About the Studio

Renovations and redos are our specialty. We LOVE taking spaces that aren’t working or aren’t inspiring and transforming them into dream homes and dream rooms.

EllenFB Design Studio is a lifetime in the making. we, Ellen and Aly are sisters, we the bookends of 4 siblings. Despite making our ways through life on vastly different paths, we had always thought it would be great to work together but physical distance, timing and different paths made it seem like it may never happen. Then the world changed and life opened up an opportunity to finally work together in the summer of 2020.

A gift of that time was that when everything went remote, we realized we could work together even though we lived on opposite coasts; Ellen, living and working in Miami, FL and Aly, living and working in Berkeley, CA. We have each had our own businesses and recently decided to join forces and collaborate on projects on the east and west coasts. it has been a pretty seamless creative collaboration as we naturally compliment and inspire each other in service to the project and design.

Together we offer a unique experience based approach to design, Ellen is the principal designer and a specialist in space planning, design and renovation and project management. Aly approaches from a more aesthetic approach pulling on her background in fashion, art and styling. The experience comes not only from formal education but from their own living experiences. Ellen and Aly have both moved A LOT! Between the two, they have collectively lived in 42 homes(!) and picked up an array of do’s and don’ts. When you work with us, you get the benefit of LOTS of lived experience!

They joke that they were born to do this work because they basically grew up on a construction site. Their parents built their house as they lived in it. They spent school vacations and summers renovating houses with their parents and redesigning their rooms endlessly!

Ellen Foley Broccolo,
Principal Designer

My work is a product of collaborations with clients, artists, artisans, architects and contractors infused with the international experiences I’ve had.  When I work with clients in this collaborative experience, I listen to their vision and translate it into homes that not only look beautiful and tell their unique story but also feel amazing to be in!

A big part of my ability to work in this way comes from my own lived experiences…It is definitely more of a divinely orchestrated, glorious global ramble than a straight conventional path…A deeply inspiring world filled with international experiences, art, languages, culture and soul growth.  Along the way I have created my own interiors and helped others with theirs always being informed by the culture and environment that I lived in. Read the rest of the Ellen Foley Broccolo story below - hers is not your average American life!

  • Following my dreams, I spent several years as a student in France deeply absorbing language, culture, art, architecture and landscapes into every cell of my body from Nice to Paris. Then more years in Morocco which gifted me the rich colorful culture and the magic and mystery of its souks and villages.

    As Director of Programs for the La Napoule Art Foundation, in the stunning Chateau de La Napoule in Southern France at the edge of the Mediterranean, I shared in the creative lives of artists, students, teachers and seekers of all artistic disciplines from around the globe. I organized art exhibits, dance and music presentations in the gardens, concerts, art and garden tours, poetry slams, and translated and facilitated collaborations between artists and the public.

    Venice, Sicily and everywhere in between, infused my being with all things ancient and modern Italian.

    Africa was such a surprising and rewarding experience. Gabon and Ivory Coast welcomed me and revealed the beauty, joy and generosity of people living from their hearts. I got a glimpse into the true meaning of African art, which is so much more about intention, community and communication with spirit.

    London taught me about the refinement of historic architecture and I reveled in the nexus of European collaboration.

    Before starting my own interiors practice in Miami, I worked with and was guided by the legendary Cecile Peeples. It is during this time that I also began intensive holistic training in Classical Chinese Feng Shui at the New York School of Feng Shui, then Reiki, space clearing EFT and more energy modalities.

    Now, my clients benefit from my ability to be open to picking up the subtle language of each person and translate it into the vision that they are looking for. I love that I am able to make the world more beautiful and aligned, one home at a time!

    it’s a long and winding journey and my qualifications are:

    Residential and Commercial Interior Design, Fairfield University, Fairfield, CT

    Certified Classical Chinese Feng Shui Practioner, New York School of Feng Shui

    BA French, BS Corporate Communications, Southern CT State University

    Allied ASID

    Unitarian and Usui Reiki, Space Clearing, Earth Acupuncture, EFT Level 2,

    Languages: English, French, Italian, Spanish

Aly Foley Contreras,
Designer

I have always been tuned in to style and aesthetics. The outlets for this have ranged - but the constant has been my ability to tap into what works for the person, the space and the experience. I am a great shopper and can find the resources needed whether that is an artist or piece of art, the perfect piece of furniture or the perfect tile (or oufit or accessory!).

I draw on years of experience across a wide range of industries and roles in: Fashion • Media  • Wellness • Marketing • Graphic Design • Product Design • Styling • Entrepreneurship • Art • Travel • Personal Development.

All of these experiences contribute to my ability to connect deeply with clients to understand and translate what kind of experience and environment they are looking for, and turn it into a home or room that fits their functional needs and aesthetic desires.