DESIGNERS TO KNOW: ASHE LEANDRO

Ashe Leandro is an architecture and interior design practice located in New York City. Founded in 2008, Reinaldo Leandro and Ariel Ashe’s firm works globally on both residential and commercial projects. Ariel Ashe studied design at New York University, going on to design sets for SNL and eventually moving into interiors. Reinaldo Leandro moved from Venezuela to New York to get his masters in architecture at Columbia. They have a line of furniture, rugs, and lighting called Ruemmler. Clients include Jake Gyllenhall, Seth Meyers, Naomi Watts, and more. Their projects have been featured in the biggest shelter publications and they have been named to the most exclusive and prestigious lists of top designers.

The Ashe Leandro design philosophy is: “we embrace instinct, ingenuity and humor over traditional design convention.” It is seen clearly through the inventiveness of their work. There is a singularity, an excitement, and a surprise to each of their projects. In getting to know their aesthetic, it becomes clear when looking in shelter magazines what they have worked on; the designs are uniquely theirs. Ashe Leandro has a clear aesthetic through their entire body of work. It is absolutely contemporary and paired down, yet littered with inventive detail; it is sumptuous but approachable. It is the sort of contemporary design that will remain timeless and free from fading like trends. Incredible forms and materials are given the space to shine. By stripping back to the essentials, they allow what is left to truly sing. Their work is dramatic yet comfortable, intriguing yet approachable, and surprising yet homey. Walls are painted in whites, creams, and blacks. Sofas and chairs are covered in browns, camels, cerulean, and cognac. None of their pieces scream out for attention, but when considered for a moment you realize how beautiful they truly are. Pieces like the Ruemmler No 172 chair are made with classic oak, but molded and curved elegantly, sliced down the back center, and cushioned in black linen with contrast welt. But in all this careful, precise elegance, there is an inherent casualness. First and foremost, they are designing for humans— families, artists, couples, filmmakers, children. They are taking their jobs as designers seriously— they do not aim for beauty, that will arrive on its own in the final product. And, design is not art, it is made to house a family, to be a space to work in, a place to watch tv, a place to dine with friends. They are unique in featuring children’s spaces on their websites. The painstakingly crafted designs of many firms are designed for adults and adults only. Ashe Leandro rejects this notion that children should not take part in living in beautifully and highly designed spaces. At their most refined and polished, they maintain a durability and sturdiness suitable for any family or pet; families deserve beautifully designed spaces just as much as the careful, childless adults.