Ally Coulter Interiors
Ally Coulter is an interior designer that creates high-end residential, commercial, and hospitality spaces in the United States and abroad. The Boston native and daughter of a landscape designer has lived on both coasts but currently calls Connecticut home. Once an aspiring actor, she pivoted to set design and, later, was introduced to and spent a decade working for the legendary Los Angeles interior designer Linda Marder. Marder’s client roster read like a who’s who of Hollywood, and when Coulter decided to launch her own firm, her first clients were Linda Evangelista and Kyle MacLauchlan. Others have followed, including Tommy and Susie Hilfiger and the Ralph Lauren and Forbes families.
Coulter has also served as the Vice President and Creative Director of Luxury Living Group, an Italian company founded by the late Alberto Vignatelli, an early champion of melding fashion and interiors, whose portfolio of brands included Fendi Casa, Bugatti, Versace and Bentley Home. Coulter has been featured in prestigious publications including Architectural Digest, The Wall Street Journal, Galerie, and Business of Home. Today, she draws from her experiences in set design and fashion to create elegant, livable interiors and outdoor spaces that engage all the senses and harmoniously balance eras and styles whether in historic homes or developer towers. “I look to the past—in fashion, architecture, and interior design—when creating spaces for today,” says Coulter. “They’re layered, confident, and refined, but not showpieces. Instead, they’re fun, sexy, and comfortable.”
DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS
Coulter is an ideal partner for developers as she possesses a keen business acumen as well as impeccable style. She’s been tapped to design and furnish a range of developments from turnkey penthouses and homes to model apartments, branded hotel suites, and châteaus, both domestically and internationally.
During her time as Vice President and Creative Director of Luxury Living Group, she partnered with Tessler Development on the 172 Madison Building and was instrumental in the design of the 50 UN Plaza Penthouse, the Acqualina Resort & Residences and Fendi Chateau in Miami, the Baccarat residences in New York City, the W Residences in Boston, and the Eilean Aigas estate on a private island in Scotland. “Working with real estate visionaries to design a lifestyle and see it through to a finished product is really exciting,” Coulter says. “Especially when people respond to it, and buy. It’s the ultimate compliment, and also validation that good design can drive sales.”
Custom Pieces
Every Ally Coulter Design interior boasts custom pieces designed by Coulter herself and handcrafted in one of her workrooms both domestically and from around the globe. The artisans she taps for custom work are often third or fourth generation stewards of an age-old tradition that may otherwise be lost, employing techniques passed down from their ancestors. “Their work is meticulous, and their materials are the best of the best,” stressed Coulter. “The results are soulful pieces that transform a space while giving clients a one-of-a-kind, heirloom-quality creation they won’t see anywhere else.”
SHOW HOUSES
AND EVENTS
A firm believer in using her designs to give back, Coulter has contributed and been featured a record eight times at Holiday House, a designer show house that benefits the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. Her rooms were created in collaboration with the likes of Tiffany & Co., Ralph Lauren Home, Baccarat, Jimmy Choo, and Fendi Casa. Additionally, as a one-time owner of the historic Elizabeth Swinburne home in Newport, Rhode Island, Coulter was instrumental in creating the Miss Swinburne Fund to support scholarships, charitable programs and services for women and girls in Newport County. Currently an advocate for mental health, Coulter says “I get tremendous joy from using my designs and my platform in a way that helps others, especially women and young girls. Getting involved on a personal level is a true education and incredibly fulfilling.”