Today we’d like to introduce you to Staver Gray
Hi Staver, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I’ve had a love of antique furniture my entire life – I spent weekends growing up learning about mostly English antiques and estate jewelry with my mother who would take me everywhere from flea markets to higher end shops. I didn’t realize this could be a viable career path until later – post college and living in New York City. I was certainly about to be fired from a job as a buyer at Macys, which I did not realize at the onset required more analytical math skills than creative ones. I decided to return to school for a graduate degree at Parsons. It was there that I was able to course correct to a career more suited to my interests and also where I met my amazing business partner, Christie Ward. We both went on to design for various studios, including Soho House where we worked together. At Soho House we partnered on the design for various houses throughout the US, so starting Ward and Gray was an organic evolution. Being at the helm with Christie and having the ability to explore new designs and ideas across varied design styles has been the most fulfilling aspect of my design career thus far.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
There are often times when we have a client who has a vastly different vision for the project going into it than we do. To be honest, those projects always turn out with an incredibly amazing result. I truly believe collaborations produce the best design. Internally, Christie and I both touch every project and bounce ideas off each other.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am an interior & product designer. Together with my business partner, I co-founded Ward + Gray. We design mostly hotels and restaurants but also private residences. For our projects we custom design most of the furnishings – from furniture to lighting to fabrics to rugs. We have a bespoke rug collection we sell on our website and are excited about a new lighting collection that will launch this winter!
What matters most to you?
Creative evolution is so important in my field. It is also what makes our jobs so interesting. It would be way too boring to establish a design language and never deviate. At Ward + Gray, no two projects look alike. To start, we always take into account where the project is and if the building has a history. But beyond that, we are constantly inspired by what we see and experience and this influences our design. These sensibilities are constantly evolving – from travel, from design books, from other designers. In terms of design, never say never!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://wardandgray.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wardandgray/
Image Credits
Personal Photo (headshot): John Daniel Powers
Ward + Gray 1 – 4: Michael Clifford
Ward + Gray 5 & 6: Kelly Marshall
Ward + Gray 7 & 8: Read McKendree /JBSA
