Local Studio Shines in National Spotlight

Morris Lare Interior Design honored by House Beautiful.

Awards and accolades are nearly always the result of years of hard work and conscientious skill development, often motivated by the desire for recognition. The class valedictorian, Olympic athletes, even movie stars—all of them, at some level, are pursuing that public recognition as confirmation of their success.

Industry awards typically follow the same process. Professionals complete an entry form and undergo a series of reviews before being named to an industry “best of” list.

House Beautiful’s annual list of Next Wave designers bucks that trend. So when West Des Moines’ Morris Lare Interior Design Studio was named on the 2024 list, it was completely unexpected for owners Alicia Held-Morris and Jillian Lare.

To anyone who’s seen their work, though, it was no surprise.

“In the annual Color Issue, House Beautiful named 12 design studios from across the country as the most exciting, up-and-coming interior designers of the year,” says Jillian Lare. “We are incredibly honored to be selected for this recognition amongst such a talented field of designers.”

Unlike compilers of many industry award lists, House Beautiful does not accept nominations or applications for its Next Wave recipients. Winners are chosen from a group of designers that the magazine’s editors have been watching and have found worthy of recognition.

“The House Beautiful editorial team meets early in the year,” says Held-Morris. “Each editor offers names of designers they think should be recognized. Then the entire team narrows down that list to the final 12 studios.”

Morris Lare Design wasn’t even aware it was in the running until the firm received an email in March notifying the owners that they’d been named to the 2024 list.

“We had no idea,” says Held-Morris. “The first we knew about it was when they emailed to say they’d like to schedule a photographer to come do a photo shoot for the story.”

Recipients were recognized in the May issue of House Beautiful and were hosted in New York City early that month for a Next Wave event that included tours of the new Warren Street Hotel, the fifth-generation firm Kravet Inc., and the former home and studio of legendary designer Donald Judd. The weekend culminated with a party at the New York Design Center recognizing the 2024 Next Wave recipients, who were each awarded a plaque and given the opportunity to meet other designers and industry professionals from across the country.

“It was a fabulous experience,” Held-Morris says. “There were designers at the New York Design Center party whose work I’ve admired for years. And we got to see the Kravet archives and view the next two years’ design collections, some of which won’t be released until 2026. It was amazing to be part of that.”

Held-Morris and Lare both attended Iowa State University, where they met during graduate school. The two kept in touch but went their separate ways after graduating in 2013.

“I worked full-time for a Des Moines design firm that I’d interned with in college,” says Held-Morris. “Jillian worked for a design firm, taught at ISU, and worked on her own for several years.”

The two share a similar work ethic and approach to design, and they’d talked about working together someday. But it was COVID that spurred the change. The pandemic caused many Americans to rethink how they worked and how they balanced work and life, and that was true of Held-Morris and Lare.

“We both loved working for other studios,” says Held-Morris. “I learned so much in my nine years with that team. I really learned the ropes of the business, not just how to create beautiful designs but the ins and outs of the business side of design.”

Lare had seen multiple facets of the business as well, from education to business management. 2020 reignited that desire to work as a team and create the type of studio the two had always imagined. Morris Lare Interior Design Studio officially opened for business in Valley Junction in 2021.

“Being named by House Beautiful is a real pinch-me moment for both of us,” Lare says. “We had never pursued this kind of recognition, and when we founded our design partnership three years ago, we never imagined we’d be here now.”

Past recipients of the New Wave award include Texas designer Marie Flanigan and the well-known Nate Berkus. But both Held-Morris and Lare say they have no desire to be “famous.”

Held-Morris says, “It’s such an honor to be recognized by the design industry for the quality of our work. But I don’t think the award will change what we do. Both Jillian and I love to collaborate with great clients who want to create a beautiful space that’s unique to them. That won’t change.”

Morris Lare Interior Design Studio has earned a national reputation in only three years because the owners have focused on just that, a collaborative approach that reflects the client, combining the homeowner’s ideas and tastes with the designers’ expertise and talent.

“There are so many things I love about this job, from designing custom cabinetry and millwork to repurposing vintage pieces and giving them new life, mixing fabrics and colors and patterns, just working with clients and helping them incorporate their lives into their homes,” Held-Morris says.

Alicia Held-Morris and Jillian Lare may not have been pursuing the spotlight as they built their studio’s portfolio over the past several years. But when you do great work, you get noticed.