Today, Crate & Barrel debuts a new, exclusive collaboration with award-winning celebrity interior designer Brigette Romanek. Romanek is an award-winning interior designer and founder of Romanek Design Studio, based in Los Angeles. Known for blending aesthetics with practicality, she creates beautiful, livable spaces uniquely tailored to each client. Her impressive roster of clients includes Gwyneth Paltrow, Beyoncé, Jay-Z, Demi Moore, Kelly Rowland, Christian Bale, Laura Dern, Molly Sims, and Rachel Zoe. Her work has been consistently recognized on Architectural Digest’s AD100 and 1stDibs 50 lists, and in 2024, she was named an Elle Decor Titan. In October 2023, Brigette released her first book, Livable Luxe, with a foreword by Gwyneth Paltrow, offering a glimpse into her design world.
Her newest collection with Crate & Barrel was designed to create a moment of exhale in any room; the 54-piece collection celebrates Brigette’s serene design ethos through playful curves, organic textures, and a soothing, California-inspired palette akin to the designer’s authentic aesthetic.
“The process of collaborating with Brigette was so inspiring, and we were honored to bring her unique vision, bold creativity and artfully curated style to our customers,” said Sebastian Brauer, Senior Vice President of Product Design, Crate & Barrel. “This collection feels glamorous and relaxed, combining modern clean lines with natural and luxurious materials. Each piece works together beautifully as a collection or as standout additions to any room.”
Grounded in timelessness with surprising twists, the collaboration is thoughtfully designed to create tranquility in versatile ways. Brigette’s mastery of integrating a wide range of materials in her designs comes alive in travertine, antique brass, and bleached wood layers.
“Industry-leading partners, like Brigette, help further our commitment to offering unique, purposeful designs with fresh perspectives,” said Alicia Waters, Brand President, Crate & Barrel. “This collection perfectly combines Brigette’s vision and effortlessly glamourous style with the quality and craftsmanship customers expect from Crate & Barrel.”
“We’re all so busy in our day-to-day lives that through my design approach, I want people to pause and exhale when entering any room,” said Brigette Romanek. “In collaborating, Crate & Barrel and myself both share a genuine passion for encouraging beautiful moments through design, and everything from the furniture to decor pieces in this collection are meant to support this calming lifestyle.”
We spoke with Romanek about what inspired this collection and how she wants her supporters to find their creative niche when designing their spaces. Read our conversation with her below.
Why did you decide to partner with Crate & Barrel?
I’ve known Crate and Barrelas as a brand that made great quality pieces with a timeless side that you could live with for as long as you wanted. And so, when the brand approached me, I was super excited. They wanted my design vision and trusted me. They were a great creative group to partner with, and I’m excited about the collection. I genuinely love it. I love angles. I love curves; living in California, those elements influence me. Outside of my bedroom window, I get this incredible sunset. The sunset is usually filled with all these great colors, so I decided to base the collection on them. I call hues “exhale colors.”
Good design is meant to have a function for you and should be pleasing and beautiful, too. So I was thinking about all of those things in the middle of the night and early morning, and how to bring all of that together, and how to make sure I’m thinking about people who have apartments and thinking about people who have homes, you know, whatever the case may be, like finding something in there that really, that speaks to you. And so the colors are based on this calming palette. They’re very rich in textures but calming.
You design for major clients, have your design firm, and do these collections and partnerships. So, it seems like you’re using a different side of the brain. But I’m curious about your design process when creating a cohesive collection like this one.
When designing homes in retail or commercial, whatever the job is, I think about it like making a movie, thinking about the design process as different scenes in the film, and what I want to achieve with this collection and what I want to say.
How can we take bits and pieces of the collection and curate our peaceful vibe at home?
That’s another excellent question. People can be overwhelmed by some decor items and get stuck on how to design them within their homes. With this collection, each piece, in some way, can inspire or service you, and the color palette can bring you calm. So anything from the collection, I think, is a way to help nourish you.
What I’ve noticed about the collection is how each piece fits a theme and compliments each other. How can someone find their design style amid many influences, chaos, and options?
First, establish what mood you want to have in that space. That’s the first thing I do when I walk in. I listen to my clients and what they want, but then I ask them, “What do you want to feel in this space? How do you like this design and decor to serve you?” Think of your needs and how they can be supported in your chosen pieces. And that’s the most important thing.
Three words to describe this collection?
Fresh, timeless, and soulful.
I’d love to ask you to expound upon the soulful aspect of the collection.
That comes from when I was little. We moved a lot, and so my little space was my home. All the pieces within the collection will reflect the need for comfort and something that feels good for your soul. I want people to feel good; that’s why many shapes are soft and pleasant, and the fabrics are such that they feel pleasing to the touch. All of those things are ways to calm you a little bit and make you feel more at peace. And that is something I desperately needed, and I want to share.
What do you hope your buyers take from the collection?
I hope they find and take home pieces they fall in love with. I hope they can create a moment or a vignette they always want to return to. I hope it brings something to them that makes them genuinely exhale and feel better. I hope they find joy in the collection.