design
d e s i g n fo r l i fe By approaching accessibility as an opportunity rather than an obligation, Shelly Rosenberg became a rising star in the interior-decorating industry. Interview by CHRISTINA HUGHES BABB | Portrait by JESSICA TURNER
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n a world where children and families are suffering, how could an interior design career be a worthy calling? Shelly Rosenberg asked herself the question during a “midlife growth spurt.” She’d been raising two daughters, both attending the Shelton School for students with learning differences, when son Ronen was born with Down syn-
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drome. She figured, “It’s my lot,” and embraced a difficult but fulfilling lifestyle surrounded by other families she loved who also grappled with chronic illness, limited mobility and other lifelong conditions. Exemplified in her work on the prestigious 2021 Kips Bay Decorator Show House, Rosenberg is gifted, drivJAJANUARY 2022
en enough to hold her own alongside world-famous firms and professionals. But before reaching her potential, she had to realize design is not “puffery” and it has the power to change lives. Riding a wave of recent notoriety, the Acorn & Oak founder is on a mission to demystify interior design and make safe, chic spaces possible for every household.
