A Conversation with Nicole Hollis

Nicole Hollis is the founder of NICOLEHOLLIS, a San Francisco based interior design studio working across the United States and Europe. The studio designs environments that reflect how people live, feel, and gather, and has been consistently ranked in Architectural Digest’s AD100, Elle Decor’s A-List, 1stDibs 50, and Interior Design’s Top 100 Giants. As a returning member of our Design + Art Advisory Council, Nicole joined us for a rapid-fire round of questions on emerging artists and designers she thinks everyone should know, where people can see her work next, and more.

Art + Design Favorites 

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

Rothko’s Black on Maroon at the Tate Modern.

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

Casey Johnson is an extremely talented artist and woodworker. His works are functional and whimsical sculpture for the home.

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

Cardboard chair by Max Lamb.

If you could collaborate with any artist or designer, living or dead, who would it be?

Anni Albers—her work as a textile artist.

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

One of my favorite spaces is Mariano Fortuny’s villa in Venice, now a museum. The rooms bring together rough-hewn wood, luminous textiles, and subdued light in a way that feels both atmospheric and intimate. Art is not only displayed but interwoven with the character of the space, creating a setting that is as much about presence as it is about objects.

Advice

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

A piece is “worth it” when it holds meaning beyond its material form. It carries an emotional or spiritual presence that endures, creating a connection that feels personal and lasting. In those moments, an object becomes more than something you own; it becomes something you live with and return to over time.

Plugs

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

Building and launching the NICOLEHOLLIS Collection has been a recent creative challenge, shaped by years of vision and preparation. The process involved such intention to each maker, with every collaboration honoring their unique craft and individual voice to echo within the Collection as a whole. The same attention was given to how the Collection would be shared publicly, with the aim of ensuring the presentation feels as meaningful, personal, tactile, and rooted in materiality as the Collection itself.

Where can people see your work next?

Over the next year, the NICOLEHOLLIS Collection will continue to expand with new releases, alongside the completion of projects that will be shared through press in the United States and Europe.