Boroughs & Burbs, the National Real Estate Conversation

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Please join us this week for "The Creative Show" where we talk to Christina Roughan and Whitney Kraus, two designers who approach the business of design from completely opposite places.

Whitney Kraus designs spaces for a future owners she might never meet. She is part of the new development team planning multi-family projects. Whitney has to predict how design is going to set it apart when it finally comes to market. Her clients build new buildings or renovate old ones and rely on Whitney to know what the buyers of those apartments will want years in advance. 

Christina Roughan in contrast, is about high-end custom design. She knows her clients and designs for them across a great range of properties. She is equally comfortable designing for her client's country estates in The Hamptons, Telluride and Connecticut, apartments and townhouses in NY, LA, and London and personal luxury yachts in Italy as well as high-end corporate and hospitality properties.

Christina Roughan - Roughan (pronounced ROWAN) is the international design firm of acclaimed interior designer Christina S. Roughan. Designing since 1994, Christina’s vast experience and keen eye has enabled her to create warm, sophisticated interiors that are timeless and tailored while remaining friendly and approachable. Christina believes that interiors are to be lived in and reflect the people who reside in the space. “Every interior should be functional while remaining aesthetically purposeful and elegant.” Roughan’s design portfolio is known for deft combinations of texture and subtle color while combining modern traditional accents to create livable, crisp interiors. She has designed interiors throughout the world and her client range is as diverse as their locations. With a reputation for listening carefully to the needs of clients, attention to detail, and discretion, Roughan has become a favorite of international celebrities as well as design editors at Interior Design magazine, House Beautiful, Elle Décor, CT Cottages & Gardens and AtHome Magazine to name a few. Christina lives with her husband and two daughters in a 200-year-old house in Weston, CT, which is, no surprise, in a constant state of renovation.

Whitney Kraus - Director of Architecture & Planning, BHS Development Marketing 
Whitney is responsible for guiding the design vision and execution for all developments. Combining architecture and design insights with project management expertise, she works directly with developers and their design teams to offer project specific recommendations and advise throughout the design and marketing phases. In her role, Whitney recommends potential collaborations with architects and designers, assists in feasibility, zoning, and massing studies; and helps guide direction on unit mix, floorplan layouts, finishes, amenity programming and sales gallery layouts.  Whitney is a registered architect in New York and holds a U.S. Green Building Council LEED-AP certification. She joined the BHSDM team after serving as Project Architect at Selldorf Architects, where she worked on residential developments, high-end private residences, retail, and commercial buildings. She was responsible for development and delivery of drawings in all design phases, daily management of architectural team members, and coordination with consultants and contractors. She oversaw projects for the William Macklowe Company, CBSK Ironstate, Gagosian Gallery, The Robert Rauschenberg Foundation, Hauser & Wirth, Yves Saint Lauren, and Aman Resorts. Whitney has a Master of Architecture from Yale University and Bachelor of Science in Architecture from the University of Michigan. Originally from North Carolina, Whitney currently resides in Gramercy Park.