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The Fair
January 21, 2025

Keren Richter is the Principal Designer at White Arrow. Born in Vienna and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, at eighteen Keren made her way to New York — studying Graphic Design and Illustration at Parsons The New School of Design and later graduating with an art history degree from Columbia University. For a decade, she worked as an award-winning commercial and fine artist — producing signature products, participating in dozens of art exhibits, contributing editorial illustrations, and working as a prop stylist and creative director. Her curatorial eye, mastery of color and design, and endless curiosity drive our unique and artful interiors.

Brooklyn Heights Townhouse

Brooklyn Heights Townhouse

As a kid, what did you answer when asked, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” 
A gymnast (when I was 5), a fashion buyer (when I was 12), an Editor in Chief (when I was 17).

Which designer and/or piece of work inspires you? Why? 
I love the interiors of Luis Barragan. His modernist architecture feels warm and inviting, and his use of color is innovative, immersive, and fearless.

How would you describe your design philosophy?
I worked as a commercial illustrator and painter for a decade before entering interior design. My experience as a professional artist and thinking about images and history informs how I feel about and work with color, space, texture, composition, and design history. Thomas and I shoot all of our projects and often think of our spaces cinematically as a series of images and immersive environments our clients can live in and experience.

Sullivan Street Townhouse

Sullivan Street Townhouse

Who are three designers you follow on Instagram?
Lauren Coleman, Object & Totem, Slash Objects

 

Give us some context about where you live: How long you’ve been there and how does it influence your work?
I live in Brooklyn, NY. I’ve lived in Manhattan and Brooklyn for 25 years (I went to college in NYC and studied illustration at Parsons and graduated from Columbia with a degree in Art History), and aside from a brief stint Upstate and in Berlin, I’ve spent nearly all of my formative years in NYC — first going to lots of punk shows and seeing lots of avant-garde films, now more along the lines of art and design events. The city has grown and changed alongside my interests, and I love how it supports so many different industries and subcultures. If you want to discover a technique or a trade, learn more about a subject, or see a band or art piece, you can find it here in galleries, museums, boutiques, libraries, and countless design events. I love the community of creatives I’ve been able to be part of for most of my life, and I feel constantly challenged and inspired by the city. We’re raising two small daughters here, and I’m curious if they’ll appreciate it as much as I or ultimately long for the calmer pace of the country.

Was there a moment when you realized you wanted to be a designer? If so, what was it?
I grew up pouring over zines, magazines, and record covers during the nineties and, for the longest time, assumed I’d be the editor-in-chief of a magazine or the creative director of a record label. I wanted to work on something artistic that was shared with the world. After some professional twists and turns, I did commercial illustration and creative direction for a clothing line. However, along the way, I always used my apartments as a canvas to play with design, color, and scouring flea markets and eBay for all sorts of vintage and tackling countless DIY projects. By the time the sixth friend asked me to help redecorate their home (and I loved every minute of doing it), I realized this might be more than my favorite hobby.

Pound Ridge Farmhouse

Pound Ridge Farmhouse

Which of your projects or products are you most proud of? Why? 
Our 1700s farmhouse in Pound Ridge, New York — we turned a home that had fallen into disrepair into one that’s layered and welcoming for our friends and family. Our farmhouse was recently honored with a historic plaque and landmark status, and it was satisfying to have our hard work recognized. We learned a tremendous amount while restoring the house, which still brings us much joy. We consider ourselves stewards of this home and hope it’ll last for generations to come.

What’s now? (What are you currently working on? Is it a new project? Experimenting with new materials, techniques, or approaches? Learning about something?)
We’re wrapping up a townhouse in Boreum Hill, a gut renovation of a loft in Berlin, Germany, a farmhouse and a Colonial Upstate, and several pre-war apartments throughout Brooklyn and Manhattan. Our clients and the context of each home make them unique and challenging and encourages us to learn about new materials, makers, and strategies to support how our clients live. I love the “conversation pit” we created to carve out a room within a room in a Berlin loft and the distinctly Bauhaus and Secession details of the home. I aim for each home to tell a unique story through color and design and have playful and unexpected elements rooted in a sense of place. These artful spaces transform the lived experience and are fun to design too.

 

What’s next? (What’s in your future: Are you anticipating an upcoming event? Are you going to start work on a project? Planning a trip? Working on a particular dream or goal?)
I would love to publish a book – we’ve now been a firm for ten years and created so many beautiful projects. Seeing them in print is my goal!

 

And just curious: What is your favorite movie? And your favorite band and/or song?
It’s hard to pick one, but I love the aesthetics and surrealism of “Daises” by Vera Chytilova and the playfulness of Delta 5’s “Mind Your Own Business” or dancing to “Voodoo Ray” by A Guy Called Gerald.

Sullivan Street Townhouse

Sullivan Street Townhouse