dynamic interiors that are sophisticated, refined, and full of warmth and personality. Unity and contrast are the hallmarks of his richly layered work, which spans high-end residential projects to modern commercial environments. Have a look!

Recently completed projects include a luxurious home in south Florida; a stately family retreat in Old Lyme, Connecticut; an elegant Tribeca loft; a glamorous Park Avenue apartment; a model residence for The Related Companies; and modern taekwondo studios in Florida and New York. Current projects include a beachfront compound in Maine; a Central Park West penthouse; a Bucks County, Pennsylvania, estate; a sprawling Quogue beach house, and more.

A native of Trinidad who came to the United States at the age of 10, Lawrence cites his grandfather’s magical menagerie of animals as fueling an early fascination with the animate and inanimate natural world. Creativity and collecting was encouraged in his childhood home, furthering his interest in and exploration of art and objects. He attended Dartmouth College intending to major in botany or biology but had an epiphany after enrolling in an art history course, where he realized he was most drawn to the interiors depicted in the works he was studying. Lawrence shifted his focus to an art curriculum that included studio courses and, in doing so, discovered his natural penchant for collage, creating pieces inspired by Joseph Cornell boxes.

As an undergraduate with a budding thirst for knowledge in the decorative arts, Lawrence was selected for two prestigious internships at Christie’s Auction House, first in the then-recently-debuted Russian Art department, followed by a turn in the Department of European Decorative Arts. After graduating from Dartmouth with a degree in Art History, he continued his extra-curricular education with an internship at Franklin Parrasch, a gallery that at the time represented Wendel Castle, Ken Price and Dale Chihuly, while pursuing a Master of Arts in Decorative History and Design at the Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum.

Today, Lawrence brings more than 15 years of experience and a continued academic zeal to each commission for an increasingly global clientele. His work has been recognized by top publications including Architectural Digest, Elle Décor, Galerie, House Beautiful, New York Cottages & Gardens, New York Magazine and Casa Vogue.

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