New York, NY – Great design doesn’t happen in isolation. Behind every beautifully realized interior is a network of relationships, shared expertise, and creative collaboration.
Cliff Young President Leslie Zarra sits down with interior designer Lynn Berney to discuss their creative collaborations on a few recent projects, the importance of lasting relationships with clients and trusted vendors, and Lynn’s approach to creating spaces that feel deeply personal.
For Lynn Berney, exceptional interior design begins with understanding the people who inhabit a space. Rather than following trends or prescribing a particular aesthetic, she approaches each project with an appreciation for her clients’ personalities, preferences, and the way they live.
“I want the home to feel curated rather than decorated and have a personality that reflects client’s lifestyle,” Lynn explains.
Creating this sense of authenticity often requires looking beyond standard offerings: custom furnishings, unexpected finishes, and carefully considered details. While Cliff Young offers an extensive range of furniture designs and collections, Leslie Young Zarra emphasizes that her team also collaborates with a select group of designers on bespoke projects, bringing unique visions to life through creative development and full-scale production capabilities. Lynn Berney holds a particularly special place among these trusted creative partners.
One of the advantages Lynn appreciates is the ability to explore and select upholstery for her projects right at the Cliff Young showroom, making the design process that much more seamless.
Designed in-house and manufactured in the United States, the Copa Dining Table is more than a functional centerpiece—it is a story told through form and material, weaving together heritage, artistry, and cosmopolitan energy. At its heart stands an intricately carved three-pillar base, crafted from a custom-molded composite and meticulously finished by hand. A thin, refined tabletop is available in travertine, wood, or glass, allowing for versatile interpretations that adapt seamlessly to any space while maintaining its bold character.
While every client relationship is unique, projects can often span several years. Lynn Berney compares these long-term relationships to a marriage, while emphasizing that a designer’s relationships with trusted vendors are equally essential to the success of a project.
“As much as I value my relationships with my clients, I truly value my relationships with the vendors because those are my longest-lasting relationships,” Lynn shares.
For her, these partnerships go far beyond sourcing furniture and materials. They provide a foundation of reliability, mutual understanding, and creative support that makes each new project more seamless.
“I place tremendous importance working with reliable brands and manufacturers that I know and trust,” she emphasizes.
Leslie echoes Lynn’s philosophy: “Supporting the design community has always been central to what we do, and our most meaningful collaborations are built on trust, loyalty, and a shared passion for great design.”
The Nikola Nesting Tables are among Cliff Young’s original designs that caught Lynn’s eye during a showroom visit, inspiring her to specify them for one of her projects.
Lynn’s collaboration with Cliff Young has evolved into an ongoing creative exchange, bringing together Cliff Young’s entire team of specialists whose expertise helped transform initial concepts into fully realized designs.
A key figure in this collaboration has been Jonathan Lewis, Cliff Young’s trusted design specialist and a tastemaker in his own right. Jonathan played an instrumental role in bringing her ideas to life, ensuring that Lynn’s distinctive voice and creative vision were reflected in every detail throughout the project.
“We’ve been doing several projects together with Cliff Young, and each has been an amazing collaborative experience where we’ve both been able to think out of the box,” Lynn recalls.
This willingness to explore, experiment, and occasionally challenge one another is what makes customization such a rewarding part of the design process.
For Lynn, collaboration is not simply about executing an idea. It’s about working with creative partners who understand her vision while bringing their own knowledge, experience, and suggestions to the table.
Striking architectural forms, like the Margaret Console, create a compelling focal but require a designer’s discerning eye to balance their sculptural presence with the surrounding interior.
One particularly memorable example from Lynn Berney’s collaboration with Cliff Young emerged during the design of a unique bedroom for one of her discerning clients. What began as one concept evolved through ongoing dialogue, exploration, and refinement into something entirely different—and ultimately more compelling.
“We started off with something completely different, and we wound up in such an amazing place,” Lynn recalls.
It’s a sentiment that captures the essence of truly collaborative design. The process allows new ideas to emerge, materials to be reconsidered, and creative boundaries to be pushed, all while maintaining a shared commitment to the project’s vision. Lynn also emphasizes that Cliff Young’s fabric and rug collections were an added benefit to the design process, allowing her to specify upholstery and rugs on the spot.
For a designer like Lynn, whose work emphasizes personal expression and curated environments, this flexibility is especially meaningful. It allows each project to evolve organically, with custom pieces becoming an integral part of a home’s unique character.
Perhaps the most compelling aspect of our conversation with Lynn Berney is her genuine enthusiasm for the creative process itself.
Beyond the technical details, there is real enjoyment in working through challenges, discovering unexpected solutions, and finally seeing a design take shape.
As Lynn puts it, “It’s really fun to actually see the end product.” We couldn’t agree more. Working with Lynn has been equally rewarding and enjoyable, thanks to the unique talent and creative energy she brings to every project. Her perspective is a reminder that successful design is about more than beautiful objects and spaces. It’s about the people, ideas, and relationships. And yes, it is about fun, too!
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