5 Things We Learned... Lea Badro
Lea Badro and I met through a mutual friend in 2013 on the occasion of a dim sum brunch in NYC (as you do). Her passion for travel and design filtered into every part of the conversation and what impressed me the most then, as it does now, is Lea’s inexhaustible drive to learn and experience new things. As a residential and commercial interior designer based in Manhattan, she brings that drive into her work. Born in New York, and having lived in London, Paris, Dubai, Bahrain, and Beirut, Lea draws inspiration from her many travels all over the world. After graduating from Parsons, The New School for Design, Lea worked on retail projects for Bloomingdales and for prestigious residential designers such as Drake Design Associates, Nicole Fuller Interiors, and Amanda Nisbet Design. With the trust and support of key clients, she established Lea Badro Design Studio in 2015 and has worked on both residential and commercial spaces across the USA, Canada, and the Middle East.
Here are 5 Things We Learned about Lea.
What made you...you?
We are all the sum of our experiences, but if I had to narrow it down to one thing, I would say being a ‘Third Culture Kid’. I am Lebanese, was born in the US, and have grown up living in different cities. Growing up, my parents took us to visit a new country at least twice a year, so I would say that being a ‘Third Culture Kid’ and having so many different friends from different backgrounds, and participating in different cultural events has made me a people person, always curious about (and seeing) the beauty in everyone and everything around me.
When are you happiest?
I have two extremes of when I am happiest.
I genuinely LOVE the design world, and by extension, my job. I love being surrounded by beautiful fabrics, seeing the newest designs in furniture collections (it’s just like the fashion world) and finding beautiful, thoughtful details in interiors.
And my other happiest feeling is being with my partner, my closest and oldest friends, and my family. I could be anywhere, but being with them always fills my heart.
Would you rather have a muse or be a muse?
Have a muse! How chic would that be?
Who do you admire?
To give a non-generic answer, I’m going to say Kelly Wearstler and Martyn Lawrence Bullard. They are my total style icons in everything they do. The way they dress, the interiors the create, the way they present themselves to the world. And on top of that, they are total boss babes (is it weird that I just called Martyn a babe?). They both have design empires that they created, and have created everything from fabric lines, to furniture lines to tv shows. It’s inspiring.
What is important?
- Knowing who you are (in all senses - where you come from, what you like, what you aspire to etc).
- Seeing the best in everything. And I think we need to see really horrible things sometimes just to remember how lucky we are.
- Having good people around you who are kind, and who you can look up to.
Check out Lea’s work here // Connect with Lea on LinkedIn
All images provided by Lea Badro Design Studio. Lea’s portrait by Richard Storm. All images of LBDS interior design work by Jermaine Alexander Clarke.
