2. ABOUT
In service of artful spaces and considered identities, Islyn is a group of thinkers, dreamers, and wildly curious makers who believe in elevating hospitality to an art form.
Dedicated to crafting immersive, multi-sensory experiences, and to shaping the future of experiential hospitality, we design hotels, restaurants, bars, retail spaces, spas, objects and stories that explore contemporary culture and aesthetics.
At Islyn Studio, every project is a passion project.
Our design studio is driven by imagination, collaboration and the stories behind things to build sanctuaries for the senses – places you leave longing for. We believe in giving the world heart-forward experiences that foster joy and delight of the present moment, and that a sensual experience of place can contribute to a life well-lived.
We believe that it’s easy to make something pretty, but it’s hard to make it matter. Great hospitality isn't about trends - it's about building spaces that are intentional, soulful, and designed to endure.
At Islyn Studio, our process begins with a deep exploration of a project’s context—its location, environment, history, and the distinct needs it must address. Through this thoughtful investigation, we uncover the guiding principles that will shape the design, forming a clear "north star" that directs every decision. This foundation allows us to create spaces that are not only resilient and adaptable but also timeless, inspiring future traditions while remaining grounded in the essence of what the project truly requires.
With a combined half-century at the best New York City firms, our team knows the rules well enough to be able to sufficiently break them, building groundbreaking future-forward cultural hubs and projects that continually transcend conventional hospitality genre and medium.
At Islyn, relationships are at the core of everything we do — relationships with each other, ourselves and the natural world.
This ethos extends beyond our projects and into our studio itself. Just as we design for a happier, healthier way of living, we nurture an internal culture that prioritizes balance, growth, and well-being.
We believe that sustainability in design starts with the people who create it—valuing collaboration, continuous learning, and a work environment that supports the same equity and care we build into every space. By taking care of our team, we ensure that our vision for a more sustainable future isn’t just an idea, but a lived practice.
In a splintered and distracted world, we bring people back to their senses and operate with the rare and delicate balance of technical skill and intuition. We’re seduced by the stories and cultural narratives behind a place — the unexpected, the curious, the human, the playful.
We anticipate the needs of the modern era, believing that aesthetic sustenance goes far beyond the visual. It’s something you can feel — that wild, rhythmic, and ineffable thing which we celebrate in every project.
We know what love can look like and what beauty can feel like. We are always learning the joys and heights of human experience. At Islyn, we work with a throng of visionaries to bottle this lightning.
ABOUT
INTERIOR DESIGN
RESEARCH AND STRATEGY
CONCEPT DESIGN
SCHEMATIC DESIGN
DESIGN DEVELOPMENT
CONSTRUCTION ADMINISTRATION
SKETCH ILLUSTRATIONS
PHOTOREALISTIC RENDERINGS
CUSTOM FURNITURE AND LIGHTING
ON SITE STYLING
ART CURATION
PHOTOGRAPHY AND ART DIRECTION
BRANDING
NAMING
MISSION, VISION, VALUES POSITIONING
COPY WRITING
LOGO DESIGN
BRAND GUIDELINES
ART DIRECTION
COLLATERAL AND PACKAGING
ENVIRONMENTAL GRAPHICS
PRINT PRODUCTION
SIGNAGE
UNIFORM DESIGN
EXPERIENTIAL
FRAGRANCE DEVELOPMENT
SOUND COLLABORATION
LIVE MUSIC PROGRAMMING
DAY TO NIGHT AMBIANCE
OPERATIONAL STANDARDS
CLIENTS
Highgate Hotels
Kimpton Hotels
Sage Hospitality
Blue Flag Capital
Dovetail + Co
Hai Hospitality
Heineken
Live Nation
Capital One
Goldman Sachs
DiamondRock
DART Hospitality
Kindbody
Peachy Studio
CAMP
City Block
Twig Fertility
Rhone
The Tusk Bar
Leonessa
Chleo Kingston
Sawmill Market
Hudson Valley Vineyards
Ashley Wilkins
Founder / Creative Director
Ashley Wilkins founded Islyn Studio in 2017 as a way to shift design into a kinder, more meaningful place. Hailing from the poppied coast of Northern California, Wilkins is inspired by the spiritual power inherent in beautiful, idiosyncratic places. With a focus on curiosity, collaboration, and cultural storytelling, she and her team build immersive spaces for a wide swath of clients in a range of culturally- relevant industries.
Named HD Magazine’s “Wave of the Future,” Ashley’s relentless commitment to innovation and her expertise in spatial storytelling have solidified her as a trailblazer in the design industry, consistently pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in modern design.
With over 15 years of experience in the design industry, Ashley holds a BFA in Interior Design from Ringling College of Art and Design and has honed her expertise at leading firms such as Atelier Ace, Rockwell Group, and Avroko. Throughout her career, she has worked with prestigious clients including Walt Disney Imagineering, Highgate Hotels, Kimpton, Conrad Hilton and Google. Her extensive background in large-scale hospitality, retail, and commercial projects has made her highly adept at navigating the complexities of creating innovative, high-impact environments.
Laura Hope
VP of Interior Design
Laura Hope is a visionary force behind Islyn Studio’s hospitality design, shaping immersive spaces that resonate with place, history, and community. Her approach is rooted in deep contextual sensitivity—ensuring every project feels authentic, timeless, and alive with storytelling.
With a background spanning the Midwest, the University of Cincinnati, and global explorations, Laura thrives on discovery. She believes the best design emerges from curiosity, research, and human connection. At Islyn, she fosters a culture of mentorship and technical excellence, training the next generation with an eye for craft and collaboration.
Splitting her time between New York and Mexico City, Laura brings a dynamic, cross-cultural perspective to our work. Proficient in Spanish, she strengthens international relationships and broadens Islyn’s global reach. A 2023 Boutique 18 honoree, Laura embodies our mission: to create spaces that inspire, connect, and endure.
Kara Pinakis
Brand Director
Kara is a Branding Art Director passionate about story-driven art direction of visual identities and environments. Kara originally hails from Australia, where she garnered several years of experience in Interior Architecture, before moving to London to practice interior design. While most Graphic Designers think in flat print terms, her background in Interior Architecture provides a rare qualification to visualize in both 2D and 3D.
Kara developed brand strategy, brand identities, brand books, exhibitions, packaging, collateral, uniforms, signage, menus, illustrations, social media strategy, photography guidelines and environmental graphics at renowned hospitality design firms Brand Bureau and Crème Design. She has developed a wide range of identities and graphics for Hotel, Retail, Food and Beverage from permanent to pop-up.
Emily Febrizio
Senior Interior Designer
Emily Febrizio is an interior designer in Brooklyn, New York. Hailing from the salt-sprayed coast of Long Island, New York, her work culls influences from the art of the natural world, small, everyday delights, and the innate nostalgia of returning home after a long trip.
Her design practice involves in-depth historical research into culture, material and color, with a focus on sustainability and functional beauty. She graduated with a BFA in Interior Design from Pratt Institute, and believes good design can lead to a wider, richer life. When she’s not working, you can find her near the ocean with her camera and sketchbook.
Colleen Smith
Senior Interior Designer
Colleen studied at the University of Cincinnati where she received her Bachelor’s degree in Interior Design. During her time at Cincinnati, she lived and worked in New York, San Francisco, and Los Angeles gaining insight and experience with the design communities on both coasts.
An Ohio native, Colleen moved back to New York upon graduating to further her career in hospitality design at Creme Design before starting at Islyn Studio. She has worked on numerous hotel and restaurants across the United States and internationally. She believes in the transformative power of spatial design and strives to look for creative and innovative ways to positively impact people through space.
Fast Company
9/9/2019
FastCompany 2019 Innovation by Design Awards Finalist for "The year’s most innovative designs in health and wellness" for Kindbody.
Contract Magazine
10/1/2019
This month, Contract looks to the up-and-coming interior design firms that are quickly making names for themselves as the design wave of the future. Their energy and fresh processes make for a bright collection of work that is sure to inspire.
Dezeen
7/19/2019
We received more than 4,500 entries from 87 different countries for the second edition of Dezeen Awards, which recognises the world's best architecture, interiors and design projects, as well as the best individuals and studios.
Dog Milk
6/11/2019
Brooklyn’s Bond Vet teamed up with Islyn Studio to design their first office with the goal of creating a space more welcoming and less anxiety-producing for dogs and cats (and their people, tbh). We love what came of their creative process.
HD Magazine
7/18/2019
The Sawmill Market in Albuquerque, New Mexico is slated to become the state’s first artisanal food hall upon its opening in February 2020. Located in the Sawmill District, the new urban market aims to bring a new dining experience to the city.
Domino
9/8/2019
Bond Vet, the first-ever vet’s office in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn, that is leading the pack toward friendlier design in public health spaces.
Fast Company
9/9/2019
FastCompany 2019 Innovation by Design Awards Honorable Mention for "The most innovative North American design of 2019" for Kindbody.
Dezeen
12/18/2019
Islyn Studio creates soothing atmosphere in Brooklyn’s Bond Vet clinic. Earthy colours and soft materials feature in this veterinary facility which is intended to ease the "stress and trauma often associated with vet's …
Contract Magazine
4/30/2020
This week, we meet Ashley Wilkins, founder and creative director, Islyn Studio. The New York-based designer talks about how she got her start in the industry, what inspires her at work and at home, and how the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting the creative community.
HD Expo
5/7/2020
Emerging Trends: Leading-Edge Concepts in Wellbeing. From clubs to hotels focusing on wellbeing, the early adopters and changemakers weigh in as wellness continues to take centerstage in design.
HD Magazine
6/9/2020
As the world continues to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic and adapt to these unprecedented times, HD is checking in with members of the hospitality industry around the globe to find out how their businesses are being impacted and what they anticipate will change down the line.
Dezeen
5/24/2020
New York's Islyn Studio has overhauled an old lumber warehouse in Albuquerque, New Mexico and turned it into a sun-lit food hall with various spots to indulge.
Design Milk
5/27/2020
Islyn Studio recently completed the interior design and brand identity of Sawmill Market, a contemporary food hall near Albuquerque inspired by New Mexico’s rich culture. Built within an old lumber warehouse, the food hall meticulously combines old and new to create a cultural hub true to the site’s heritage.
Arch Daily
6/1/2020
Sawmill Market is a contemporary interpretation of an unsung New Mexico — a place synonymous with electric pink sunsets, bleached white cow skulls, pinon pine and the otherworldly landscapes immortalized by Georgia O’Keeffe and D.H. Lawrence.
Architectural Digest
5/30/2020
The innovative 'Sawmill Market' project pays tribute to the entrepreneurial spirit of the American West and local culture through food and design. It is the New Mexico gastro contemporary laboratory.
The Spaces
6/10/2020
Albuquerque’s Sawmill Market has taken over a sprawling timber warehouse that has been totally reimagined by Islyn Studio in the city’s former industrial heartland.
Elle Decor
5/27/2020
Sawmill Market occupies an old warehouse with an area of 3716 square meters, located in the eponymous district of Albuquerque. Islyn Studios designed the food mall with its owners, Jim Long, Lauren Greene and Jason Greene.
HD Magazine
7/1/2020
"Its a place where you feel calm, safe and cared for in a place that makes you smile"
Boutique Design
6/4/2020
Described as “a new food and wine revolution in New Mexico” by Islyn Studio founder and creative director Ashley Wilkins, Sawmill Market overflows with a dose of culture from the Duke City.