A Conversation with Brad Thornton

Brad Thornton is the founder of Thornton Projects, a New York City–based interiors firm that works across high-end residential, commercial, and creative projects and is known for crafting spaces that are warm, elevated, and richly layered. In 2025, House Beautiful named the studio to its Next Wave, spotlighting the country’s most promising emerging designers. As a returning member of our Design + Art Advisory Council, Brad joined us for a rapid-fire round of questions on lessons learned the hard way in collecting and curating, myths in art and design collecting, and more.

Art + Design

Favorites 

If you could add one museum piece to your personal collection, what would it be?

I love Brazilian midcentury and would love an original piece from Joaquim Tenreiro and Carlos Niemeyer’s collaborations. The “Tres Pes” three-legged chair stands out to me. Made by combining Brazilian rosewood and Ivorywood in marquetry stripes, it has such a beautiful character and it invites you to really lounge.

Which design era or movement most inspires you right now?

I find the freedom of the late 1970s in Italian design is super exciting. Bold, sculptural, not afraid of drama.

Who is an emerging artist or designer you think everyone should know?

Mark Grattan produces some of the most exciting and slinky furniture out there. Sculptural, playful and very sexy.

What’s a piece in your collection that always sparks conversation?

A pair of vintage Tobia Scarpa leather chairs. They’ve aged beautifully and people always want to sit in them.

If you could collaborate with any artist or designer, living or dead, who would it be?Gio Ponti. He designed entire worlds rather than isolated objects, and that holistic take is very much how I think about projects.

What’s your favorite space you’ve ever visited for its design or art alone?

On a recent trip to Mexico City I got to explore Casa Gilardi, Luis Barragan’s masterpiece. So bold but streamlined.

Advice

What’s a lesson you learned the hard way in collecting or curating?

Scale is everything. A piece that feels lyrical in a gallery can feel overbearing at home, it’s all about the dialogue between the piece and the space.

What’s the best question to ask a dealer or gallerist when considering a piece?

“What is the story behind this?” Provenance isn’t just about authenticity, it’s about the soul of the object. You can get a sense of this from how they speak about it. When they really light up you know you’ve found a winner!  

What’s one myth about art or design collecting you’d like to debunk?

That you need deep pockets to start. Some of the best collections were built piece by piece, long before their makers were “blue chip.”

How do you decide when a piece is “worth it”?

When it lights you up inside and when it shifts the gravity of a room. That doesn’t mean it has to be a showstopper. Quiet, grounding pieces are just as important in a collection and those too can make everything else in the space feel different.

Plugs

What’s a project from the past year that pushed you creatively?

A living-dining-play space where we had to create intimacy and flow around an awkwardly placed structural column. It pushed me to think more like a sculptor than a space planner.

Which upcoming exhibition is on your must-see list?

The Studio Museum in Harlem is reopening this fall after an extensive multi-year renovation. I live nearby and can’t wait to wander the halls.

What’s next on your own creative or collecting horizon?

I would love to work on a boutique hospitality project where we really develop a unique concept that leans into the sense of place and provides an elevated experience. I love bringing beautifully crafted pieces together in spaces that invite the visitor to relax and be inspired.

Where can people see your work next?

I’m continuing my partnership with the Salon Art + Design Fair curating the opening hall in their inaugural Dallas show this coming spring. I’m also working on a couple of residential projects that I can’t share much about at the moment but that I’m excited about!