Krista Ninivaggi is a Principal and seasoned designer with over twenty years of experience in shaping interiors for diverse projects globally. In 2014, she established K&CO, a firm specializing in commercial interiors with a focus on hospitality, multifamily residential, and office spaces, located in lower Manhattan.
Ninivaggi’s work has earned her significant recognition, including being named “Young Gun” by Curbed in 2013 and “Designer of the Year” by Contract magazine in 2014. She holds influential roles on the RISD President’s Alumni Council, Contract Magazine’s Editorial Advisory Board, and the New York School of Interior Design’s Undergraduate Program Advisory Board. Her academic contributions include teaching positions at Parsons The New School and Columbia’s GSAPP, alongside guest lectures at various architectural and interior design institutions. Krista is also a former Advisory Board member for The American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) and is an alumna of the Rhode Island School of Design.
What inspired you to become a designer?
I grew up in a home that my grandparents had designed and built themselves. They were not architects. Though the household was loving, the house itself was full of frustrations for me even at a young age. I knew it so intimately that I would see small details and understood that had the details have been better considered, the house would have been more successful. When I was a little older, in my teen years, I started sneaking off from my New Jersey hometown to explore the NYC streets. I was awakened to the idea that you can design for experience. I was obsessed. Even though I chose to study architecture in school, I only cared about inside spaces.
How would you describe your design philosophy?
I design every space so that it can be transformed into a party.
Your expertise lies in creating interiors that are in concert with their architectural surroundings. Can you share how you integrate abstract conceptual ideas into the practical aspects of material selection and furniture design for commercial interiors?
It’s not a complicated process but it takes a bit of abstract thinking and brainstorming to get there. I’ve created a process, a formula of sorts, to follow that I can teach everyone who works on my team. It’s similar to playing a surrealist game like “Exquisite Corpse.” There are set rules to follow (and break!), but anything can come out on the other side. Going through this process creates a visual vocabulary, a working title, and a verbal elevator pitch that becomes the narrative thread we design around. When we are selecting materials or furniture, you then have to look at it and say, for example, “Does this chair belong in a building that wants to portray itself as, ‘Untethered Nostalgia?’”
Can you tell us about your favorite project and why it stands out?
Someone just asked me this yesterday and predictably, I had a hard time selecting. If I really think about it, my favorite projects are ones that I get to work on with my partner from my personal life, Gregg Pasquarelli. We met 20+ years ago when he was just starting SHoP Architects. I was at David Rockwell’s office and we were collaborating on a project. We have worked together on and off ever since. American Copper was probably one of my top five favorites. Not only did Gregg and I get to work on that together, but we really were able to design every inch of that building. We even designed the pattern on the shower drains! It was the first multifamily building I worked on, so it was a satisfying learning experience for that reason alone. Through that project, we formed a strong connection with the ambitious young client, Michael Stern. Great clients make great projects. Currently, we are working on two more projects with Michael.
Given your varied background in hospitality, multifamily residential, and workplace interiors, how do you adapt your design strategies across these different typologies while maintaining a cohesive aesthetic and functional vision?
Designers understand that a design problem is the same no matter the typology. Designing a skyscraper vs designing a chair is not that different at the end of the day. I feel the same way about designing a restaurant vs designing an office. These things do not live in different worlds, so why should we silo them? I strive to maintain this variety in our projects. The crossover informs a freshness in our work and infuses vitality in the spaces we design. Rarely do we say to our clients, “This is how we do it…” because we are always questioning the norms and observing the world around us. For example, I noticed a particular restaurant was popular for breakfast meetings. I deduced it was because of the type of seating. This observation has been translated into our workplace projects as well as our amenity design for multifamily. A client who is coming to us because we have done it a thousand times is not the right client for us. We want someone who wants to think critically about the “how” and “why.” My favorite pitch is, “Hire us because we HAVEN’T done it!” We will learn about your design challenges and we will find a better, more tailored solution for you. We are not coming in with preconceived ideas. The clients that want to partner with us in that way are amazing to work with.
What is your favorite architectural detail? If possible, share a detailed technical drawing and explain it, along with images that help illustrate how this detail is useful to architects.
My favorite detail is the shower lighting we developed for American Copper. We designed a cove in the shower instead of using a typical enclosed shower light. There was just something about putting in a recessed light that felt like putting a postage stamp on the ceiling. We had a beautiful slab feature wall on the back of the shower and I really wanted to show it off. So, we came up with this idea of a cove at the back of the wall. It allows the stone to terminate into a pocket so it appears to slip above the ceiling. The soft glow is the perfect night light for the bathroom. I lived in American Copper for six years. I was overjoyed every day by this detail.
Do you have a favorite material?
I really love decorative lighting if you can call that a material. I was that kid who always made her school projects light up. Most of our projects have custom lights we design specifically for the space. Something that lights up is always going to call attention to itself, so I feel strongly that the lighting should be designed to be unique. It can also help reinforce the conceptual narrative.
What is your process for starting a new project?
Aside from starting with our conceptual process, I like to have a “pre-kick-off,” where we just listen to the client and try to get to the root of their goals. I see our team’s role more as design guides who tease out the desires of the client who might not have the time or design skills to develop these projects on their own.
How do you balance creativity and practicality in your designs?
When we start projects, I encourage keeping the “aesthetics” and the “planning” separate as long as possible. We will eventually bring them together and there is a big editing process where they inform each other. Keeping them separate allows our team to dream big on each side of the coin before we have to bring things down to reality.
What role does the surrounding environment play in your architectural projects?
We always look at the site context and integrate it into the conceptual narrative. We feel strongly about ensuring all our projects have a deliberate reference to their setting. That includes having the interiors reference the design of the building’s exterior. Often, we will try to use the facade material on the interior so you really feel the large architectural moves.
How do you approach working with clients to understand their needs and visions?
In the beginning, we listen more than we talk. It’s important to hear from them and get them to share their ideas and goals
What architectural/design trends or movements do you find most inspiring?
I really love it when I see a good application of pure color. My personal preference is to use the natural properties of my materials to add color to the space, which is why you see a lot of warm woods and variations of metals in our projects. However, I am always delighted when I see color being used. It doesn’t work on every project, and sometimes it can even make a project look cheap. When done well though, color is delightful!
I am also excited to see glass blocks make a comeback. It’s starting to creep into projects and be used in new and exciting ways. I can’t wait until we have a project where we can use it. Similarly, I love concrete block screens, but I just have not found the right project for them.
As a recognized leader in interior design, what are the most significant changes you have observed in the industry over the last decade, and how have they influenced your approach to new projects?
Project schedules are getting shorter as clients demand quicker delivery. I think this has come about through a misconception about how long documentation takes throughout the life of a project. In the past, documentation was built gradually through the design process, with details becoming clearer over time. We used materials boards and sketches, making choices in a more evolutionary way, and renderings came later towards the end of the process. Now, however, renderings are produced much earlier. While this allows clients to visualize concepts more easily, these renderings have become design tools, giving the illusion that the project is more complete than it actually is. This also results in generating a lot more optionality, which is a benefit but also adds time to an already tight schedule. While the client sees a “finished project,” they don’t understand that we have to go back to document the project, which takes a significant amount of time. Programs that are supposed to circumvent this double work, like Revit, are not agile enough for high-concept interiors.
What advice would you give to aspiring architects?
The advice I would give my younger self would be to enjoy having less responsibility. I feel like I was eager to get ahead and get more responsibility, but with age and experience, that comes naturally. I miss the days when I could sit at my desk with my headphones on drawing all day. There is beauty in being able to focus on the work.
So take your time to enjoy your career as it unfolds. It will do that without forcing it.
Don’t take any shit from anyone; there will be people out there who will hold you up and others who hold you back. You need to learn to steer clear of the latter. You can’t always do that, so learn how to deal with those people. Identify them and act appropriately. We don’t always have the luxury to not deal with those types, but knowing who they are and where they are coming from.
