Penthouse 3 at No. 33 Park Row

AD100 INTERIOR DESIGNER INTERVIEW SERIES WITH CALEB ANDERSON
Leonard Steinerg, Amy Mendizabal, Calli Sarkesh and Lois Planco thank you for attending the first of our AD100 Designer Interview Series Events with Caleb Anderson of Drake/Anderson at No. 33 Park Row.
We hope you enjoyed touring our breathtaking Penthouse 3 model residence overlooking Tribeca and City Hall Park.

Here are 10 items from the discussion that we thought were notable:

1. Many clients consult with their designer before commiting to a new home purchase.
2. Most of their clients are repeat clients that have an on-going dialogue over the years, often including design refreshes, updates and re-do's.
3. The first phase of the process is the design phase that usually takes between 14-16 weeks.....that's almost 4 months. This is a highly detailed process that covers every aspect of design, not just the color of the drapes!
4. Technology has entered the design world in a BIG way, and much time is spent with an in-house artist/digital renderer creating images of the design concepts that are very accurate to help clients visualize. This eliminates surprises and most mistakes, saving time and money....and aggravation.
5. The clientele is becoming younger and younger.....
6. Many clients now have 'their people/managers' more in touch with the designers than the actual clients who often keep a bigger distance.
7. Sustainable materials matter LOTS: the wealthiest want healthy homes that are non toxic, and fuel relaxation and longevity. All ask about this stuff now as it matters to them.
8. Their design studio is busier than it has ever been with 16 in staff, and is having great difficulty finding additional team members.
9. Drake-Anderson is a partnership between Caleb Anderson and Jamie Drake: they are at least 25 years apart in age and their partnership benefits greatly from two different life experiences and perspectives that are aligned and different.
10. While design is important, a big chunk of the job is project and client management, not the glamorous creative stuff.