Exceptional design begins long before the first sketch is drawn. It starts with a conversation, a thoughtful exploration of how people truly want to live. At its highest form, design is collaboration, a meaningful partnership between client and creator. It translates emotion and intention into spaces that feel personal and elegant. Whether it’s a home, a retreat, or a place to gather and celebrate, the right design elevates everyday experiences into something extraordinary.

Goralnick Architecture Design Studio, DPC is an architecture and interior design firm known for creating luxuriously livable spaces. Every project at Goralnick Architecture Design Studio begins with an understanding of the client’s life — how they live, what inspires them, and what they truly need. From this foundation, the firm brings vision into reality through timeless design that blends comfort, beauty, and function.

Goralnick creates a team of architects, interior designers, contractors, and craftsmen. They work together with the client from concept through completion. With clear communication, creative synergy, and a meticulous eye for detail, Goralnick Architecture Design Studio ensures that every aesthetic, functional, and budgetary need is met.

At CIO Bulletin, we had the privilege of interviewing Barry Goralnick, Founder and President of Goralnick Architecture Design Studio, DPC. He shared insights into how his firm meticulously crafts each project, from planning and construction to designing custom furniture that redefines how clients live, creating spaces as meaningful as they are breathtaking.

Interview Highlights

Can you share the story behind the founding of Goralnick Architecture Design Studio in 1985? What inspired Barry Goralnick to establish a firm that integrates both architecture and interior design?

After earning my degree from the Harvard Graduate School of Design, I had the opportunity to work with influential mentors, including Wayne Berg and Robert A.M. Stern. Those early years provided a comprehensive foundation, from conceptual design to client interaction. Coming from an entrepreneurial family, my long-term plan was always to establish a firm. Once I earned my license and had built a strong client base, I launched what would become Goralnick Architecture Design Studio, with the goal of practicing architecture and interior design as one integrated discipline.

Goralnick Architecture Design Studio provides an array of services, spanning residential and commercial architecture to product design. What is the scope of your offerings, and what distinguishes your approach in the industry?

Our architectural work spans new construction, full renovations, restorations of historic properties, and adaptive reuse across residential and commercial sectors. We’ve completed projects across the United States and Europe, ranging from Manhattan apartments and houses in Martha’s Vineyard and California to the restoration of a historic villa in the south of France. Every project is approached with respect for context, craft, and creativity to meet the needs of the client.

Our interior design services are fully integrated with architectural planning, ensuring continuity from structure to furnishings. We handle everything from space planning and millwork detailing to finishes, fixtures, and final styling. This comprehensive approach allows us to deliver cohesive environments that reflect each client’s lifestyle and priorities.

When the marketplace didn’t offer the right solutions for our interiors, we began designing our own furniture, lighting, and accessories. What started as bespoke pieces for individual projects evolved into a product design business with national showroom representation. Today, I license my designs to top-tier global brands, including Villeroy & Boch, Watermark Designs, Arta Broch, Hamilton Sinkler, Currey & Company, Vanguard Furniture, Visual Comfort, and Stark Carpet, among others.

This licensing model allows us to focus on design innovation, while experienced partners manage production and distribution. It’s a collaborative ecosystem that blends creativity with commercial reach.

Your firm is known for its collaborative approach, bringing together architects, interior designers, builders, and clients. How do you ensure clear communication and alignment across these teams to deliver projects that meet aesthetic, functional, and budgetary goals?

Clear communication is the foundation. We focus on listening closely, establishing expectations early, and making sure all team members are working from the same design intent. Humor is often the most effective tool for keeping collaboration open and grounded. Teams are more productive when the environment encourages transparency. We also place a high value on continued learning. Staying current with design thinking, materials, and methods makes every interaction more effective and every project better realized.

Goralnick Architecture Design Studio, DPC has a global reach, with projects spanning from the Tri-State area to France and product designs featured internationally. How do you adapt your creative process to cater to diverse cultural and regional preferences while maintaining your signature style?

Each project starts with research. Understanding context, climate, and client priorities is key. We’re responsive to local sensibilities while maintaining a consistent approach to proportion, detail, and usability. For example, I explore context, building materials, and methods, which often vary across regions. I adapt my own sense of scale, finish, and function. Product design for international partners also requires thoughtful adaptation. Our process is flexible, but always grounded in basic principles and the desire to elevate everyday experiences through design.

Sustainability and technology are shaping the future of design. How is your firm incorporating sustainable practices or cutting-edge technologies into your architectural and product design processes to meet the evolving needs of clients in 2025?

We integrate sustainable strategies across projects. We select responsibly sourced materials and specify energy-efficient systems. In interior design, repurposing vintage furniture, fabrics, rugs, and natural stone helps keep them out of the landfill. In product design, we collaborate with partners who share this commitment to environmental responsibility.

We begin each project with hand sketches and develop them through AutoCAD and SolidWorks. New AI-based tools allow for faster iteration, 3D rendering, and models. We’re continually adopting innovations that improve workflow and client engagement.

Barry Goralnick’s Blended Modern™ lifestyle has been celebrated as a hallmark of successful living. How do you define this design philosophy, and how does it influence your projects and product designs?

Blended Modern™ is a design approach that brings together influences from multiple eras, including mid-century, traditional, and contemporary. The concept emerged organically from my residential work. Clients responded to rooms that felt personal, layered, and unexpected.

It’s about combining form and function with an eclectic sensibility, which is not easy for the untrained to accomplish well. Pieces may originate from different periods or styles, but they come together through thoughtful composition. This philosophy also translates well into product design, creating items that work across a range of interiors and complement individual expression.

As a firm recognized in the "Best Companies to Watch 2025" feature, what innovative strategies or approaches is Goralnick Architecture Design Studio implementing to stay ahead of industry trends in architecture, interior design, and product design?

We embrace both tradition and innovation. Our workflow always begins with sketches, which ensures the ideas and concepts are original. This evolves through technical software, and increasingly incorporates AI tools for development, rendering, and visualization.

We actively track design trends, cultural movements, material innovations, and advances in manufacturing. This keeps our work aligned with evolving client priorities and market dynamics, while allowing us to maintain a forward-thinking, original design approach.

Looking ahead, what exciting projects or initiatives are in the pipeline for Goralnick Architecture Design Studio? Are there any new collaborations, product lines, or markets you’re exploring?

We are launching six fine china collections with Arta Broch, hardware with Hamilton Sinkler, cutlery with Domus & Design, and additional lighting and furniture with Currey & Company. Each line reflects new explorations in material, form, and use.

We’re also expanding our international product presence and continuing to grow our architectural work in the U.S. and abroad. These efforts reflect our ongoing focus on quality design and strategic partnerships.

The Visionary Leading Goralnick Architecture Design Studio’s Success

Barry Goralnick is a world-renowned architect and designer whose Blended Modern™ lifestyle captures the ultimate in successful living. He has had his own firm for over thirty years. After graduating Harvard Graduate School of Design, he worked with Wayne Berg and Robert A. M. Stern.        From his NoMad design studio in Manhattan, he designs for a variety of premiere home and hospitality companies, including Villeroy & Boch, Watermark Designs, Arta Broch, Hamilton Sinkler, Currey & Company, Vanguard Furniture, Visual Comfort, and Stark Carpet among others. He has been awarded “Best Product Designer” by the ARTS Awards, the “Innovation In Design Award” from Cottages & Gardens (5-time nominee), is a “Best of Year” Winner for Product Design from Interior Design, and is on the Designers Today “Power List,” 50 leading designers in the industry.

Barry is a featured designer in Rizzoli’s best-selling book Interior Design Master Class – 100 Lessons from America’s Finest Designers on the Art of Decoration, Assouline’s The Living Room, and Stark’s 75th Anniversary book, Decorating with Carpets.

His work has been showcased in Architectural Digest, Elle Décor, Interior Design, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, as well as international publications, among them Residence (Shanghai), Vogue (Italy), and Schöner Wohnen (Germany).

“Our architectural work spans new construction, full renovations, historic restorations, and adaptive reuse in both residential and commercial sectors. From Manhattan apartments and houses in Martha’s Vineyard and California to the restoration of a historic villa in the south of France, our projects reflect a respect for context, craft, and creativity to meet each client’s needs.”