The A List

The A List: Carrier and Company

Jesse and Mara, incredible husband and wife duo - named to the prestigious Architectural Digest AD100 and the Elle Décor A-List - create sophisticated, light-filled and airy rooms that are a confident mix of timeless and contemporary design.

Jesse Carrier and Mara Miller, Founders of Carrier and Company Interiors.

Window treatments in Fortuny, and hand-glazed walls are a surprising and fresh palette for the coastal sitting area.

Jesse Carrier and Mara Miller, the principals of Carrier and Company Interiors, are a husband and wife duo who create rooms that are a confident mix of timeless and contemporary design— both familiar and fresh at once. Always refined and sophisticated, light-filled and airy, their rooms often feature subtle patterns and neutral palettes punctuated by bursts of exuberance and an unexpected and eclectic mix. Named to the prestigious Architectural Digest AD100 and the Elle Décor A-List, the Carriers’ have garnered accolades from the world’s most esteemed publications including Architectural Digest, Vogue, Town & Country, Elle Décor, House Beautiful, World Of Interiors. Clients include Anna Wintour, Jessica Chastain, Annie Leibovitz, and Jason Wu.

Shimmering venetian plaster and handwoven sea grass carpet keep this glamorous living room beachy and light. Over-scaled Murano lamps add mid-century modernity.

What does "Made in Italy" mean to you?

“Made in Italy” means care, craft, beauty and personality. There is a deep satisfaction and joy in creating something – and we believe those feelings are imbued into an item. Italy’s long history of important design, and Italians ability to live among wonderful things emboldens the designers to create with pleasure, whimsy, and daring.

Vintage Italian games table and chairs are sheltered by a large palm. Victorian inspired bench provides a social perch for conversation. Artwork is dramatic, featuring a local artist’s site installation of river reads above the mantle.

A richly polished antique dining table, and ebonized dining chair with black leather upholstery provides graphic contrast to the adjoining dining room, bathed in white, with white plaster dipped chandelier.

Who has inspired the most your work and style?

We’re grounded in America’s decorating masters - Frances Elkins, Billy Baldwin, and Elsie de Wolfe. Those designers combined modernity with comfort and glamour. We tend to derive inspiration from the past and authentic things – like historic homes, and get excited by contemporary art and artists. How to combine the two is the creative tension we enjoy most.

Blue-gray satin curtains are pulled to reveal doors to a terrace. Marbleized wallpaper is inset within the room’s original paneling. Mid-century, Italian, calla lily floor lamp acts a sculpture in the room.

A pair of Seguso torchiere lamps flank a painting above a mirrored 1940’s console.

Describe your design approach and philosophy.

Our design process is about creating a narrative for a home by learning about the clients’ lifestyle, personalities, and taste, while also influenced by the location and purpose of the home. We try not to approach a project with any pre-conceived notions. Philosophy: Tasteful does not have to be boring, and pretty can be chic.

A loft with double height ceilings using furniture placement to create ‘room-within-a-room’ for conversation, utility and visual interest.

A detail showing the dynamic compositions of furniture, objects and artwork.

What is the one design/decor you cannot imagine your clients (or yourself) living without?

A comfortable sofa and artwork that inspires you.

What is your idea of the ‘ultimate luxury”?

Ease! We strive to create homes and environments that are easy to live in – good design is thoughtful, functional and artful. A home should be a respite – not a place that requires discipline or distracts.