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Boston College doesn鈥檛 offer a design degree. Still, there must be something stylish about the Heights: Four of Boston鈥檚 leading interior designers鈥擫isa Tharp 鈥�84, Cecilia Walker 鈥�90, Katie Rosenfeld 鈥�90,听and Dee Elms 鈥�95鈥攇raduated from BC.

Interior designers source everything from flooring to window treatments and collaborate with architects and tradespeople to conceive and create spaces that are tailored to a client鈥檚 needs. While all four of these women made it to the top of the field, they each followed a path that was as individual as their aesthetics. 鈥淕oing to college for design was not something I ever considered, even after getting into this business,鈥� said Rosenfeld, who studied philosophy at BC and now owns Katie Rosenfeld and Company. 鈥淵ou can鈥檛 be taught how to have a vision for something that鈥檚 functional and beautiful.鈥�

These self-taught business owners create spaces that are shaping the future of New England design, from ultramodern offices to Back Bay row houses. Home exteriors around Boston tend to be timeless, as flashy as old L.L. Bean barn coats, but beyond the stately front doors, these residences can be blank canvases for designers to adorn with modern fixtures, textiles, art, and furniture. Looks are important, of course, but the role requires envisioning functional spaces that will help clients work, entertain, and relax. 鈥淚 am solving problems and making peoples鈥� lives better,鈥� said Elms, an English major at BC who went on to found Elms Interior Design. (Originally from Canton, Massachusetts, she grew up visiting the Boston College campus, where her grandfather worked in the mailroom.)

For Tharp, a former documentary-film producer who founded Lisa Tharp Design, addressing a client鈥檚 need recently required some extra creativity. A homeowner desired a mirrored room for reading and meditation in her basement that could be accessed via a secret passageway. To make the request a reality, Tharp teamed up with contractors and relied on the same considerations she always does when reimagining a space: 鈥淥ne is the people who will live there,鈥� she said. 鈥淭wo is the architecture, and three is the sense of place.鈥�

Meanwhile, Walker, an art history major at BC, just created a commercial workspace that incorporated a living plant wall and an abundance of natural light. 鈥淎fter a COVID-19 year, luxury no longer means expensive furniture and housing,鈥� said Walker, who is professionally accredited to design spaces with a focus on human health and wellness. 鈥淕oing forward, it鈥檚 going to be more about the freedom of choices. It鈥檚 going to be about experiences.鈥� She runs her own firm, Cecilia Walker Design, and is now also the head of operations at EQPT, a New York鈥揵ased startup that develops hotel-style residences and flexible offices.

Here in Boston, there has never been a more exciting time to be doing this type of work. For years, interior design in the city was dominated by men with traditional, predictable taste and showrooms cluttered with Persian rugs, silver tea sets, and Queen Anne chairs. While still important to Boston鈥檚 identity, this kind of classic design is becoming increasingly pass茅. In the past decade, the sleek condominiums and lofts that have gone up in the Seaport and Fenway neighborhoods have transformed the skyline and the local design ecosystem. 鈥淭he traditional New England aesthetic has really expanded because of this more modern style of building,鈥� Tharp said.

In other words, opportunities now abound for diverse talent to influence the new look and feel of the city. There鈥檚 room for Rosenfeld to mix antiques with English-inspired cabinetry in her cheerful renovations and for Elms to imbue her residential projects with a clean, contemporary point of view. 鈥淭he Boston design community is special because everyone is so passionate,鈥� Elms said. 鈥淲e鈥檝e all got a deep love for what we do in this city.鈥澨�

Danna Lorch writes for Architectural Digest, the New York Times, Fast Company, and the Washington Post.