Miles Redd

Miles, you are an Atlanta native. What led you to the Big City?
I came to New York for college. I started at Parsons, but ultimately graduated from NYU with a degree in film.

You look about 16. Isn’t there a law against child labor? How old were you when you started designing?
Thanks for the compliment. After graduating from college, I went to work for John Rosselli and then for Bunny Williams. I was 21 at the time, so I started right out of the gate.

In this issue, we are ranting and raving about second homes—any advice?
I think a second home can be great. Since it is not a primary residence, people will often be a bit more creative. I say treat it like a hotel and enjoy yourself.

Your parents still live in Atlanta. What inspired your design for your family’s vacation house in North Carolina?
We jokingly call it Country Deco. I was very much inspired by Henri Samuel’s Paris apartment, which is sort of hysterical for a mountain house, but I dumbed it down and I think it works.

Your designs are so YOU. You are one of the few working designers to have a “look,” yet it never overwhelms your clients’ visions. How does it feel to have a signature style, and how do you always manage—so effortlessly—to keep your designs in lock-step with your clients?
I really have had the luck of having great clients with strong opinions. This gives each job a unique feeling, and that’s what you are sensing.

You are so glamorous and your style is so polished. Is there anything from your Southern childhood that influences you?
Absolutely! I always say ‘the South has the taste.’ The thing that I take away most is that we enjoy life—and isn’t that the point of everything?

You’ve long been the darling of the design press. What’s next for Atlanta’s very own wunderkind?
I hope just more good decoration and good times!