WITH OVER 20 YEARS OF COMBINED EXPERIENCE IN CONSTRUCTION AND DESIGN, NAOMI STEIN TRANSFORMS HOUSES INTO HOMES WITH STRONG ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN, THOUGHTFUL SPACE PLANNING AND HER CONSIDERED YET ENERGETIC APPROACH TO COLOR AND PATTERN.
//OUR PHILOSOPHY//
Our mission is to deliver curated designs that uniquely reflect our client's taste and lifestyle while elevating the beauty and performance of their homes. We believe a home should be designed from the inside out, with particular emphasis on the flow and function of its living spaces.
Our designs are collected and dynamic, rooted in classical principles of beauty with a modern eye. We value furnishings that are built to last and will be loved by generations to come. We actively believe in supporting local artisans and artists, and in choosing materials that are durable and sustainable.
NAOMI STEIN // OWNER & CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Naomi's passion with design began as a child where she loved to rearrange her room and create vast Playmobil villages. After graduating with a degree in Marketing and spending a year in mortgage sales, her creative tendencies urged her to join her father at Design Manifest Inc.
With a desire to transform all aspects of the home beyond kitchens and baths, Naomi sought out further education and graduated from Moore College of Art’s Decorating Certification program in 2008. That same year she launched her popular design blog "Design Manifest" where she explored her love of bold colors, exuberant prints and diverse interiors.
Having taken the reins at DM, she relished guiding clients through the process from concept to completion. While no longer a construction firm, Naomi uses her vast knowledge acquired from her father to collaborate with builders and provide project management. She loves the mixture of work that is deeply technical, highly tactile, and emotionally rewarding. Client reveals are by far her favorite moment of each project.
Knowing the best learning comes from personal experience, Naomi has also designed and renovated four of her own homes. She lives in beautiful Mount Airy in an "electric grandma" twin with her husband Jeremy and their two children Emilia and Sebastian.
JESSICA // DESIGNER-PROJECT MANAGER
With a penchant for bold pattern pairings, interesting textures, and classic architecture, Jessica developed the desire to create unique spaces at an early age and often indulges in the creative process as much as the result. Coming from a background in dance and theatrical arts, Jessica understands the special relationship between humans and how we interact with our surroundings as well as the importance of beauty intermixed with function and flow.
While attending interior design classes at Moore College of Art & Design, Jessica entered the design industry as a furniture consultant for high end European classics and subsequently joined Design Manifest in January of 2020. Jessica specializes in kitchens, technical design and documentation, construction management, and interior renderings — as well as knowing the vital difference between leopard, cheetah, and jaguar prints.
LISLE // DESIGNER-PROJECT MANAGER
Lisle completed her graduate certificate in Interior Design from Moore College of Art & Design in 2020 and spent the following two years exclusively designing kitchens and bathrooms. She has a background in creative writing and the performing arts, and brings the art of storytelling to her work in interior design. As an ultra-empath, Lisle excels at anticipating client needs to bring designs from concept to reality. Her favorite design style is eclectic, derived from the Greek word eklektikos, which loosely means "to choose the best."
Lisle lives in Lansdowne with her husband Jordan and mischievous Siberian/tabby mix Milos, and spends much of her free time working on their Queen Anne Victorian twin.
Lisle and Jordan have recently welcomed their new daughter Nina!
KRISTY // DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS
With a background in Occupational Therapy and Professional Organization, Kristy has a unique appreciation and understanding of how improving the function of one's space can impact one's quality of life. She believes Interior Design can be a powerful harmony of individual-driven expression and functional design. As Director of Operations, Kristy enjoys organizing the finest details of our projects from start to finish, and maintaining a cohesive process by regularly connecting with our wonderful clients, vendors and subcontractors.
Kristy and her fiancé are currently fixing up their house in Fishtown and love to dote on their dog Chewy & cat Clementine.
EMI // DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS
Emi comes from an arts background as a mixed media art jeweler, also having worked in the buying, refinishing, and reselling of antique furniture. Her love of interior design, the Bok building, and the city of Philadelphia led her to join the Design Manifest team in 2022. Emi is inspired by energetic, saturated colors, bold contrasts, and the mix of vintage and contemporary furnishings. As Director of Communications, Emi is our chief contact point and puts client, vendor, and team happiness as her top priority.
She currently lives in Manayunk with her black cat Stanley and enjoys gardening,
ballroom dance, and making handmade costumes.
ANDREW // BUSINESS MANAGER & CONSTRUCTION EXPERT
Andrew Stein began his career learning hands-on from the finest builders on the Main Line. In 1973 he began contracting on his own and in 1986 formed Design Manifest Inc., going on to complete thousands of projects for families on the Main Line and surrounding suburbs. Andrew retired from active contracting in 2017 after 47 years in the industry. He is now offering his experience, wisdom and integrity to our team and clients.
He lives in Marple Township with his wife Carol where they frequently host family gatherings. In his free time he enjoys tennis and helping his children with their own home projects.
// OUR HISTORY //
1986
Design Manifest was launched by Andrew Stein (Naomi's father) as a design-build construction firm based in Philadelphia’s Main Line.
2004
Naomi joined her father in agreement that he would teach her about home design and renovation and she would run his office and create a new marketing plan for the company. So began a 12-year partnership between father and daughter creating luxurious kitchens/baths, additions and renovations.
2016
Andrew retired and closed the construction firm, Design Manifest Inc.
In its place Naomi launched the full-service interior design firm, Design Manifest LLC.
PRESENT
DM LLC has grown by leaps and bounds to be the robust design firm it is today -
with projects in Philadelphia, the Main Line, Jersey Shore, New York City and beyond.