Lauren Geremia designs interiors with the calm assurance of someone twice her age. A Bay Area talent in demand among tech companies (Asana, Rdio, Yousendit) and hip bars and restaurants (Coffee Bar, Umami, Churchill), she credits her studies at Rhode Island School of Design with instilling in her a strong work ethic. As evidenced by her sleek Emeryville home studio, she likes filling spaces with objects that are beautiful and functional. She’s proud to be part of a city with a vibrant creative community, and she often turns to other members for their expertise. Geremia admires designer Charles de Lisle (“for his impeccable eye”), gallerists Jessica Silverman and Eli Ridgway, and photographer Catherine Wagner.
She dreams of someday creating spaces for businesses that touch the lives of many people —like a boutique hotel, a movie theater, even a bank or a pharmacy. Her recent jobs include a downtown building on Bryant Street, a forthcoming restaurant on Market Street, and a project with Danielle Fong of LightSail Energy in Berkeley (the two women were both on the Forbes list of “30 Under 30” innovators). Geremia has also worked with biotech firms, and she hopes to do more with health-care and science-related companies: She enjoys the challenge of devising office spaces that contain laboratories. In any case, the young designer’s future will undoubtedly be bright— her first lighting line launches next year.
Below, a few of Geremia’s style statements.
“Coffee Bar in the Mission is the most minimalist space I’ve created so far. I can’t stand to have clutter or anything around me that doesn’t serve a particular function.”
“I am really proud of my design for the Citizen’s Band, a ‘fine diner’ in the South of Market neighborhood.”
“I love being able to collaborate with my friends. For Yousendit SF, painter Jessica Niello created the paper plane installation, Anzfer Farms built the custom bar, and Ohio Design and Alexis Moran made the furniture.”
