Vanessa Alexander: The Interior Designer Blending California Cool with Global Elegance
people • designers
Vanessa Alexander is the founder and principal of Alexander Design, a globally acclaimed interior design studio known for its refined, soulful aesthetic. With projects spanning Malibu, New York, Milan, and beyond, Alexander brings a unique blend of laid-back California cool and cosmopolitan sophistication to every space she touches. Her work is defined by its effortless mix of contemporary and vintage, restraint and richness, each interior designed to feel lived-in, layered, and deeply personal.
With a background in the entertainment industry, Vanessa has developed a sharp intuition for storytelling through space. She collaborates closely with clients, artisans, and architects to create homes and hospitality spaces that reflect emotional depth, timeless design, and understated luxury.
In this exclusive Designeers interview, Vanessa shares the evolution of her global practice, the values that guide her studio, and the nuances that define her ever-distinctive design approach.
Words: designeers
juLY 2025
WEBSITE: alexanderdb.com
INSTAGRAM: @alexanderdesignbuild
DESIGNEERS
You launched Alexander Design with roots in both L.A. and New York, now you’ve got projects from Malibu to Milan. What was your original vision for the studio, and how has that evolved as your footprint grew?
Vanessa Alexander
When I started Alexander Design, I never imagined our Los Angeles-based interior design studio would one day be working on high-end residential projects across the globe. My background was in the entertainment industry, and while I had a deep passion for interiors, my early experience came from designing my own homes.
What I did have was an instinctive sense of style and a strong ability to understand what people were looking for, whether in talent management or design. Over time, as our portfolio expanded, so did our confidence. Today, we're fortunate to take on luxury design projects in cities that inspire us, collaborating with clients and creative teams that push us to keep evolving.
DESIGNEERS
Your interiors are often described as deeply personal. How do you decode a client’s story, their rituals, quirks, and values, and translate that into spatial language?
Vanessa Alexander
Great design begins with listening. Some clients connect with us instantly, we speak the same creative language. For others, it’s more of a slow build through design meetings and concept presentations.
Regardless of pace, our goal is to understand how clients live now and how they envision living in the future. That lifestyle narrative informs everything: the spatial flow, the scale and intimacy of rooms, and how interiors connect to the surrounding architecture and landscape. We aim to create homes that feel personal, intuitive, and beautifully layered.
DESIGNEERS
You’ve referenced the “logistical rhythm” of a space. What does that mean to you, and how do you uncover that pulse in a new project?
Vanessa Alexander
Rhythm is the emotional and architectural flow of a home. It’s how a space breathes. We look at the land, natural light, and the client's lifestyle. Is the layout open and expansive, or does it call for more intimate zones? Is the connection to nature seamless or filtered? We design homes that guide you naturally from room to room through thoughtful spatial sequencing, material palettes, and a curated relationship between light, architecture, and furniture.
DESIGNEERS
You often speak about the triad of architecture, interiors, and landscape. Can you share a moment where that harmony elevated a project?
Vanessa Alexander
Every project at Alexander Design begins with that triad—architecture, interiors, and landscape as one cohesive story. Whether it's a beach house, countryside retreat, or mountain home, we aim to integrate natural materials, site-specific colours, and environmental mood.
Our Ohana project in St. Barths, our family home in Bonsall (Malibu), and a recent project on Lake Austin are great examples. In each, lifestyle is shaped through the balance of indoor-outdoor flow, organic materials, and emotionally attuned design choices.
DESIGNEERS
From desert modernism to coastal minimalism, you work across wildly different climates and cultures. How do you stay rooted yet responsive?
Vanessa Alexander
Authenticity is everything. No matter where we’re building, whether it’s a desert estate or a lakeside escape, our luxury interiors must feel grounded in place. We design each home from the inside out: its spatial flow, architectural language, materials, and furnishings are informed by the local environment. A house should feel like it belongs, not just sit on the land, but be part of it.
“Rhythm is the emotional and architectural flow of a home. It’s how a space breathes. We look at the land, natural light, and the client's lifestyle.”
VANESSA ALEXANDER
DESIGNEERS
Every designer has that one unforgettable project. What’s yours?
Vanessa Alexander
One standout is a project we can’t publicly share due to the client’s need for extreme privacy. But the level of trust allowed us to push creatively, assembling a dream team of architects, landscape designers, and artisans. The collaboration was energising and unforgettable. That said, our Montauk project and my own home in Bonsall also hold deep meaning. They’re deeply personal and full of soul.
DESIGNEERS
Which three suppliers, makers, or artisans are on speed dial for your team—and why?
Vanessa Alexander
It’s hard to narrow it down, but a few that constantly inspire:
Pierre Yovanovitch Mobilier, sculptural, refined, and timeless
Galerie Half, Los Angeles, a go-to for rare and soulful vintage finds
STUDIOTWENTYSEVEN and Rago/Wright – for collectible design and one-of-a-kind objects
Also, the Paris flea market, Estudio Persona, The Future Perfect, and Ransom & Dunn. each brings a distinct point of view that bridges design and art.
DESIGNEERS
Which design hotel completely seduced you, and what did it get so right?
Vanessa Alexander
Château La Coste in Provence completely transported me. It’s refined but relaxed, rooted in nature, and seamlessly integrates food, art, and architecture.
I’m also endlessly inspired by Cuixmala and Hacienda de San Antonio in Mexico—sister properties that blend Moorish fantasy with Mexican heritage in a way that’s both magical and transportive. And most recently, Passalacqua on Lake Como—a dream in every sense.
DESIGNEERS
What fills your creative cup outside of design? Any unexpected rituals or indulgences?
Vanessa Alexander
Travel, always. It helps me reset and reconnect with rhythm, with beauty, with perspective. But even at home in Malibu, I find inspiration in the everyday. Morning hikes, beach walks, time with my family, and small moments of quiet. They’re grounding, and they remind me that great design isn’t just about visual beauty, it’s about how a space makes you feel.
