Art at the Center: How studio pesch Designs Homes That Live and Breathe
Apr 22, 2026
Interior Architect Anneka Pesch on designing for collectors,
the power of bold color, and why every detail is an act of intention.
There are interiors that look beautiful, and then there are interiors that feel alive. The homes coming out of studio pesch belong firmly in the second category.
Founded by designer Anneka Pesch, studio pesch has built a reputation for spaces that are layered, deeply personal, and unmistakably alive with color and character. The studio’s work is shaped by a rare combination: an eye trained by years of craft. Anneka holds a background in cabinetmaking and a design philosophy rooted in genuine collaboration with the people who live in the home.
When art collectors come to Anneka, the work takes on a different dimension entirely. The collection doesn’t hang on the walls at the end, it shapes every decision from the very first meeting. We interviewed Anneka to talk about designing for collectors, building color stories that speak to the art, and why the smallest details in a home carry the biggest weight.
WHEN THE COLLECTION LEADS
For Anneka, a significant art collection doesn’t change a project’s direction so much as it clarifies it.
“When a client has a significant art collection, the artwork becomes the foundation of the design rather than the finishing touch.” — ANNEKA PESCH, STUDIO PESCH
From the very first meeting, she approaches the project with the understanding that a collection tells a personal story: reflecting the client’s history, travels, taste, and emotional connections. That means palette, material, and even the arrangement of furniture are all in conversation with the work on the walls and, increasingly, the work that arrives after the project is complete.
The homes Anneka designs for her clients are never truly finished. “This is a constantly evolving project,” she says of one ongoing client relationship. “As new pieces arrive or items are repositioned, the design adapts alongside the collection.” That kind of flexibility requires forethought. A home designed to evolve is one where every existing decision has been made with enough integrity and restraint to welcome what comes next. The architecture holds the story, and the art complements it.
A COLOR STORY THAT AMPLIFIES
“Color, like the art, is part of an ongoing dialogue in the home. It evolves with the collection, highlighting key pieces, creating rhythm between spaces, and enhancing the home’s layered, eclectic character.”
Each room in the home carries its own distinct personality, yet they connect through a shared energy—what Anneka describes as “playful, expressive, and a little unexpected.” The kitchen is a case in point: a space that works hard and never loses its aesthetic identity, where color and function have been woven together so naturally that neither calls attention to the other.
OLD AND NEW, RAW AND REFINED
Spaces can carry a particular kind of tension—one that feels earned rather than staged. Painted brick alongside sculptural furniture. Traditional architecture in conversation with contemporary art and forms. It’s the kind of layering that, done carelessly, can feel chaotic. Done with intention, it becomes the entire point.
“Navigating this kind of layering is about understanding how contrasts can complement one another,” Anneka explains. “By honouring the existing architectural elements and the client’s curated vision, I work to create balance—allowing raw and refined, traditional and contemporary, old and new to coexist harmoniously.”
“My role isn’t to impose a signature—it’s to refine, elevate, and give structure to what already feels authentic to the client.”— ANNEKA PESCH, STUDIO PESCH
THE DETAIL THAT DEFINES THE WHOLE
Anneka’s background as a trained cabinetmaker gives her a perspective that not many designers share: the absolute conviction that the smallest details make the biggest difference. It’s an instinct cultivated on the workshop floor, where the quality of a hinge or the precision of a joint determines whether a piece truly sings.“Hardware is one of the most habitual elements in a home—we touch it, see it, and interact with it every single day. Because it is such a constant presence, its quality and design have an outsized impact on the overall experience of the space.”— ANNEKA PESCH, STUDIO PESCH
This home makes that philosophy visible. In the living room, a kül grille sits at baseboard height in the corner, glimpsed through the open frame of a side table. The trim mitres cleanly around its frame. That detail alone tells you this was never an afterthought. In the rotunda—a circular entry space where a Zig Zag chair, a sculptural white table, and a ceiling painted the color of night sky conspire to make every element feel considered. A second grille sits quietly in the painted brick wall, equally at home. In both instances, the grilles don’t announce themselves, they simply belong.
“Specifying details like kül grilles reflects the level of care and rigour that underpins every aspect of a project,” she explains. “My standards are high—they need to be—because achieving the best quality and design in even the smallest elements elevates the entire home.”
“Sometimes the design begins with a small element—the finish of a wall switch, the texture of a grille—and the space grows organically around that choice.”— ANNEKA PESCH, STUDIO PESCH
A HOME THAT FEELS LIKE ITSELF
Ask Anneka what she hopes a visitor feels when they walk into one of her homes for the first time, and her answer is immediate: warmth and curiosity. The feeling of a space that invites you to slow down, look around, and stay a while.
“More than anything, I hope it feels lived-in and welcoming rather than overly designed,” she says. “The art, the colors, the textures, and the objects all tell a story, and together they create an atmosphere that feels both vibrant and comfortable—a home that encourages conversation, inspiration, and a sense of joy.”
That is the studio pesch signature: spaces that feel unmistakably like the people who live in them, only more fully themselves than they ever imagined.
Working on a project where every detail matters?
Explore kül grilles’ full collection of architectural vent covers and switch plates—designed for designers who hold every element to the same exacting standard. Learn about our Trade Program at kulgrilles.com/pages/trade-program.
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