On the rise tastemaker, Ryan White has swiftly made a lasting statement in the world of interiors. With just a couple of interior design years under his belt, Ryan continues to wow with his sophisticated interiors and career success. An already noteworthy designer amongst publication giants such as Elle Décor, House Beautiful, and Traditional Home, I was thrilled to have the opportunity to meet such a talent in person. Coffee at Alfred in West Hollywood posed to be the perfect place to get an intimate account of how it feels to be designer, Ryan White.

What started as a departure from New York and a successful career in fashion as a Ford Model, Ryan relocated to Los Angeles to move in with his partner and pursue a career in acting. After a few months of living in LA and temporarily landing in a West Hollywood zip code, Ryan did not anticipate that in designing their “in-between” residence, he would not only unveil his natural talent, but true passion for interiors and design. “I knew midway through my home project, this was something I was meant to do,” Ryan says. The good thing was that, “I have close designer friends back in New York, so this world did not feel foreign.”

After completing the residence, confirmation soon came that he was on the right path. While entertaining friends at home, a couple fell in love with his design work. Work Ryan describes as “cultivated.” An aesthetic that is not existent of a specific time or place.  Rather, “a well traveled space” that marries texture to new, vintage and one of a kind elements resulting in a clean, luxe and comfortable space. With this couple’s recently purchased exclusive beach home in Malibu, and desire for their space to have similar reflection, Ryan landed his first major design project and what he considers his first career break. “I was given full creative control and it was my first big project…I completely immersed myself in it,” he explains. 

Continuing this past year with the same mentality of “total immersion” in his work, Ryan has become a highly sought designer. Recognized for his “keen sense of style and fashion sensibility,” he attributes this to his years spent in fashion, travels around the world and style icons James Dean and Cary Grant.

Now, not only a successful designer, but owner of his own firm, Ryan is feeling “Grateful. But overwhelmed,” in the most recent mentions of his name said amongst the likes of Nate Berkus and Kelly Wearstler as the next young emerging talent of this industry.  At only 30 years old, he is prepared to keep working hard at evolving his brand. With a recent reality design pilot shot for TV, he is feeling confident this will be a phase where he can share all of his creative talents. The only difference is he says, “my thirties are for finding balance.”

Photography by: Stephen Busken