Ellie Cullman founded Cullman & Kravis 30 years ago. Born and raised in Brooklyn, where her family owns the renowned Peter Luger steak house, Ellie graduated Phi Beta Kappa magna cum laude from Barnard College and pursued East Asian Studies at Columbia Graduate School.
Since 2000, Ellie has been listed in the definitive “AD 100” Architectural Digest’s designated best designers and architects. She was included as well in the AD January 2005 list of “The Deans of American Design,” and was the recipient of the “Stars of Design” award at NYC’s D&D building in Oct 2009. Along with longtime colleague, Tracey Pruzan, Ellie is the coauthor of “Decorating Master Class: The Cullman Kravis Way” and “The Detailed Interior: Decorating Up Close with Cullman & Kravis”. She chairs a variety of antique shows. In 2013, she chaired the Metro show, Park Avenue Antiques Show, and the American Patrons Committee for Masterpiece in London.
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A strong proponent of the arts, Ellie worked as an exhibition assistant at Japan House Gallery and as a guest curator at The Museum of American Folk Art. She also co-curated two exhibitions at the museum: “Andy Warhol’s Folk and Funk” (co-writing the accompanying catalogue) and “Small Folk: A Celebration of Childhood in America” (co-writing the accompanying book which was published by E.P. Dutton). In addition, she is currently a member of the Museum of Modern Art’s Contemporary council and the Metropolitan Museum’s Visiting Committee on Objects and Conservation. She sits on the boards of the Film Society of Lincoln Center and Friends of Florence.
Located in New York City, Cullman & Kravis is currently busy working on projects in and around Manhattan, the Hamptons, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Ohio, Florida, Texas, Colorado and Hawaii. The goal of their most recent work is to redefine the traditional interior. Their designs have been edited, clarified, and strengthened with new materials and palettes to achieve a “modern traditional” aesthetic. With this fresh approach, the point of view is contemporary while still respecting the 30-year history of the company. Designers use antiques of all periods and origins alongside modern artworks, custom made furniture, and exceptional textiles to create dynamic interiors that are complex and layered-always comfortable and never overly formal.
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