Happy new year! May this year be a little more in-person than 2021. We feel very lucky and fortunate at Interior Matter. Despite the pandemic, we have been able to grow as a company by adding fabulous new projects to our pipeline and portfolio. We have also added amazingly talented people to our team.  We want to begin the year with a BIG thank you to our clients, our suppliers, our supporters, our team members, and our readers. With all of this love, we just celebrated three years in business. In that time, we’ve grown from 2 people to 8 people. We would like to introduce you to all of the members of our team as we launch our work in 2022.

RACHEL PORITZ-MENNEN

Rachel is a new Senior Designer at Interior Matter. Rachel is an experienced designer who has worked with an eclectic clientele in a number of prestigious New York City firms. She holds an undergraduate degree in art history and studio art as well as a masters in landscape design from Columbia University. A world traveler, she has visited 50 countries on four continents, experiences that have contributed to her well-informed and refined aesthetic. She is thrilled to be a member of the Interior Matter team.

DANIELLE PORTEE

Danielle is our new Office Administrator at Interior Matter. Born and raised in the DMV area, Danielle worked in luxury salons and spas. She loves working to help others and to see the transformation from start to finish. Her strong passion for fashion and styling and an eye for making things beautiful helped spark her desire to pursue interior design. She is in the process of earning her certifications in project management and home staging. Her role at Interior Matter allows her to combine her creativity with her background in business and operations. In her downtime, Danielle loves to explore the city looking for new restaurants, museums, and shopping.

HANNAH SHAFFER

Hannah has been with Interior Matter since the beginning, starting as a part-time Design Assistant and quickly transitioning to a full-time Junior Designer. Hannah is a graduate of The George Washington University with a degree in Interior Architecture and Design. She assists with everything from design development to technical drafting and visual rendering. She has a passion for residential interiors and designing spaces that reflect the people who live in them. When she’s not living, eating, and breathing design, Hannah enjoys long walks on the beach and quality time with her cat children.

PASCALE DE SAINT ANTOINE

Pascale was recently promoted to Senior Operations Manager. Pascale came to Interior Matter from New York City where she worked in the art world and at a luxury design e-commerce company. Before that, she was exploring art galleries and museums in London, where she earned her undergraduate and graduate degrees in communications and art history. At Interior Matter, she works behind the scenes to make sure all the of design projects run smoothly, which includes client and vendor communications, deliveries, product ordering and billing. The role allows her to combine two of her passions – interior design and organizational logistics. She just loves to organize, find creative solutions to problems, and keep things tidy, efficient and on schedule. She also speaks French, and enjoys cooking, traveling and discovering the many neighborhoods of her native Washington DC.

HANNAH GOLDBERG

Hannah has been a Senior Designer with Interior Matter for over 1.5 years. Hannah has been passionate about interior design since she was a young girl — long believing in the power of design in enriching lives. Hannah is a proud graduate of New York School of Interior Design with a focus in hospitality design, and has been working in the residential and commercial sectors since 2015. Prior to joining the Interior Matter team, Hannah was lead designer at R2L Architects where she brought luxury multi-family designs to life in Atlanta, Nashville, and Washington DC. She is very excited to continue bringing beautiful designs to life for Interior Matter.

SARITA SIMPSON

Sarita is the Co-Founder and Principal Designer of Interior Matter. From a very young age, Sarita knew that she had an obsession with interior design and beautiful, stylish spaces. In 2014 Sarita launched her design firm – Sarita Simpson Design – and has since completed dozens of projects for both residential and commercial clients in the DC area. For more than seven years before that, Sarita was the lead designer (working with Jason Claire) at Vastu, a high-end furnishings boutique in Washington DC, where she designed residential and commercial spaces, including apartment model units and lobbies as well as custom furniture, rugs, and window treatments for her clients.

JASON CLAIRE

Jason is the Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer of Interior Matter. Born in New York City, Jason was interested in art and design from the start. He became a commissioned abstract painter in high school and then triple majored in art, art history, and pre-medicine at Duke University. Between 2003 and 2014, Jason opened and grew Vastu in Washington DC which became a leading modern furniture retailer, art gallery, and interior design firm. He then moved to Switzerland with his husband and traveled to 60 countries during the following five years. With a renewed passion and evolved design aesthetic, Jason returned to the US and partnered with Sarita to form Interior Matter.

ABBIE MCGRANN

Interior Matter’s Design Intern, Abbie from Minneapolis, is currently a junior at George Washington University studying Interior Architecture and Spanish. From a very young age, she has been interested in the arts and is hoping to pursue a career in architecture and design post-graduation. Abbie has been working with Interior Matter since July 2021, and absolutely loves the design experience and exposure to the field. Abbie will be studying sustainable design this spring in Copenhagen, but is planning to return to Interior Matter this summer. When she’s not working or studying, Abbie loves to draw, paint, and be outdoors!