Designer Emily Seiders on Letting Real Life Unfold

Rip & Tan: Tell us a little bit about yourself. When did you first get interested in interior design? How has Studio Seiders evolved over the years?

Emily Seiders: I grew up in a family of antique lovers. My mother, grandmother, and aunt all had a deep knowledge of and appreciation for antique furniture and the historical periods that gave rise to them, from early American furniture to 18th century French to Dutch art masters and Asian antiques. They scoured antique fairs and spent weekends decorating and re-decorating their homes. So, from a very early age, I was exposed to interior design as a hobby and a creative outlet. However, my career took a less linear route. After a stint in investment banking and then—after 9/11 —work in non-profits, I realized I was lacking that creative outlet that I desperately needed. I have an architect friend and partner who gave me a shot to help design his own home and after that, the work just snowballed. 

In my earlier projects, I was hesitant to take too many risks. I think I was going for mass appeal and in doing so was a bit commitment-phobic in my design. Not too much color, not too many architectural choices that couldn’t be easily swapped out. However, as the years have gone by, I’ve been driven more by creating homes that are a true reflection of the client’s character, and in doing so have ended up spaces that are much more layered, with deeper colors and textures, mixing furniture styles and textures in order to capture their personalities and the way they want to live in the space.

Rip & Tan: How would you define your interior design aesthetic?

Emily Seiders: Timeless but not predictable, beautiful but livable, carefully curated but approachable 

Rip & Tan: What do you love most about helping clients bring a vision to life?

Emily Seiders: There is nothing more satisfying as a designer than to create a true home for someone—not just a house. To me, there is a real difference between the two.

To see clients raising their families, having parties, enjoying life in the spaces I’ve created for them is deeply gratifying. My goal is not to have a showcase home but a place where real life can unfold.

Rip & Tan: How does your own home exemplify your interiors sensibility? What story were you trying to tell with your space?

Emily Seiders: When I designed my home, I intentionally focused on textures and shapes versus colors and prints. After being surrounded by so many beautiful things day in and day out in my job, I wanted a space that was breathable and airy. It was the perfect canvas for our own lives to unfold within, and I have loved how it has evolved over the years.

We continue to fill the blank walls with artwork, trinkets we bring home from adventures, and layer more of our own personality into the space. Nothing in my own home is too precious; with a house full of kids and dogs, things have got to live well!

I am not afraid of a little patina—the dings and stains are a scrapbook of our time here. I encourage my clients to do the same!

Rip & Tan: How do you approach mixing textures, shapes, and colors within a core palette?

Emily Seiders: I always start with the floor plans, filling each room with a variety of shapes. To me that keeps the rooms interesting and is probably the most important part.

Secondly, I consider the color palette, which is often driven by the client’s personality. After getting to know someone and the experiences that have shaped them, certain colors and styles seem to make sense for them. In general, however, I stick to a very earthy palate—nothing too bright, always a little bit muddy. Once I identify what the home’s color palette will be, those colors generally will reappear in almost every room in some way or another, which gives the entire home a very cohesive feel without knowing why it feels that way.

I absolutely love texture, so most of the fabrics and furnishings we select are heavy on the “touch and feel” scale, and there is always a very deliberate mix of textures in each room. 

Rip & Tan: How do you blend contemporary pieces without losing any touch of timelessness?

Emily Seiders: Every room we design should have something old in it. That gives a space the gravity it needs to support more contemporary furniture and lighting. I think so long as you have a little bit of everything in a space—old, new, angular, round, hard, soft, contemporary, antique—it will feel timeless.

Sticking to one theme or period isn’t really my style. It’s very hard these days to not be influenced by the spaces you see on social media, but I find that if you buy what you are drawn to, your space will always feel timeless to you.

Rip & Tan: What does living well mean to you?

Emily Seiders: Living well to me is living a balanced life, with a real awareness that all of this is fleeting. I absolutely love what I do, but as a working mother, it’s very easy to let the scales tip in the wrong direction.

I try to remain very intentional with my workload and my time while my kids are still young so that at the end of the day, I have enough gas in the tank to fill their cup as well as my own.