Nashville, Tennessee, native Anne Dereaux thrives on personal expression. Her design career now sits alongside her background as a musical artist, but she didn’t always feel comfortable talking about her other interests at work. “When I came into the architecture space, it wasn’t really acceptable to look like you weren’t obsessed only with architecture,” she says.

Wanting a distinct voice in architecture and design as well as a space where her musical inclinations were also welcome, she started her own practice, Dereaux Studio, two years ago in Beverly Hills, California. As it turns out, her seemingly disparate endeavors have a natural connection. “I think that music breaks you open, and you see how it impacts people. I think in that sense designing spaces is a very intimate and emotional process. Spaces are supposed to make you feel.” Her first furniture line features a chair with an almost-invisible metal frame, which captures the effect of a great song: the feeling that you’re hovering.

Read the full Q&A with Anne Dereaux below.

Hometown: Nashville.

Describe what you make in 140 characters... I craft living spaces and objects that remind us of our humanity.

What’s the last thing you designed? An invisible gutter detail and flat clay roof ventilation for a beach house in Malibu.

Do you have a daily creative ritual? I always start my day with a walk in the sunlight, it gets my brain activated better than anything else I've tried up to this point. I'm solar powered, I fear.

How do you procrastinate? Browsing Spotify new releases, then going down rabbit holes about the artists.

What everyday object would you like to redesign? Why? I would love for there to be a rethink around how cellular devices are charged. Can we go kinetic or solar? Phones shouldn’t die.

Who are your heroes (in design, in life, in both)? Amaza Lee, born in 1895, is such a compelling design voice, who insisted on taking up space in the world of architecture as a queer black woman, at a time when she was not allowed to study, let alone practice architecture. Despite this, she became educated in the arts, and designed several homes for her family and friends. Bold and purpose driven, my kind of hero.

What skill would you most like to learn? I would love to learn how to golf. Walking around outside for hours is my therapy.

What is your most treasured possession? A wood and leather chair my father made for me.

What’s your earliest memory of an encounter with design? When I was 2, I drew an abnormally detailed portrait of my family, complete with my mom's earrings and the dog's favorite toy. I still remember that moment, and I think it solidified that pen to paper was the life for me.

What contemporary design trend do you despise? Gray sofas, gray wood floors, gray walls, and miniature Kaws figurines on bookshelves.

Finish this statement: All design should... Enrich the human spirit.

What’s in your dream house? No televisions, elements of fire and running water, tree wells, tons of art, and people I love.

How can the design world be more inclusive? By amplifying rarely seen and heard voices, and making the professional design ethos more welcoming to young people.

What do you wish non-designers understood about the design industry? Social media has been a gift, in that it has exposed elevated design to a younger, more diverse demographic. I also think that it has convinced people they can skip the step of becoming a great technician of design - which takes time, study, and mentorship. Don't skip steps, you'll be better for it.

You can learn more about Dereaux Studio on Instagram.

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Top Image: Courtesy Dereaux Studio

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The Dwell 24: Dereaux Studio