Studio Ahead

What Studio Ahead does

Studio AHEAD is a privately held, San Francisco-based art and design collective founded by Homan Rajai and Elena Dendiberia. The studio operates as a boutique interior design practice offering residential, hospitality, and cultural interior design; custom furniture design; furniture procurement; styling; art direction; art advisory; and exhibition curation. Its stated approach is "borderless," drawing on the diasporic experiences of its founders while remaining anchored in Northern California's artistic and craft legacy. Service engagements are direct, by-appointment, and quote-based, targeting high-net-worth residential clients, boutique hospitality brands (Side A Restaurant, With Others Wine Bar), and cultural institutions (DOG cultural space).

Beyond design services, the studio operates a proprietary product line called Objects, launched through a production arm in 2019. Objects includes the Sheep wool felt collection (produced in long-term collaboration with Sonoma shepherds), the Cork collection, and additional pieces such as the Russian River Mirror and Table, Wood Platter, Rock Plinth, Kozo Paper Lanterns, and Candelabra, all designed in reference to Northern California's geological features and produced with regional artisans. Distribution runs through the studio's appointment-only San Francisco showroom at 2180 Bryant St #204, through The Future Perfect as a primary retail partner, and via participation in design fairs including Design Miami, Collectible NYC, and FOG Design+Art.

The business model blends professional services fees (interior design, art advisory, exhibition curation) with one-time product sales (Objects furniture and accessories). Studio AHEAD has no disclosed external funding, operates without a parent company, and is owned and directed by its two co-founders. Its brand is supported by recognition in 1stDibs 50 (2023), Architectural Digest's New American Voices (2022), a California Home + Design Emerging Designer Award (2022), and coverage in 60+ publications including Wallpaper*, Architectural Digest, Dezeen, Elle Decoration, Forbes, and Fast Company. Adjacent cultural programming — the biennial Same Blue as the Sky exhibition (begun 2023) and California: A Journal (begun 2020) — reinforces its positioning within the Northern California creative community.

Name

Studio Ahead

Legal name

Studio AHEAD

Website

https://studioahead.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Studio AHEAD is a San Francisco-based design firm founded by Homan Rajai and Elena Dendiberia, offering interior design, custom furniture, exhibition curation, and art advisory for high-net-worth residential clients, boutique hospitality brands, and cultural institutions, with a proprietary Objects furniture line sold through The Future Perfect and design fairs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Interior Design Services: Full-service interior design for residential and commercial clients including spatial design, art direction, and project management.
2. Custom Furniture Sales: Sale of proprietary furniture pieces including sheep wool felt collection, cork furniture, and custom-designed objects. Production arm launched in 2019.
3. Furniture Procurement: Sourcing and procurement of furniture pieces for client projects.
4. Exhibition Curation: Curatorial services for cultural exhibitions, including the studio's own biennial Same Blue as the Sky exhibition.
5. Art Advisory: Art advisory services for collectors and institutions.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Studio AHEAD is a San Francisco-based art and design collective that provides full-service interior design, custom furniture design, furniture procurement, styling, art direction, art advisory, and exhibition curation services for residential, hospitality, and cultural clients. The studio also produces its own proprietary Objects furniture collection (including Sheep wool felt and Cork collections) made in collaboration with regional craftsmen, artisans, and Sonoma shepherds.

Product overview

Studio AHEAD is a San Francisco-based art and design collective offering interior design, custom furniture design, furniture procurement, styling, art direction, art advisory, and exhibition curation services. The core offering is complemented by their Objects furniture collection (including Sheep and Cork sub-collections) and their publication California: A Journal. The studio was founded by Homan Rajai and Elena Dendiberia, with a 'borderless' approach rooted in diasporic experiences and Northern California's artistic legacy.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Interior Design Services Comprehensive interior design services for residential, hospitality, and cultural clients, encompassing spatial design, project management, styling, and art direction to tell each client's complex story through thoughtful design.
• Custom Furniture Design Services
• Furniture Procurement Services
• Art Advisory Services
• Exhibition Curation Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Featured in 60+ national and international publications including Wallpaper*, Architectural Digest, Dezeen, Elle Decoration

Named customers11 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

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• The Future PerfectcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPrimary retail partner for Studio AHEAD's furniture collection. The Future Perfect is a design gallery and retailer specializing in contemporary art and design objects.
• Design MiamicoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMajor international design fair where Studio AHEAD exhibits and sells furniture objects. Key venue for reaching collectors and design enthusiasts.
• Collectible NYCcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerDesign fair focused on collectible contemporary design. Studio AHEAD participates as exhibitor.
• Farrow & BallminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with premium paint brand. Studio AHEAD featured in Farrow & Ball's North American Ambassador program.
• Erica TanovminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with designer Erica Tanov, featuring unexpected mixes of material and texture.
• Fritz HansenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on the 'With Others' wine bar project, featured on Fritz Hansen's inspiration page.
• Regional Artists and MakerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStudio AHEAD works closely with Northern California artists, craftsmen, and artisans. The Same Blue as the Sky biennial exhibition celebrates regional artists who inspire the studio.
• Sonoma ShepherdscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-term collaboration with Sonoma County shepherds for sustainable wool felt production for furniture line.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Home Studios: New York-based interior design studio with a similarly narrative, hospitality-forward approach and tight founder-led creative output. Closely comparable boutique peer for premium residential and hospitality interiors.
• Workstead: Brooklyn-based design studio with integrated interior design practice and proprietary lighting/furniture line. Comparable founder-led studio model combining bespoke interiors with own product collections.
• Studio Sofield: New York-based luxury interior design studio by Thomas Schey Petrie serving ultra-premium residential and hospitality clients. Comparable in client caliber, bespoke approach, and editorial prominence.
• Ken Fulk: San Francisco-based designer and design studio focused on luxury residential, hospitality, and event environments. Strongest same-city peer — comparable geography, client base, and signature editorial brand.
• Studio Shamshiri: Los Angeles-based interior design and furniture studio with a similar bespoke, narrative-driven design approach and own product line. Closely comparable in scale, founder-led model, and high-end residential/hospitality clientele.
• Roman and Williams: New York-based design studio combining interiors, objects, and products with strong cultural and editorial positioning. Directly comparable as a multi-disciplinary boutique studio serving premium hospitality, cultural, and residential clients.
• Apparatus: New York-based interdisciplinary design studio producing furniture, lighting, and interiors with an emphasis on crafted, narrative objects. Directly comparable as a design-and-product studio with gallery placement.
• Veere Grenney: London-based luxury interior designer serving HNW residential and hospitality clients with bespoke, narrative interiors. Comparable in craftsmanship, custom furniture focus, and editorial positioning.

Broad incumbents

• The Future Perfect: Design gallery and retailer specializing in collectible contemporary design objects and Studio AHEAD's primary retail partner. Comparable as a curated design platform but operates as gallery/retailer rather than design studio.
• Kelly Wearstler: Los Angeles-based luxury interior design and lifestyle brand with a much larger footprint and broader product portfolio. Comparable aesthetic sensibility and hospitality clientele, but at significantly greater scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/studioahead/?hl=en
• Facebookfacebook.com/studioaheadsf
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/studi0ahead

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

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 Ahead