AMERICA'S TOP YOUNG DESIGNERS

Young, talented and having the time of their lives. No wonder so many rising stars of design told us they'd rather be living now than in any other era. House Beautiful's third annual list of America's top 25 young designers, culled from around the nation, reveals intriguing patterns. For example, most of these young Turks (all are under 40 and running their own firms) knew as children they were designers-it's astonishing how many of them as pre-teens were allowed to redecorate their parents' homes. And although these are seriously creative folk, most simply could not imagine doing anything else-a circumstance for which we are grateful.

New York, New York

How do you describe your style?

I consider myself an expressive modernist. I take a curatorial approach to design, creating collections of fine and decorative arts that articulate my clients' interests.

When did you realize you were a designer?

I don't know when I even realized what a designer was, but I do know that my family cannot remember a time before I'd walk into a home and start rearranging the furniture and artwork.

If you could go back in time, where would you stop?

Pompeii, Italy, before the lava flowed.