Inside 'All Things Considered': Emilio Pimentel-Reid's Guide to Personal Interior Design

From Fashion to Interiors: Emilio Pimentel-Reid's Career Journey

Emilio's design career began in the Dominican Republic, where his mother's collection of international fashion and home magazines sparked his passion for interiors. This early exposure to design aesthetics laid the foundation for his multifaceted career.

After studying Fashion Design at Parsons School of Design in New York, Emilio developed his understanding of colour and pattern at Oscar de la Renta, observing how seemingly unrelated fabrics and bold accessories combined to create the house's signature looks. His time at Calvin Klein introduced him to textiles, trims and subtle finishing details that enhance garments—skills that would later inform his interior design approach.

Following an MA and training in Fine and Decorative Art at Sotheby's London, Emilio joined the cult American interiors magazine Nest after its launch issue. Known for celebrating exceptional spaces regardless of budget—from igloos and prison cells to palaces—Nest taught him to appreciate personal and compelling homes.

After many years as Decorating Editor at British ELLE Decoration, Emilio launched his own multidisciplinary studio in 2012. As a connector of people and ideas, his commissions blend contemporary design and historic interiors with playfulness, rigour and a colourful aesthetic.

His career continues to move forward propelled by curiosity, energy and openness to exciting journeys that clients and unexpected opportunities provide.

The Role of Author and Creative Strategist

As an author and creative strategist, Emilio wears multiple hats—writing, styling and partnering with interior designers, architects and commercial clients to shape their image, creative direction and business strategies.

His work centres on three core principles: connecting people, sharing excitement about new ideas and design, and making beautiful design commercially viable. This holistic approach bridges the gap between creative vision and practical implementation.

'All Things Considered': A New Interior Design Book

Inspiration Behind the Book

Emilio's professional and personal connections with top designers worldwide inspired 'All Things Considered'. The book emerged from regular conversations with international creatives and his desire to reveal how they fashion highly personal interiors for themselves, exploring the universal relationship we all have with our homes.

The book highlights distinctive spaces—some historically influenced, others at the cutting edge of contemporary design. Some are serene, several provocative, but all are uplifting and created with great thought, confidence and flair. Through the mix of moods, colours, patterns, elements, limitations and possibilities, the book demonstrates that all things have been very thoughtfully considered, leaving room for style, surprise, joy and personality.

The main objective is simple: to inspire readers to create their own distinctive interiors.

Selection Criteria for Featured Homes

For the book, Emilio sought to include a range of interesting people with great personal style at the top of their field, creating welcoming, highly personal interiors with flair and confidence.

Living in Bath, he regularly references interior design books from the 1970s, 1980s and earlier. Many feature homes of designers who were then at the beginning of their careers but are now very well-known. These homes have stood the test of time and remain inspiring today.

Emilio wanted to achieve something similar with 'All Things Considered'—capturing interiors relevant now that will be interesting to revisit later. The book serves as a style time capsule to be opened in the future, documenting the personal spaces of today's leading design talents.

Why Designers' Own Interiors Are Most Compelling

After over 20 years exploring and promoting design, Emilio has found that often the most alluring and successful interiors are those that designers conceive for themselves.

This may be because designers experiment at home before deploying ideas on clients, or because they take risks they might not in professional projects. At home, designers also tackle challenges not faced by their clients: budget constraints, space limitations, or the even tougher challenge of committing to design choices for oneself.

Each designer featured in the book has approached their interior differently—demonstrating that readers should do the same when creating their own personal spaces.

Key Messages from 'All Things Considered'

The book encourages readers to:

• Learn from others and ask questions
• Take risks in their interior design choices
• Find their niche and personal style
• Collect and display what they love, even if others don't understand it
• Enjoy their home as a reflection of themselves
• Celebrate individuality and create interiors that are authentically personal

As the book's title suggests, all things should be considered when creating a home that truly represents who you are.

What Makes a Home Truly Inspiring?

According to Emilio, the person makes a home inspiring—not adherence to notions of good or bad taste.

Creating an inspiring home is about making your space yours. In the book's 'All Things Considered' pages, Emilio captures ingredients that make each interior special: balance, surprise, colour, pattern, possibilities and more. However, ultimately, the homeowner is the magic ingredient that brings a space to life.

‘All Things Considered: Thoughtful Interior Design that Mixes Pattern, Colour and Style’ by Emilio Pimentel-Reid (Quadrille). Photography: Edvinas Bruzas

Credit: All Things Considered by Emilio Pimentel-Reid (Quadrille, £35), Photography Edvinas Bruzas

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