It all began with strawberry wallpaper.

Robin Illyce grew up in New York, to a family of artists and creatives and knew from an early age that she had an eye for design. With a grandfather, a silversmith, who designed for Tiffany & Co., a grandfather in the textile business, and parents who were talented artists in their own right, you might say design and fashion are in her DNA. 

At the age of four, her first design job was inspired by a strawberry wallpaper she saw at a furniture showroom with her mother. Her bedroom design was built around that inspiration and included strawberry light sconces, which she still has today.

It was the architecture, fabrics, colors and displays she remembers from a trip to Saks Fifth Avenue in New York at the age of five. Running her hands along clothing she could reach, a pint-sized stylist was born as she instantly fell in love with the beauty she saw in the fashions. Even as a small child, she was amazed by the style of the displays and the magnificent iconic grand marble staircase that set the backdrop for the store. Recalling how that setting made her feel like a princess and like an important invited guest of honor, it left an imprint that would fuel her passion and work as a designer to create beautiful and peaceful environments.

Her education in Merchandising and Marketing at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) in New York City, along with experience as a stylist in the fashion and furniture industries helped hone her eye and talent for putting every element together to create the right look and experience. 

The environment of Manhattan – window displays and showrooms, fashion, art, dance, theater – had an influence on her design and her vision for what is possible.

Her fashion styling work began at B. Altman & Company in White Plains, New York and after graduation, her experience shifted to interior design. Robin was one of the top custom furniture designers for retail show rooms in Scarsdale, New York and Westport, Connecticut for 12 years.  

Robin Illyce Designs, which began as a freelance side-hustle, afforded the delight of taking clients on buying trips back into her favorite New York City showrooms and shops. Robin’s success was soaring on the East Coast, but something was missing…the serenity of outdoors and sunshine were calling her.

Without knowing anyone there, Robin and Robin Illyce Designs relocated to Santa Fe, New Mexico in 1996, where she continued in retail furniture design and merchandising. Robin’s skills and expertise were further expanded through work with a local Santa Fe tile business. This experience fueled a deeper appreciation for the construction side of the business and fanned a newfound love for renovations. She even had the opportunity to help Julia Roberts select kitchen tile for her home in New Mexico and had the pleasure of designing custom tile for Elisabeth and Randy Travis.

In New Mexico Robin has additionally been involved in event planning where her merchandising and style really showed up to create some stunning experiences. Her work and education naturally led her to home staging, where she demonstrated her talents in the Santa Fe Home Builders Association Hacienda Parade of Homes. She has helped homeowners update, renovate and prepare their homes for sale or to create a space they want to stay in forever. Her design approach starts with being a calm partner to the homeowner with the goal of reducing stress in the process. Robin has a knack for using as much of what the owners have already to create a design that highlights the home’s greatest features and the homeowner’s style.  

Robin is kind, happy, optimistic, and creative. She loves her cats, the sunshine, outdoors, and expressing her creativity.  Her positive spirit infects a room and her gentle ease makes getting to know and working with her easy. As a designer, Robin Illyce Designs brings God-given talent and intuition, influences from her work and life in New York City and Santa Fe, and an innate ability to hear and understand what a client’s needs are and how to translate that to design.

Her sophisticated touch, vision for possibility, and kind professionalism, lay a perfect foundation for expressing her 35 years’ experience in design. From styling, to staging, to renovations, to new construction, Robin Illyce Designs is committed to helping clients find their own unique style and to creating beautiful, welcoming, calming spaces to work, entertain and call home in. 

And to think, this life-long love affair all started with strawberry wallpaper.