In the Workshop: Maddie Perry & Denali Farrell

November 11, 2022

Welcome to another installation of ‘In the Workshop,’ where we get to know a pair of Workshop/APD pros and explore their unique interests, inspirations, and aspirations. This month’s talented duo features two up-and-coming creatives, interior designer Maddie Perry and architectural designer Denali Farrell, both at work on a wide range of projects across the country. Read on to learn how the members of our architecture and design collective bring unique perspectives and experiences to the team.

An Architecture or Design trend you wish would go away

I’m tired of the media glorifying people who stick to a single design and push it out to the masses. These people are not coming up with new concepts – real designers tailor their work to their clients and adapt to their needs, instead of pushing an agenda. Shows on HGTV make it seem like you can stamp out and build a house in one week, and that really over-simplifies our jobs.

A new (or new-er) A&D trend you love or see coming

Younger generations have gotten really into repurposing things, bringing in furniture and decor off the stoops of New York, and not just buying everything new. They’re taking things and making them their own, which is so much better for the environment. There’s a great trend towards using more vintage pieces, things that have a history to them, and kids taking their parents old stuff and using it in fresh ways.

What’s your dream project?

I’d love to design a really quaint bed & breakfast that juxtaposes residential and hospitality in a tiny town somewhere. I just want to be Lorelai Gilmore basically. I want everything in it to be thrifted or repurposed, hand-picked for each room so that they are all different. It would be a modern take on a B&B – there’s still nothing warmer than waking up to someone cooking you breakfast while you’re on vacation.

Where can we find you outside of work?

Outside of work I’m always with my friends or I’m at the movie theater. I have a Regal unlimited movie pass and it’s my favorite thing ever. I get my popcorn and my Swedish fish and it’s the best.

Describe your style in 3 words (can be personal or design aesthetic)

Clean, sentimental, and warm.

Your favorite building or room of all time

When I studied abroad in Italy, I lived in the Chigi Palace. It used to be a real palace and they preserved it perfectly – they didn’t change a thing. After the original residents moved out, they didn’t have a purpose for it for a while. We used to live on the ground floor, in this section that the university rents out, and then the classes were upstairs. It was across the street from a church designed by Bernini, so it reflected that super ornate style.

An Architecture or Design trend you wish would go away

I’m tired of the new developments with cheap, tacky facades i’m seeing all over Brooklyn. They don’t seem to be all the way there design-wise, but are just meant to signal to people that this is the next up-and-coming area, this is the next incubation spot. These poorly-made apartment buildings pander to a specific demographic without actual thought behind the design or the intent to create community.

A new (or new-er) A&D trend you love or see coming

There is a new approach to iterative design practice that I’ve seen on Instagram: people using AI to create spaces that interweave nature and design. Essentially, they’re using image generation tools like Dall-E, inputting a species of plant, a construction style, a locale, some other information, and it’ll spit something out. It provides a spark of inspiration, generating possibilities and solutions that you may not have thought of. It’s helping make spaces greener, and sustainable design is super important.

What’s your dream project?

I’ve been reading a book about thermodynamics in architecture, and it expresses the importance of the atmosphere in a space. Creating a design that begins by thinking about atmosphere, a return to our thermal experience of a space, that’s what I really dream about doing. Imagine you get out of the shower and the floor is cold, and it ruins your mood. Or, you get out into this carefully thought-out, phenomenal space, and there’s a thermal transfer of warmth throughout the room.

Where can we find you outside of work?

In my free time, I’m DJ-ing around New York city or I’m somewhere dancing. These days I’ve been playing Baile Funk, which is this Brazilian jazz from the favelas, the music of working people.

Describe your style in 3 words (can be personal or design aesthetic)

Neat with indiscreet.

Your favorite building or room of all time?

I really like the Roden Crater by James Turrell although I’ve never been. It depicts this pure interaction between light and shape and form that any architect can appreciate.