“No machine or other mechanized form of textile production has ever been able to replicate the beauty, richness, and unmistakable uniqueness of handmade,” says textile designer Lori Weitzner, who has built her creative world around that belief.

As principal and creative director of Lori Weitzner Design and the visionary behind her boutique brand Weitzner Limited (launched in 2004 with a focus on handmade wallcoverings), Lori dreams up textiles, wallcoverings, rugs, stonework, decorative trimmings, lampshades, stationery, and even textile-infused jewelry from her Manhattan studio. Yet her inspiration comes from beyond the “White Box Sanctuary,” as she refers to her studio. Lori is a global collector of techniques, traditions, and materials. For Weitzner Handmade—one of six divisions under the Weitzner umbrella—Lori partners with artisans from across the world to preserve and elevate time-honored craft.

In 2011, Weitzner Limited merged with Pollack, expanding the reach of her material-driven vision. Beyond that, Lori collaborates with brands like Perennials, West Elm, Samuel & Sons, and Artistic Tile to create distinctive, tactile products that carry her signature touch.

With more than three decades in the game, Lori’s tactile, soulful work has earned a forever home in the Cooper-Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum—a pretty spectacular nod from the design world and a testament to her artistry. In her book Ode to Color: The Ten Essential Palettes of Living and Design, Lori celebrates one of her greatest passions: the transformative power of color.

Lori Weitzner in her "White Box Sanctuary" (aka her Manhattan design studio)

What does “good design” mean to you?

Anything that's created (like a product or space) that engages ALL our senses in a positive way.

What piece of advice would you give your younger designer-self?

Trust in your instincts.

What do you wish clients understood better about design?

How impactful design can be on our well-being.

What’s a material, color, or trend you swore you’d never use that you’ve now embraced?

Soft pink

What’s your guilty pleasure when it comes to design and/or décor?

Unhung pictures leaning against walls.

“When you squint, it looks like a funky Chanel tweed,” Lori told Veranda of her Up to Date wallcovering, featuring overlapping hand-cut strips of recycled magazine pages, created using a traditional basket-weaving technique in collaboration with a women’s collective in Indonesia.