So Haute’s 2010 Year In Review: The Top 5 Most Buzzed About Interior Designers of the Year

Designers are like the rock stars of the design world…brimming with talent, possessing an impressive body of work and droves of admiring fans. After following the industry’s top interior designers for the past few years, I decided to compile a list of the designers who made the most headlines in 2010. Scroll down to read about four breakout stars and one design legend who are my picks for the 5 most buzzed about designers of the year.

1. Albert Hadley

Deemed “The Dean of  American Decorating”, the legendary Albert Hadley closed the curtains of his eponymous firm in 2010 and retired after more than 60 years of practicing interior design. This brilliant designer is best known for creating refined yet comfortable interiors that are timeless and classic. His esteemed clients have included The Kennedys (whose White House residence he decorated with his partner “Sister” Parish), Brooke Astor, Al and Tipper Gore, Happy Rockefeller and Oscar and Anette de la Renta. For much of his distinguished career, Hadley worked alongside Sister Parish at their firm Parish-Hadley Associates. After Parish’s death, Hadley launched Albert Hadley, Inc in 1999. One of his final projects was featured in the May 2010 issue of Elle Decor and Lonny scored the ultimate coup of an exclusive shoot in Hadley’s Upper East Side apartment for its December issue. Hadley was also honored last Fall at several prestigious design industry events and without a doubt his career will continue to be celebrated and his legacy will be lasting.

2. Massuco Warner Miller

The San Francisco based design trio consisting of Julie Massucco, Melissa Warner and Carrie Miller made major waves in 2010. Their firm Massuco Warner Miller was named one of Traditional Home’s Top 20 Young Designers to Watch and one of House Beautiful’s Next Wave of designers to watch. Their colorful, whimsical projects were also featured in several top shelter publications including Traditional Home’s April issue and the cover of House Beautiful’s May issue, both of which became instant fodder for countless design bloggers who fell head over heels for this firm’s fresh, neotraditional style.

3. Carrier & Company

Husband and wife design team Jesse Carrier and Mara Miller had a big year, garnering numerous accolades including being handpicked by Margaret Russell as one of the 5 up and coming designers to watch on Elle Decor’s first ever A-List. Elle Decor also published two Carrier & Company projects this year: the modernist Connecticut house belonging to writer and editor Jay Fielden and the office and showroom spaces of fashion designer Jason Wu which was also published in W and WWD. Another highlight was having the Long Island country home they designed for Vogue Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour published in prestigious pages of the World of Interiors. All of the coverage has resulted in the phones ringing nonstop at this New York based design firm which is now bustling with high profile design projects from Palm Beach to the Hamptons and everywhere in between.

4. Grant K. Gibson

San Francisco based designer and blogger Grant K. Gibson had the best year of his career. Fresh off the heels of an amazing New York Times feature at the end of 2009, Gibson roared into 2010 snagging numerous mentions in publications like Elle Decor and House Beautiful as well as features in the newly launched Rue and Anthology magazines. He was also one of Elle Decors chosen 5 designers to watch and had the honor of designing an uber chic deGournay covered teen girl’s bedroom for Elle Decor’s first ever show house which was a hit among the design blogs. And his own blog continues to be a hit with thousands of fans who love following Gibson’s adventures in decorating.

5. Elizabeth Bauer

Early in the year, interior designer Elizabeth Bauer was named one of Traditional Home’s 20 Young Designers to Watch and after having her stylish apartment and eponymous West Village shop featured in the June/July issue of Lonny, photos of Bauer’s work quickly flooded the design blogosphere where her bold, colorful and wildly patterned designs were a huge hit, helping to further fuel her buzz. Add to that mentions in Vogue, Real Simple, Country Living and gazillions of design blogs and that sums up to a pretty amazing year for this young designer!