What Studio Robert McKinley does

Studio Robert McKinley is a privately-held, New York-based interior design and branding studio founded by designer Robert McKinley. The studio delivers four core service offerings: interior design, branding, creative direction, and custom furniture design for boutique hospitality venues (boutique hotels, restaurants, bars, and nightclubs) and high-end residential clients, with a smaller practice in installations and event spaces. Its competitive position is anchored in McKinley's fashion-house background at Giorgio Armani and Donna Karan, and in his personal co-founding of three hospitality venues (GoldBar, Surf Lodge, Ruschmeyer's), which gives the studio an operator's perspective beyond pure design services. The firm's design language emphasizes 'spatial storytelling' and bespoke custom vocabulary per property, with each project producing unique furniture, lighting, and architectural elements.

The business operates on a project-based, quote-based professional services model with pricing not publicly disclosed. Revenue is generated through design fees on hospitality and residential projects, with a complementary consumer product revenue stream via the Robert McKinley for Aelfie limited-edition rug and tapestry collection. The customer base spans more than 30 named hospitality venues (including The Hall, Marion, Ruschmeyer's, Hotel Joaquin, Hotel Kinsley, and multi-location work with Sant Ambroeus) and 10+ named residential properties (the McKinley Bungalow series plus Montauk House and Hamptons Cottage). Geographic reach covers New York, Los Angeles, Miami, Montauk, Palm Beach, Houston, Greenwich, Kingston, and Laguna Beach, with international projects in Dubai, Baja California Sur, and Todos Santos, Mexico.

The studio relies on direct client engagement and earned media (extensive coverage in Vogue, The New York Times, Vanity Fair, Elle Décor, Interior Design, Travel + Leisure, GQ, and Architectural Digest) as its primary go-to-market channels. It is founder-controlled with no disclosed institutional investment, funding rounds, or parent company, and operates from a single Chelsea, Manhattan headquarters. The firm maintains a small core team (evidenced by a single studio contact email), positioning it as a boutique creative practice rather than a scaled enterprise.

Name

Studio Robert McKinley

Legal name

Studio Robert McKinley

Website

https://robertmckinley.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Studio Robert McKinley is a privately-held, New York-based interior design, branding, creative direction, and custom furniture studio serving boutique hospitality venues and high-end residential clients across the US and select international markets.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Interior Design Services

NAICS

Interior Design Services (54141), Interior Design Services (541410)

SIC

Services-Mailing, Reproduction, Commercial Art & Photography (7330)

akta.pro primary industry

Interior Design Services (BPAHAKAB)

Keywords

• Boutique interior design
• Hospitality design services
• Custom furniture design
• Brand creative direction
• Residential interior design

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Interior Design Services: Full-service interior design for boutique hospitality venues (hotels, restaurants, bars) and residential properties. Projects include custom lighting, furniture design, and architectural elements.
2. Branding and Creative Direction: Comprehensive branding services for hospitality venues including visual identity, spatial branding, and creative direction that extends beyond physical space to overall guest experience.
3. Product Collaborations: Limited-edition product collections such as rugs and tapestries designed for specific projects and sold to consumers. Example: Robert McKinley for Aelfie collection inspired by Hotel Joaquin.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Studio Robert McKinley is a New York-based interior design studio providing full-service interior design, branding, creative direction, and custom furniture design for boutique hospitality venues (hotels, restaurants, bars, nightclubs) and high-end residential clients. The studio operates project-by-project, delivering concept-to-completion design services, including custom lighting, millwork, and architectural elements tailored to each property's identity, and also produces limited-edition product collaborations such as the Aelfie rug and tapestry line.

Product overview

Studio Robert McKinley operates as a full-service interior design and branding studio, offering four core service offerings: Interior Design Services, Branding Services, Creative Direction, and Custom Furniture Design. The studio primarily serves boutique hospitality venues (restaurants, hotels, nightclubs, lounges) and high-end residential clients across New York, Los Angeles, Miami, Montauk, and beyond. In addition to services, the studio offers a limited-edition product line through the Robert McKinley for Aelfie Collection of rugs and tapestries. The hospitality portfolio includes over 30 named venues such as Sant Ambroeus locations, The Surf Lodge, Ruschmeyer's Hotel, Hotel Joaquin, and Hotel Kinsley. The residential portfolio includes eight named properties (McKinley Bungalow series and Montauk House). Installation projects include event installations at Frieze NY and MOCA Los Angeles.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Interior Design Services Full-service interior design for boutique hospitality venues (hotels, restaurants, bars, nightclubs) and high-end residential clients, encompassing spatial design, material selection, custom lighting, millwork, and project management from concept through completion.
• Branding Services Brand identity development and creative direction for hospitality venues, including visual identity systems, signage design, and brand narrative development that extends beyond physical space to overall guest experience.
• Creative Direction Artistic direction services guiding the visual and experiential identity of venues, ensuring cohesive aesthetic storytelling across all touchpoints for hospitality and residential clients.
• Custom Furniture Design Bespoke furniture design and creation, including custom lighting, millwork, and architectural elements tailored to specific project requirements for hospitality venues and residential properties.
• Robert McKinley for Aelfie Collection Limited-edition collection of rugs and tapestries inspired by coastal landscapes, originally designed for Hotel Joaquin in Laguna Beach, CA, featuring six graphic textiles referencing the interplay of light and architecture during sunrises and dusk.

Quantifiable outcome

• Featured in major publications including Vogue, Vanity Fair, The New York Times, Elle Décor, Interior Design, Travel + Leisure

Named customers12 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• AelfieminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLimited-edition collection of rugs and tapestries inspired by coastal landscapes, originally designed for Hotel Joaquin in Laguna Beach, CA. The six graphic textiles reference the interplay of light and architecture during sunrises and dusk.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Roman and Williams: New York-based design studio known for boutique hospitality and restaurant interiors (Ace Hotel, Standard Hotel, Le Coucou). Comparable as a high-end hospitality-focused interior design firm with a strong principal-designer identity.
• Studio Sofield: New York-based luxury interior design studio led by William Sofield (Gucci flagship, Mark Hotel). Comparable for high-end hospitality interiors led by a recognized principal designer with fashion-adjacent taste.
• Ingrao Architects: Tony Ingrao-led NYC luxury interior design firm focused on residential and hospitality (Four Seasons, Baccarat Hotels). Comparable for principal-designer-led luxury hospitality and residential interiors.
• AvroKO: Hospitality design firm specializing in hotels, restaurants, and bars with integrated brand and interiors work (The Dutch, Saxon + Parole). Comparable for its boutique hospitality focus and branding-plus-interiors bundle.
• Ken Fulk Inc. San Francisco/New York design studio creating high-profile hospitality, residential, and event spaces (The Battery, Proper Hotels). Comparable as a founder-led, brand-driven studio with cross-category hospitality and residential work.
• Martin Brudnizki Design: London-based hospitality and residential interior design firm (Beach Blanket Babylon, Soho Beach House, Annabel's). Comparable for boutique hotel/restaurant interiors with a strong principal-designer signature.

Broad incumbents

• Rockwell Group: NY-based cross-disciplinary design firm with extensive hospitality work (Nobu, NeueHouse, W Hotels). Comparable for integrated interior, branding, and experience design for hospitality clients, but at significantly larger scale.
• Yabu Pushelberg: Toronto/NY-based global hospitality and retail design firm (Edition Hotels, St. Regis, Lane Crawford). Comparable as a leading boutique hospitality design firm but at meaningfully larger scale with broader geographic coverage.
• Soho House Design (Soho House & Co): Global hospitality and members' club operator with in-house design arm responsible for boutique hospitality interiors at scale. Comparable as a buyer of high-end boutique hospitality design and as a large incumbent shaping the category.

Others

• Aelfie: Design-led home goods brand collaborating with Robert McKinley on rugs and tapestries. Comparable as an ecosystem partner for translating interior design work into retail product extensions.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/StudioRobertMckinley
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/studiorobertmckinley

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Studio Robert McKinley