OUR PRINCIPAL PHILOSOPHY
Our Principals lead the design teams by integrating project research and creative talent with pragmatic management.
KARA SMITH, PRESIDENT
Kara Smith leads the SFA Design team in cultivating luxury interiors that creatively extend beyond the everyday. Seeking inspiration from travel, art and culture in Los Angeles and around the globe, her work does not encompass a singular look, but rather integrates unexpected moments that are functional, harmonious and sophisticated.
As the visionary behind SFA Design, Kara brings a passion and curiosity for fresh, innovative design to each project. With an incisive ability to identify and understand each client’s authentic style, Kara’s ability to refine and elevate a design has strengthened her reputation among top hotel brands, a-list celebrities and high-profile clients.
Kara’s design philosophy can be seen across the firm’s diverse portfolio, which includes private residences and estates, luxury hotels, resorts and spas, and exclusive commercial properties around the world.
You can follow her on Instagram, @karaesmith.
A BOUTIQUE EXPERIENCE
Smith-Firestone Associates offers a unique design experience that combines the hands on approach of a boutique studio with the knowledge and reputation of a large firm.
SUE FIRESTONE, PRINCIPAL
Sue Firestone has spent more than 35 years cultivating her personal passion for design. With a client list that features the world’s premier five and six-star hotels as well as an A-list residential clientele, Sue has become a tastemaker for those seeking the ultimate luxury lifestyle.
In 1996, after nearly two decades leading Design 1, Sue turned her focus toward creating a boutique design firm, large enough to execute projects of a grand scale, yet personal enough to provide devoted and intimate attention to each client. The result was SFA Design. Today, Sue is also a designer for Kravet and A.Rudin, creating 70’s-inspired, bohemian fabrics and natural furniture that embody true Californian style.
Sue is the recipient of more than two dozen awards, including the prestigious Platinum Circle Award as well as a position on Robb’s Report’s “Top 40 Best Designers in the World.”
PASSION FOR DESIGN
Each project is an opportunity to create a balance of innovation and sophistication, tailoring each space to speak to our clients' distinct aesthetics and living goals.
ROSIE FEINBERG, PRINCIPAL
Rosie Feinberg has more than 25 years of interior design experience working on projects for luxury hotel and resort brands and elite, private residential clients around the world.With an interested and innovative eye, Rosie captures the imagination and vision of her clients by helping them realize their distinct artistic vision. She carefully studies each project's local history and the combines that research with her own creativity and refined aesthetic to deliver a bespoke design. Rosie's impressive portfolio of work features top hospitality brands such as KSL Resorts, The Waldorf-Astoria Collection, Starwood Luxury Collection and GE Investments.Her impeccable knowledge of design, seamless client communication and unmatched creativity has earned Rosie many accolades and media attention for her broad range of work, including the award-winning Miraval Arizona Resort & Spa, and the property's luxury wellness private villas, The Retreat.