DESIGNING DREAMS

In the vibrant world of interior design, where creativity meets functionality, Kroesser + Strat Design has emerged as a beacon of innovation and style. For over 15 years, Anna Kroesser and Amelia Strat have been weaving their magic across the East Coast and beyond, leaving an indelible mark on luxury residential, commercial, and hospitality spaces. Their journey is not just a tale of success, but a testament to the power of collaboration, passion, and a client-centered approach in the ever-evolving realm of design.

Every great story has a beginning, and for Kroesser + Strat, it started with two individuals whose paths were destined to intertwine. Amelia Strat’s love affair with interior design began in childhood, a passion that would shape her future career. On the other hand, Anna Kroesser’s journey into the world of design took a different route, blossoming through her experiences in event production and design.

GENESIS OF A POWERHOUSE When these two creative minds joined forces, magic happened. Their diverse backgrounds and complementary skills created a synergy that would become the cornerstone of their success. But how did they transform this partnership into a thriving business that has stood the test of time for over a decade?

The story of Kroesser + Strat is one of passion, creativity, and unwavering commitment to excellence. From luxury residences to commercial spaces and hospitality projects, they’ve left their mark on the East Coast and beyond, creating environments that are as functional as they are beautiful.

Share a childhood memory that sparked your interest in interior design.
Anna: As my mother will attest, I was always rearranging my room. I did it at least twice a year. Not just the furniture, but the knick-knacks, the artwork (aka Teen Bop posters) I had on the wall. I always just felt compelled to recreate this space.

Amelia: I remember my parents hired a “decorator” when they moved us into what would be our childhood home. I got to pick out my own bedroom décor and the rest was history. I was also constantly rearranging the furniture in my bedroom, and I fell in love with the process.

How do you balance creating a visually striking space with ensuring it remains livable and comfortable for your clients?
Amelia: We encourage our clients to really consider the quality of the pieces they’re purchasing. High quality furniture can and is often gorgeous and unique looking, and good design and materials will certainly cost you more up front, but they’ll last you way longer in the end. We never want our clients to feel like their home is a showroom that they can’t use for fear of ruining it. We always consider the wearability vs. cost of the things we’re suggesting plus the way in which they’ll be used.

Walk us through your process of understanding a client’s vision and translating it into a design that exceeds their expectations.
Anna: We aim to get as much information from our client during our Discovery Phase. Some of those questions are getting to know more about them, their lifestyle, what aspects of design are important to them (i.e. performance fabrics, eco-friendly products and materials, are they vegan, etc.). Additionally, while the visual aspects of a design are important, so is the budget. It’s often hard for someone to know what their all-in budget is and don’t have a concept of what things cost.

How has your approach to design evolved over the years, and what has remained constant?
Anna: More than anything, having confidence in the designs that we put forward has been our greatest evolution. We’ve always believed in our designs. But there have been times in the past where we have bent to whatever the client thought they wanted instead of pushing for the design we knew was right for the project. And that’s not to say we don’t adore collaborating with our clients. We do and many of our best projects have been born from working closely with our clients and making it feel truly organic.

Describe a project that you feel best represents the Kroesser + Strat signature style.
Amelia: Our Riverside Drive project really represents our style so well. The client’s style and ours was so aligned it felt kismet. Their home is bold and fun and colorful and sophisticated. There are so many design details we had just been wanting to incorporate in a project for so long that they all came together so beautifully.

How do you ensure that each project is unique while still carrying the Kroesser + Strat signature?
Anna: This can be hard. We use Instagram and Pinterest like everyone else for inspiration and it can be exhausting seeing a slightly altered iteration of one design over and over again on our feeds. We work hard to find pieces that haven’t been over-saturated in the industry, we try to travel as much as we can to find inspiration outside of the little black screen we are holding in our hands.

When you look back on your journey, what are you most proud of, and what do you hope will be the lasting legacy of Kroesser + Strat?
Anna: It isn’t always easy. We have had very slow seasons of work where we have worried about if we were going to be able to keep going, but then when we are busy, we are so, so busy. We haven’t nailed the process by any means, but it’s easy for me to say that the journey is what I’m most proud of. Sticking it out through the hard times, enjoying every second of the good times and looking towards the future.

Amelia: I’m most proud of us sticking with this crazy biz all these years - interior design is not for the faint of heart, I say it all the time. Whenever I tell someone what I do for a living they say, “oh cool!!” And I say, “you have no idea.” It’s a tough job. Balancing client expectations with contractor and sub challenges and budgets and unforeseen issues and delays and vendor problems, etc. But through it all, with a very sharp learning curve, we’ve stuck it out and I think we have gotten ourselves to a comfortable spot where we are both confident in ourselves and our business, and happy with where we’re at!

For more information on Kroesser + Strat Design, visit kroesserstrat.com