The Studio

Since it’s 2009 foundation in a bohemian studio off of Venice and Abbot Kinney, hospitality based Avenue Interior Design has positioned itself as a tiny powerhouse in an industry full of giants. Now based in Downtown Los Angeles, and decidedly less tiny, the team continues to design and collaborate on the industry’s most exciting properties for the most prominent leaders in hospitality.

Under the direction of founders Andrea DeRosa and Ashley Manhan, the studio is recognized for creating original identities for a wide range of properties and brands. We apply a fresh perspective to every project, as we consider the demographic, location and brand identity of each, to create layered and marketable interiors and products that exude exceptional character.

For over a decade, Avenue Interior Design has specialized in new-build and renovations for the hospitality industry, including hotel guestrooms, suites and public areas, restaurants, bars, nightclubs, gaming venues, spas and retail outlets. The studio also provides exclusive high-end residential interior design services for a select discerning clientele as well as for luxury commercial office buildings and innovative multi-family properties. Custom furniture, lighting and artwork are essential elements of Avenue Interior Design’s work and the studio parlays this passion into highly marketable and much sought after product design and brand partnerships.

Avenue Interior Design is fully committed to all types of scopes, whether large scale scopes for MGM Resorts International and sbe or smaller scale, one-of-a-kind properties such as La Serena Villas in Palms Springs and The Ramble Hotel in Denver. Where Avenue has directed the creative vision from concept through to installation, projects have had unprecedented success captivating guests and securing maximum ADR and ROI for the Ownership group. Avenue’s primary goal is to create compelling and influential brand identities that leave guests excited to return – all while maximizing profitability and publicity for our clients.

One of Avenue Interior Design’s core principles is to foster a creative, collaborative and kind project team that works together harmoniously to make each project a success. As a result, we are proud to note that nearly all of our clients are repeat clients – a handful of whom have been with us for the entirety of our professional careers. Avenue Interior Design is proud to include numerous independent Ownership groups as well industry mainstays Montage, Hilton Hotels & Resorts, sbe, Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants, Station Casinos, the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians and San Manuel as clientele amongst others.

The studio and its projects are frequently recognized in regional and national media outlets including Architectural Digest, Vogue, Forbes, Time, and many others.

Avenue Interior Design offers a complete roster of design services, with specifics tailored to each client and project. Premium services, including bespoke brand identity development, art curation and more, are available upon request.

  • Concept generation & consultation
  • Competitive set studies
  • Program development
  • Spatial adjacencies
  • Space planning and layouts
  • Brand identity development
  • Custom furniture, lighting, textile and carpet design
  • FF&E selection and specification
  • Hotel guestroom matrices
  • Materials and finishes sourcing
  • 3-D modeling
  • Photorealistic renderings
  • Architectural finish selection and specification
  • Interiors drawing sets including plans, elevations, sections, details, etc. as required for permit and/or bidding purposes
  • Budget generation and adherence
  • Value engineering efforts
  • Signage coordination
  • Procurement coordination
    (Avenue Interior Design does not offer procurement of specified FF&E)
  • Artwork and accessory curation
  • FF&E shop drawing review
  • Millwork show drawing review
  • Installation of FF&E, punch list documentation and subsequent follow up
  • Product design

SOS SERVICES

Did your current design team leave you high and dry? Maybe things simply didn’t go as planned. Regardless, we’re here to help. For over a decade we’ve been offering a discrete search-and-rescue service that includes picking up where other design teams left off. From concept, to model room, from shop drawings all the way through to completion of the scope, we’ll take the wheel and get you back on course.

While obtaining her degree at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Andrea worked at a high-end residential interior design firm that ignited her love of design. Immediately upon graduation, she moved to Los Angeles to begin her career. Prior to co-founding Avenue Interior Design, Andrea DeRosa was immersed in the world of hospitality while at a number of LA’s premier hospitality based Interior Design firms. Her most notable years were spent at a Pasadena based interior design firm specializing in large scale gaming properties for clients such as Caesars Entertainment, MGM Resorts International and Boyd Gaming. While at this firm Andrea relished the opportunity to closely collaborate with the firm’s owner on high-level concepting for landmark properties domestically and abroad.

Ashley Manhan obtained her degree from UCLA while simultaneously employed at a well-respected firm in Santa Monica where she was immersed in high-end hotel and resort design. The firm’s high profile clientele included Starwood Hotels & Resorts and Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants amongst others. She would later join, and quickly move up the ranks, of hospitality pioneer sbe Entertainment. While at sbe, Ashley closely collaborated with design icon Philippe Starck and celebrity photographer, Matthew Rolston on the design of groundbreaking hotel brands like SLS and the Redbury (Avenue Interior has subsequently played a pivotal role in revitalizing these existing properties and providing ID services for the expansion of both brands to other cities). Ashley was also immersed in the design of numerous notable restaurants including the Bazaar with celebrity chef José Andrés, a Michael Mina restaurant in Hollywood and Katsuya LA Live in Los Angeles. Avenue has continued to work on new build projects with both aforementioned chefs as well as many of the aforementioned hospitality groups.

DeRosa and Manhan founded Avenue Interior Design in 2009, initially positioning the studio as a tiny hospitality-based powerhouse in Venice. Now headquartered in Downtown Los Angeles, the studio has expanded its interior services to include commercial, multi-family and residential projects. The co-founders lead a diverse, multidisciplinary team that is constantly expanding.

Team

Co-Founder / Co-Creative Director

Andrea DeRosa

Co-Founder / Co-Creative Director

Ashley Manhan Justman

Design & Construction Manager

Christie Arellano

Director of Operations

Jennifer Casey

Branding & Project Designer

Daphnie Pan

Director of Design & Project Management

Denise Pan

Project Designer

Dana Zeve Murphy

Executive Administrative Manager

Mary Linn

Senior Project Designer

MacKenzie Bergeron

Senior Project Designer

Cathy Alcocer

Director of Design & Construction

Jason Tien

SENIOR ARCHITECTURAL DESIGNER

Fangyan (Lulu) Lu

DIRECTOR OF ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN

Pranav Sinha

SENIOR PROJECT DESIGNER

Erika Zoeller

SENIOR PROJECT DESIGNER

Gerri Micheli

SENIOR PROJECT DESIGNER

Iris Sin

SENIOR PROJECT DESIGNER

Heather Shapiro

SENIOR PROJECT DESIGNER

Zara Vardanyan

JUNIOR ARCHITECTURAL DESIGNER

Ainsley MacNab

Co-Founder / Co-Creative Director

Andrea DeRosa

From an early age co-founder Andrea DeRosa appreciated anything well designed. Extensive travel and study abroad experiences ignited her inherent creative interests and ultimately solidified her career path in interior design. Upon graduating from the University of Wisconsin – Madison with a degree in Interior Design, Andrea relocated to Los Angeles to practice Hospitality Interior Design at various notable firms throughout the city. Over the years she has enjoyed a wide variety of practice areas including gaming venues, public spaces, restaurants and nightclubs, and her earliest experiences included many projects in the high-end residential market. As Co-Founder of Avenue Interior Design, Andrea has become focused on project concept generation, business development, and marketing for the company since its foundation in 2009.

Co-Founder / Co-Creative Director

Ashley Manhan Justman

Ashley hails from a century long lineage of creativity deeply rooted in the Hollywood film industry. The influence of her past relatives success in film production, direction, screenwriting and composing, along with her set decorator and costumer parents have heavily shaped her own creative endeavors. While studying Interior Design at UCLA, Ashley joined a hospitality-based interior design firm and was soon designing 4 and 5 star hospitality properties. Later, Ashley joined the team at sbe where she closely collaborated on projects with design icon Philippe Starck and celebrity chef José Andrés. As Co-Founder of Avenue, Ashley enjoys day-to-day client interaction and regular job-site visits to oversee the construction administration and installation of Avenue ID’s projects.

Design & Construction Manager

Christie Arellano

Christie graduated cum laude from Woodbury University with a bachelor’s degree in Interior Architecture and a minor in Art History. Upon graduating, she spent several years with a nationally recognized hospitality firm based in Los Angeles where she worked extensively on new-build luxury hospitality projects, both domestically and internationally. She likes mixing styles and adding modern touches to classic forms, so that her designs are both fresh and timeless.

Director of Operations

Jennifer Casey

Originally from New England, Jennifer graduated cum laude from Wellesley College with a B.A. in Art History before attending UCLA School of Law. Jennifer practiced for more than a decade as a commercial real estate lawyer with an expertise in resort and golf properties. While working on trophy properties across the U.S., she realized she was fascinated by the design of hotels, so she obtained her Professional Certificate from the UCLA Extension Architecture and Interior Design program. Before joining Avenue as the Director of Operations, she designed and project managed at nationally recognized Los Angeles hospitality firms, where she worked on domestic and international Fairmont, Disney, Hilton, and Hyatt properties.

Jennifer loves managing the business of Avenue Interior Design and working with its talented design team so that the firm can deliver great design while meeting client budget and schedule goals. She supervises Avenue’s production of specifications to ensure that selections are both beautiful and high performance. Jennifer is a LEED AP in Commercial Interiors.

Branding & Project Designer

Daphnie Pan

Daphnie received her B.A. in Communication Studies from UCLA and began her career in social media marketing while employed at an LA-based children’s lifestyle and toy brand. Soon her artistic inclination for building and creating, along with her sharp eye for design, led to an opportunity within that company to design new products. During that time, she created numerous product lines, including an activity kit collection for Target, a party décor line, and a children’s board game with integrated VR technology. After recognizing a deep appreciation for beautifully designed interiors, Daphnie subsequently focused her design talent and entered the world of interior design. While at Avenue Interior Design, Daphnie has been part of the design teams heavily involved in concept development and branding and has been involved with product design and collaboration for hospitality-based suppliers, including Lily Jack, Walters Wicker, and Loloey carpets.

Director of Design & Project Management

Denise Pan

Denise is the Director of Design & Projects at Avenue Interior Design, specializing in bespoke experiences with a strong attention to detail. As one of Avenue’s longest tenured team members, Denise is well-versed in taking projects from concept development through construction administration. She plays a valuable role in all aspects of the design process, from space planning, FF&E sourcing, and specification, to art direction and custom furniture development. A strong communicator, Denise is successful at collaborating with both internal teams and externally with clients, architects, and contractors. Denise holds a master’s degree in Interior Architecture from California State Polytechnic University and a bachelor’s from the University of California Los Angeles and is a NCIDQ accredited designer.

Project Designer

Dana Zeve Murphy

After earning a degree in Merchandise Marketing from the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising (FIDM) in Los Angeles, Dana became an operations and account manager at high-end women’s activewear line Splits59. She later relocated to New York to further her career at James Perse, where she played a pivotal role in opening their Madison Avenue Flagship before becoming the manager of their SoHo location. While at James Perse, she was inspired by how the brand’s simple but powerful retail designs, influenced by West Coast styles of indoor/outdoor living, helped create a distinctive brand identity. As a result, Dana returned to Los Angeles to obtain a degree in Interior Design at FIDM. Upon graduation, Dana joined the team at Avenue Interior Design, where she brings her deep love of design and interiors to every project.

Executive Administrative Manager

Mary Linn

Senior Project Designer

MacKenzie Bergeron

Mackenzie Bergeron is a Senior Project Designer. Before joining Avenue Interior Design, she gained experience at two renowned interior design firms in Los Angeles, working on lavish hospitality and high-end residential properties, as well as new construction, historical restoration, and renovation projects. A lifelong self-starter with an analytical streak, she’s also held a director-level position for a startup social media company, designing the user interface for the company’s app and all promotional materials. Mackenzie has a B.S. in Interior Architecture and Design from California State University, Northridge, and an M.A. degree in Business Administration from Ball State University.

Senior Project Designer

Cathy Alcocer

Cathy is a Senior Project Designer at Avenue Interior Design, where she is involved in all aspects of our projects, from concept generation to the design, selection and specification of FF&E and materials. Using experience gained at several nationally-recognized hospitality firms, she is masterful at managing multiple projects concurrently, effectively prioritizing and organizing her team to address each project’s deadlines and demands. Her prior clients include Meritage, Marriott, Hilton and Disney. Cathy’s sophisticated design aesthetic and esprit de corps make her an important part of the Avenue team.

Director of Design & Construction

Jason Tien

Jason is the Director of Design & Construction at Avenue Interior Design, where he enthusiastically applies his 25+ years of experience in the hospitality design field. He leads large-scale complex projects from concept through completion, using his diverse talents, including space planning, interior architectural design, and graphic design. He also focuses on the practical aspects of every project and excels in project management, CAD management, and document management. His innovative problem solving allows him to evaluate and balance competing project interests for successful solutions. Prior to joining Avenue Interior Design, Jason worked on domestic and international luxury resort and hotel projects for Rosewood, Las Vegas Sands, and Westin. His extensive knowledge is a wonderful resource for our team, as well as our clients and the project stakeholders.

SENIOR ARCHITECTURAL DESIGNER

Fangyan (Lulu) Lu

Fangyan (Lulu) brings two decades of domestic and international experience to the studio. She started her career in the Shanghai office of a world-renown hospitality design firm before transferring to the firm’s Los Angeles office. Her prior projects included hotels for the Anantara, Conrad, Viceroy and Omni brands. She is engaged in all aspects of a project, from preparing hand sketches during the concept phase, to detailing finishes and architectural elements during the CD phase.

DIRECTOR OF ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN

Pranav Sinha

Pranav is the Director of Architecture & Design at Avenue Interior Design. He is an exceptionally creative, highly detailed and vastly experienced architectural designer with over 20 years of experience. A natural leader, his clear communication and collaborative character ensure that projects retain their design integrity, while also addressing practical concerns. Prior to joining Avenue Interior Design, Pranav worked with several nationally recognized interior design firms for powerhouse clients including Ritz-Carlton, Caesars Entertainment, Marriott and Hilton. He has successfully designed, managed and installed more than 50 hospitality projects and 20 high-end residential projects throughout the world.

SENIOR PROJECT DESIGNER

Erika Zoeller

SENIOR PROJECT DESIGNER

Gerri Micheli

SENIOR PROJECT DESIGNER

Iris Sin

SENIOR PROJECT DESIGNER

Heather Shapiro

SENIOR PROJECT DESIGNER

Zara Vardanyan

JUNIOR ARCHITECTURAL DESIGNER

Ainsley MacNab