Meet Elaine Griffin

Interior designer and tastemaker Elaine Griffin believes that a home—what it looks like, where it is, how it’s lived in—reveals more about the person that lives in it than anything else in the world. “That’s why the decorator’s hand should enhance a client’s personality, not eclipse it,” she says. “Rooms should always reflect the people who live in them.” The third-place winner of American Dream Builders, NBC’s primetime design competition hosted by Nate Berkus, Elaine is also the author of the bestselling book Design Rules: The Insider’s Guide to Becoming Your Own Decorator (Gotham), which arms readers with the timeless rules, principles, and proportions that design pros use to create great-looking, livable rooms. As a nationally-recognized tastemaker, Elaine has had many of her projects appear in print publications. She also has appeared regularly in design segments on morning television, including the Today Show. Elaine holds the distinction of being the first African American recipient of the New York School of Interior Design’s highest accolade, its honorary doctorate. The doctorate was awarded to her following her keynote speech to the school’s graduating class.