Celebrating and Reflecting on 20 Years Reider + Co
As Reider + Co. celebrates 20 years, we’re looking back at the people, projects, relationships, and milestones that have shaped the studio along the way. From the early days of working around a dining room table to the growth of our high-end residential and boutique hospitality practice, each chapter has played a part in defining who we are today.
It’s hard to believe it’s been 20 years since I launched Rachel Reider Interiors, now Reider + Co Looking back, there are plenty of milestones that stand out, but what I keep coming back to are the conversations that turned into projects, the opportunities that moved the business forward, the people who joined along the way, and the relationships that have lasted for years.
Each of those moments has played a role in shaping the studio and where we are today.
An Unexpected Start in Hospitality
Hospitality is such an important part of our work today, but it was never part of the original plan. For my 30th birthday, my husband took me to a bed and breakfast in Maine. We started talking with the innkeepers, really hit it off, and about six months later they called to tell me they had purchased a property on Nantucket. They asked if I would be interested in submitting a proposal for the design of the original Veranda House.
At the time, our experience was primarily residential, and I was very upfront about that. Their response was essentially, “That's great. We're really looking for a residential look.” I put in a bid, and it became my introduction to hospitality and ultimately took the business in a direction I hadn’t anticipated. Twenty years later, we have a nice mix of high-end residential and boutique hotel projects, and hospitality has become an important part of the Reider + Co story.
From a Dining Room Table to a Studio
My first employee was Katie Murphy, who started working with me at the dining room table in that same little Charlestown condo. By then, I had the Nantucket hotel project as well as a large residential project underway and knew I needed help. Katie was an ideal first employee, incredibly talented, and she remains a good friend today. From there, we grew gradually, with Tricia Luong joining the team soon after. We added another person while still working out of my home, and when we reached three employees, it finally felt like time to move into a real office. That was a big shift.
The First Publication
Getting published was another goal I had early in my career, although I assumed it would take much longer to happen. I went to a talk by stylist and editor Stacy Kunstel of Dunes and Duchess about how to get your work published. I went home, followed her advice, and wrote a pitch about my own condo in Charlestown. It was about 600 square feet, and the story focused on multifunctional spaces and a designer’s own home. That pitch became our first feature in Better Homes & Gardens. I still remember how exciting that felt. To have something I had hoped might happen someday happen so early in my career gave me a tremendous amount of confidence and reinforced the importance of putting yourself and your work out there.
Fun fact: The image above of me tucked behind a chair for a Q&A piece in Coastal Living was me while pregnant with one of my daughters. One of the many realities of growing a business while also raising a family.
A Milestone That Changed More Than I Expected
Being named one of New England Home’s 5 Under 40 was another defining moment.
It came as a complete surprise, and at the time it felt like an enormous milestone. More importantly, it gave me the confidence to take the business to the next level. It happened around the same time I was considering hiring a third employee and moving the studio out of my home. It also led to one of my longest-standing client relationships. We met through 5 Under 40 and have now worked together on nine projects over more than a decade.
That is one of the things I appreciate most when I look back at the last 20 years. One opportunity so often leads to another, sometimes in ways you could never have anticipated.
The Relationships Behind the Work
When people ask what stands out most after 20 years, it really is the relationships.
There are clients who have trusted us with multiple homes and different chapters of their lives. There are architects, builders, makers, photographers, stylists, and industry partners we have worked alongside again and again. And there is our team, whose individual talents and perspectives have continued to shape the studio as it has grown. Those relationships have had just as much influence on Reider + Co as any individual project or recognition. They have also made the work much more meaningful.
We’re incredibly grateful for the last 20 years, and even more excited about where the next chapter might take us. Stay tuned!
We’re incredibly grateful for the last 20 years, and even more excited about where the next chapter might take us. Stay tuned!
Cheers to 20 years,
