Experience New York-based Architect Nick Olsen’s Contemporary Purview

After earning a degree in architecture from Columbia University and mentoring under renowned decorator Miles Redd, New York-based Architect Nick Olsen started his eponymous firm in 2010. Hallmarks of his aesthetic include mixing antiques and contemporary art, playing with scale and texture contrasts, and creating unexpected colour combinations - all while tending to the unique needs of each client. 

Edited excerpts from our conversation follow...

What do you love about being a designer? Where do you draw your inspiration from? 

I love that every project and every day is different, and they present a new set of challenges. As a  creative outlet, I particularly enjoy understanding & decoding my clients’ personalities — like a puzzle in many ways. I’m constantly inspired by nature and its endless colour combinations, by travel and street style too.

Your collections seem to blur the distinction between art and design. Can you enlighten us about the relationship between these two? 

When I’m designing my own homes or show houses I approach space like graphic design, and the artwork I collect is just one part of that equation. I get to experiment for myself, move things around and abandon certain ideas if they don’t work. Art is very personal to me, so when I’m designing for clients — I love it when they bring their own collection to the project. It tells me about their taste and helps push designs in a specific direction. I try to create a dialogue with their artwork and the décor that feels natural, & not jarring. 

As a designer with his own niche, how do you stand out amongst your competitors? 

I don’t like to think of them as competitors since I’m friends with so many amazing designers! We have all carved out our own niche, and mine is colourful & distinct which makes it my signature. However, I do love a challenge and would welcome someone asking me for an all-neutral space design.

As we all know, we’re in the era of contemporary luxury and varied designs. How would you describe your signature style? 

I think my signature style is very personal and attuned to each client, which in its own way is a form of luxury. Broadly it tends to be very colourful and have a sense of history without feeling too heavy or serious. When I’m decorating for myself I experiment with some more out-there ideas that my clients may not go for.

When designing for individuals, how do you blend in the individuality of client preferences and demands, with your creativity? 

While I consider myself to be a creative individual I always keep in mind that this is a service industry, and customer satisfaction is key. But often there might be some ideas that may push the scale-out of the design aesthetic; herein I try to blend in their choice with my sheer versatility of thought, curation & intellect. I always aspire to give my clients the absolute best version of what they want, & not just an expression of my own creativity.

Sustainability is the next big thing. How are your designs contributing to this factor? 

First of all, antiques have always been ‘green’! I don’t buy a lot of used furniture, and I hate all the packaging that comes with catalogue pieces shipped from points unknown. When I design a new piece of furniture for clients it’s made here in New York and intended to last generations. A good quality sofa could be reupholstered many times and passed down within the family or even friends.

What are your plans and designs in the upcoming years?

To quote Madonna on ‘American Bandstand — I want to rule the world’. But seriously though, I want to design fabrics, wallpapers, and furniture. Eventually, I would also love to curate a book that entails all my work. All this and more while flipping weekend homes in upstate New York!