BY Interiors is a full-service residential interior design firm specializing in traditional yet livable interiors for clients and their families. Located in Darien, CT, we have projects nationwide. Founded by partners Jess Bauers (JSB) and Molly Young (MBY) with the hopes of creating fresh, fun spaces that have a happy marriage of playful and classic.

Can you each tell me a bit about your journey to interior design?

We don’t really have a true background in design! Prior to founding BY, I had worked in merchandising at J.Crew; Molly worked at Goldman Sachs in Private Wealth. We weren’t necessarily building a path to interior design, but we both loved it. During the pandemic, we each separately started thinking about shifting career paths to something focused in interior design.

How did you start BY Interiors?

We decided to jump into the business together in 2021 - we had one client who very bravely decided to take a risk by using us for the first time, and it ended up being such a fun and happy project! We were able to photograph that project, and after that, we have been so lucky to have a steady stream of wonderful projects. We feel so lucky that we have grown to the point that we have a team of amazing project managers, and that we can take on projects both locally and across the country!

Your firm has such a distinctive style- how would you describe your aesthetic?

We really try to make a home feel layered, tailored, and warm. We love working with multiple patterns in the same room to play off one another, and to bring as much character into a space as we can. Elevated but approachable is always the feeling we aspire to achieve - we never want a home to feel too precious or like a museum, but we do want our clients to absolutely love their spaces and feel so happy every time they walk in.

Who has influenced your aesthetic?

We both love the amazing Sarah Bartholomew, Celerie Kemble, Andrew Howard, and Ashley Whittaker, to name a few.

Where do you continue to source inspiration/ how to continue to find new exciting influences in this industry?

We have new inspiration with every project! We are constantly learning about new brands, new textiles, new methods - it’s always exciting and ever-changing. We are also so inspired on our travels - we both go out of our way to stay at charming hotels and homes, and it’s so . There is such a mix of inspiration in our projects - from original details in the clients’ homes to photos in magazines or online that have caught our eyes. Sometimes we’ll see a fun woodworking detail in one setting and transfer it to a client’s mudroom - we love finding ways to incorporate added character. We also don’t discriminate between large, established brands and small, individual tradespeople. Etsy artisans are just as big of a part of our projects as established furniture brands.

What's one thing in your own home that makes you feel grounded and ready for the day?

MBY: My kitchen! We moved into the house and took about five years before we were ready to tackle our kitchen. It was functional, but didn’t have great flow and left a lot of unused space. We spent almost two years working on the drawings with our building team, and we flipped the layout, reworked doorways and cased openings, added ceiling paneling that felt original to the home, and gave the kitchen so much more utility - in addition to the fun design details. I try to wake up before my kids and love having a clean slate every morning to kick off the day.

JSB: My bedroom is always a very grounding place - I have three dogs and three kids, so having a quiet and clean bedroom is a bit of sanctuary.

Can you walk me through your process of working with clients?

JSB: Getting to meet the clients and see how they live (i.e. do they have children? Do they cook a lot? Do they spend a lot of time working from home?) helps inform us how we should be visualizing their home. We want to make sure their home is beautiful but also functional.

MBY: We typically start with inspiration from clients and pull together loose ideas based on that inspiration. We narrow it down based on floor plans, layouts, and how we want the rooms to flow. Things tend to come together organically once we have a good idea of all of these things in tandem!

What is your favorite part of the design process? Of what you do?

Our favorite and least favorite part (ha!) is install day. We only say least favorite, because despite extensive planning, things can and will go wrong, and it’s nerve wracking to see months or years of hard work all together - when perhaps a light comes broken, or a piece of furniture isn’t as expected. On the flip side, seeing everything in one place, and seeing our clients’ reactions is amazing.

What has been a big lesson along the way?

JSB: Sometimes clients have a hard time visualizing something (whether it's the repeat of a fabric, or the size of a piece of furniture in a space), and it’s helpful for us to use renderings and software to help them see our proposed ideas.

MBY: We always say to clients at a first introductory meeting that a big part of our job is managing expectations, and we have realized along the way that helping clients to see the same vision we have is crucial. Otherwise, clients expect one thing, and get another, and that is always a tougher conversation.

If you could give people starting the design process on their home one tip, what would it be?

JSB: Don’t overthink it! You want to love your space every time you walk in. It’s so easy to get bogged down in the “what if’s”? We see clients all the time searching for the “perfect” blue or the exact fabric in a very specific shade - and they need to see 50 different samples of nearly identical options before they make a decision.

MBY: Sometimes there isn’t one definitively right option, but rather a series of right options, if that makes sense. We often find clients weighing two different fabrics and we have to tell them: “there is no wrong option here! Sometimes it’s only right because you say it’s right”. And I think letting go of that single “perfect” answer helps.

You’ve used mostly Annette and Amelias from Doorman, can you tell me a little bit about why you are drawn to these pieces?

MBY: We can’t get enough! I think there have been times when we’ve ordered six or seven tables in a given season. Clearly, we have a traditional design style - but we love adding a layer of whimsy or fun to keep spaces feeling fresh and unique. The Annette is for our clients who want something that feels timeless, but more tailored and clean than a typical formal dining room table.

JSB: The Amelia is the one we use when a client is up for a little more fun! The pedestal base (which we’ve done in both a single and double) add a perfect touch of whimsy and architectural detail. Both are beautifully made and constructed, so they’re always a perfect fit in the space and we can customize the finish depending on the particular scheme in a room. We have never been disappointed by a Doorman piece!

How has it been working with Doorman on so many different projects?

We obviously love working with Doorman! Alex is so easy to work with, and so quick to answer our questions and help us think about a new way to implement our ideas. Sometimes we come to him with a thought - “is it possible to make this an extendable table?” - and he’s very amenable to working with us on all sorts of custom shapes, sizes, and stains.

Are there a couple pieces from the new collection that you are eager to use? What would you pair them with?

JSB: We have been dying to use the Teche tables! The colored bases are so fun, and feel perfect for an elevation kitchen. We find ourselves trying to work within small kitchen spaces quite often (a corner nook, a small eat in area), so the round pedestal table would be perfect for a charming cottage kitchen.

MBY: The larger rectangular Teche table with the green base would be ideal in a larger scale kitchen - ideally fitting eight or ten seats for a larger family. Obsessed with how these tables feel more modern than the Amelias or Annettes that we typically use, but with an added layer of color and fun.

Doorman sees the home as extending beyond the four walls, what does this mean to you?

MBY: We really try to make the homes we design feel like a reflection of our clients - so whether that’s incorporating their hobbies through the art we style, or the way we envision a mudroom to accommodate their children's busy sports schedule, or even adding in a bunk room to host grandchildren sleepovers. We want the home not just to be designed beautifully, but to function for our clients. We always say first and foremost, we want them to be HAPPY with the process and end result, and then we want it to be beautiful. If something is pretty but it doesn’t reflect their lifestyle or their needs, they’re not going to love it!

JSB: A home also can’t just be designed in a bubble - we try to think about the architecture, or the views, or the land it sits on.

BY Interiors On Creating Beautiful + Functional Homes

What’s lies beneath our Clouet Ottoman?