Inside Avenue Interior Design: How Female Co-Founders Created Their Design Empire
people • designers
Avenue Interior Design was founded in 2009 by Ashley Justman and Andrea DeRosa with a shared conviction that interiors must feel authentic, layered, and inseparable from their context. Based in Los Angeles, the award-winning studio has built a reputation for boutique hospitality and bespoke residential projects defined by narrative rather than formula. Early formative years spent working alongside figures such as Philippe Starck and José Andrés shaped a practice rooted in storytelling, collaboration, and craft. In this conversation, the founders reflect on partnership, growth, and why restraint, proportion, and discernment remain the studio’s enduring strengths.
Words: designeers
February 2026
WEBSITE: avenueid.com
INSTAGRAM: @avenue.id
DESIGNEERS
Take us back to 2009. What was happening in your lives when Avenue was born and what did you want the studio to stand for before you even had the words for it?
avenue interior design
By 2009, we had both spent years inside the design industry and had a strong sense of what we were drawn to and what we wanted to do differently. The timing was uncertain, the industry was shifting, and that pause gave us space to build something more intentional.
Avenue began in a small studio near Venice and Abbot Kinney with a shared belief that creativity thrives in collaboration, not competition. Before we had language for it, we knew we cared deeply about authenticity, craftsmanship, and curiosity. We weren’t interested in a fixed look or a formula. We wanted to create spaces that felt thoughtful, layered, and deeply connected to their context. That instinct continues to guide every project.
DESIGNEERS
Co-founder chemistry is rare. What are your roles inside the partnership (creative, client-facing, operations, team leadership), and how did that division evolve as you grew?
avenue interior design
Our partnership is built on trust, complementary strengths, and a shared vision. From the beginning, our roles evolved organically rather than being rigidly defined. One of us naturally leads creative direction and concept development, while the other focuses more heavily on operations, client relationships, and guiding the studio as a whole.
As Avenue grew, that clarity became essential. Defining responsibilities allowed us to scale while protecting the integrity of the work. What makes the partnership successful is not just the division of roles, but the constant dialogue and mutual respect that allows us to challenge each other while staying aligned.
Beau Rivage Mississippi restaurant-bar
Beau Rivage Mississippi restaurant-bar
DESIGNEERS
You prioritise originality over a predetermined style, but great studios still have a “tell.” What’s the Avenue signature that appears even when the look changes?
avenue interior design
Our signature isn’t a look; it's a feeling. Across every project, there’s a sense of restraint, warmth, and intention. We are drawn to thoughtful proportions, honest materials, and spaces that feel lived-in rather than overly styled.
DESIGNEERS
What was the most pivotal growth decision you made: pricing, hiring, PR, saying no, choosing hospitality, or expanding into multi-family/residential?
avenue interior design
Learning when to say no.
As the studio matured, we realised growth without discernment comes at a cost. Being selective allowed us to protect the team, the process, and the integrity of the work. That clarity ultimately opened the door to the projects we were truly aligned with - hospitality, multi-family, and residential work rooted in collaboration and longevity.
DESIGNEERS
What’s the engine behind the empire: referrals, repeat clients, PR, developer relationships, or partnerships - and what do you do differently to keep it compounding?
avenue interior design
Referrals and repeat clients have always been our foundation. Trust is built through consistency and transparency - not just in the finished design, but in the way a project is managed from start to finish.
We treat every commission as a long-term relationship. Many collaborations extend across multiple projects, allowing the work to evolve over time. That continuity has allowed the studio to grow organically and sustainably.
Las Vegas Durango Belaire Lounge pool club
Four Seasons Los Angeles
Stations Rouge Room nightclub Las Vegas
“Many of our collaborations span multiple projects, allowing the work to evolve and deepen. That focus on partnership has allowed the studio to grow organically.”
avenue interior design
DESIGNEERS
How do you protect quality while growing? What’s your non-negotiable (process, approvals, materials, site presence, client fit) that keeps Avenue “Avenue”?
avenue interior design
Process is non-negotiable. We remain deeply involved from concept through execution to ensure intention and craftsmanship are never diluted.
Equally important is culture. An aligned, thoughtful team safeguards the quality of the work as much as any design decision.
DESIGNEERS
Looking ahead: what’s the next chapter of the empire - a new hospitality project, a product line, a flagship venue, or something bigger?
avenue interior design
We’re focused on depth rather than scale for its own sake. That means continuing to expand our hospitality portfolio while deepening our work in multi-family and residential projects.
We’re also increasingly interested in product - pieces born from our interiors that feel timeless, functional, and enduring. As always, the aim is thoughtful evolution rather than expansion for visibility alone.
DESIGNEERS
Your dream dinner guest?
Ashley Justman
Diane Keaton or Catherine O’Hara - both collaborative and charismatic, yet unapologetically themselves.
California Oakdale Residence
California Oakdale Residence
DESIGNEERS
Your favourite hotel in the world?
Andrea DeRosa
The Portrait Hotel in Florence is beautifully maintained and has wonderful hospitality, Borgo Egnazia in Puglia is such a dream, and the One & Only Palmilla has a tranquil welcome ceremony and an incredible sense of place.
DESIGNEERS
Your design hero?
Andrea DeRosa
Growing up in the 90s, industrial design felt more visible and consumer-facing than interior design. Philippe Starck was at the forefront, shaping how design entered everyday life. At the same time, Ian Schrager was quietly redefining boutique hospitality alongside Starck.
Nearly a decade later, Ashley found herself working alongside Starck’s team on a flagship boutique hotel in Beverly Hills. That early influence came full circle, eventually evolving into a series of projects at Avenue - a reminder of how formative inspirations often return in unexpected ways.
DESIGNEERS
Best city for design inspiration right now?
Ashley Justman
We were recently in Paris, and it’s an endless source of inspiration. Visitors tend to travel there in warmer weather, but with no leaves on the trees, the architecture was on full display, and it was truly spectacular to take it all in.
DESIGNEERS
Current obsession: material/finish/object?
Andrea DeRosa
We have always appreciated natural stone, and we’re thrilled our hospitality clients are leaning into natural materials after years of engineered substitutes. There is so much life and movement in stone, and it brings so much character to every interior.
West Tower Strip Suite
