Sean Anderson has spent the past decade honing his moody, neutral aesthetic.

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Now that he’s mastered the look—with its aged finishes and rich palette of blacks and browns—the self-taught interior designer from Memphis, Tennessee is beginning to broaden his horizons. “I've become known for the darker environments, so a lot of people have been seeking me out for that,” he explains. “But I also love the challenge of branching out. A lot of my current work is going to show more versatility, which I'm excited about.”

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Sean’s signature style has been widely lauded, with his projects appearing in publications like Architectural Digest, Garden & Gun, and Elle Decor, so the press will undoubtedly take notice as he expands his oeuvre. We’re most excited, however, about his most recent release: his curated Showroom, which is filled with all of the things he is loved and sought out for. Here, Sean shares how he put the collection together, his go-to brands, and the new colors he’s loving right now…

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How I curated my Showroom

I started by selecting things that I love or that I'm drawn to, and then went back to find the common thread. This is the way I approach most of our designs. It’s how I determine the language of a project and what fuses all the pieces together.

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My go-to brands

I love unusual shapes. As creatives, we're constantly forced to do something new and to think outside the box. So anytime I find a brand like Apparatus that is doing something extraordinary and unique, I'm drawn to it. It injects a freshness into an environment that can otherwise be missing. Beni Rugs is another go-to. I'm such a texture guy. It’s at the root of all my designs and selections. Those rugs have such beautiful textures and offer such stunning colorways. They elevate any project where they are introduced.

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Vintage also has to be in every project I'm working on, whether it’s a ranch in Sonoma or a penthouse in New York. I'm constantly searching for the soul in a space. Vintage, old antiques are the quickest and easiest way to get it. The Expert has done a beautiful job of curating such a beautiful vintage collection. Those influences are also evident in The Expert Collection: even though those pieces are new, they have a soulfulness.

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What makes a room feel cozy

I know this sounds so cliché, but surround yourself with things that you love. What’s so exciting about the industry right now is people starting to own their ideas and decisions when it comes to their homes. There's no way to feel cozier in your own space than by filling it with the things that mean something to you and the objects that you're drawn to.

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The first thing I do when I design a room

I find one anchoring moment and build around it. In my living room, I have this massive coffee table. It's very old. I have no idea where it came from, but it's just patina-ed and beat up. You can tell it had another life before. It has such a presence due to its scale. I'm such a huge fan of decorative lighting so that often comes first. Sometimes it's a statement chandelier and other times it's the coffee table.

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Colors I’m loving right now

I've always been a neutral guy. Everything that I'm known for has been muted, so I'm just starting to dabble in color. It's been a fun adventure because it's so new to me. I'm dipping my toes by leaning more toward muddy, darker, nature-inspired hues: a lot of greens, rusts, and browns.

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My secrets for a well-layered room

Books are at the top of the list. I don't feel like you can ever have too many. I like new books, old books, candles, and odd little accessories... I encourage all of my clients to find a few objects when I work with them. I end up sourcing the majority of the stuff, but because I want the home to have their flair and their stamp of approval, I encourage them to pick up odds and ends: little pieces of pottery, bowls, accessories, and knick-knacks that we can sprinkle throughout. That layer is always needed.

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How I mix textures

It's the juxtaposition of yin and yang that I'm so fond of. If I have something old, I want to pair it with something contemporary. If I have a shaggy Beni rug, I want something like a sleek ceramic lamp in the room. It's always about that mix and finding those highs and lows.

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What I buy vintage versus what I specify new

I love vintage tables, be it a coffee table, an end table, a little drink table... It's a good landing spot. You can prop your feet up, set your drink down, or drop your mail when you walk through the door. I like those types of pieces to be old. You get so much patina from the wear and tear, and that’s what helps tell a story. I also love old miscellaneous accent chairs sprinkled in, but for daily comfort and use, you need new upholstery.

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How I curated my Showroom for consultations

So much of what clients come to me for on The Expert are decisions about whether the aesthetic of something fits with their existing furnishings. They're questioning how to infuse the new stuff with what they have. My Expert Showroom is such an easy go-to for pulling products and solving those dilemmas.

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What I love about The Expert

Clients are coming to me with real problems, things they've been working on for months and just can't quite figure out. And then they walk away, within the hour, with a solution. They are so excited and ready to tackle something that they've been struggling with. I love it when clients come back for repeat sessions to tackle multiple rooms, it's so rewarding to know that it's resonating in that way.

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What’s next

I'm incredibly passionate about all of these phenomenal projects I’m working on. They're from one coast to the other, from California to New York, and I’m starting to do some international work. That's a whole new arena for me, which is so fun. We’re refurbishing a 200-year-old home in Spain. It's one dream scenario after another. It's all pinch-me moments.

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