We create thoughtful, elevated interiors where every detail is considered, so that your home feels worthy of the life you've built.
Our Design Approach
Our homes shape our lives — from quiet daily rituals to the moments we remember forever. At Cochineal Design, each of our designs is project-specific and client-specific. We consider your architectural context as well as your lifestyle context.
Our studio focuses on smart floor plans, rich materials, and fine details. Nothing is arbitrary; every selection is considered in relation to the whole.
We combine a design-forward approach with a respect for history. We like to mix contemporary and custom pieces with vintage masters, giving our spaces timeless sensibilities.
Our interiors are composed and collected, yet approachable and unfussy.
How We Work
Our studio focuses on fine residential design, typically ranging from 3,000 square foot apartments to 5,000+ square foot townhouses and summer homes.
Our clients often lead dynamic lives, balancing demanding careers, growing families, and frequent travel. Cochineal Design offers impeccable client service with the goal of making our clients’ lives easier.
For some clients, this means staying closely involved at every stage of the process; for others, it means placing full trust in us to manage every detail from concept through completion. We are equally comfortable in either role, thoughtfully adapting our services and communications to align with your preferences and ensure a seamless, considered experience throughout.
It's a deeply collaborative relationship, built on trust, clear communication, and a shared commitment to getting it right.
Our Design Process
A typical full renovation engagement takes one to two years from initial concept through final installation. We take on a limited number of projects each year to ensure every client receives our full attention.
1 Discovery: We ask a lot of questions to ensure we fully understand your project goals and aspirations, both in terms of aesthetics and in terms of investment.
2 Concept: We create floor plans and mood board options for you to choose between. We present our thinking clearly and collaboratively, and we don't move forward until you're confident in the direction.
3 Design development: We develop floor plans, propose custom millwork and architectural details, and present a cohesive material and finish palette.
4 Decoration: Once we have an approved design — think of it like a theater set background—we begin to address your furnishings. We present each piece for approval before ordering on your behalf.
5 Construction administration: We assist with bidding, attend site visits, and act as your owner’s representative throughout the bidding and construction phases.
6 Installation of goods and styling: With the help of a team of trusted installation experts, we ensure each good is accurately placed so our shared vision is fully realized.
Leadership and Team
Cochineal Design is led by Sarah Sargeant and Risa Emen. Sarah and Risa met as students at Parsons School of Design. After working for industry icons, they reconnected with the shared vision of creating thoughtful, engaging interiors.
Prior to founding Cochineal Design in 2015, Sarah honed her eye working for AD100 and Elle Decor A-List designers. Her work is defined by a deceptively simple aesthetic — refined, considered, and quietly surprising — rooted in the belief that true simplicity is never easy to achieve.
Risa joined Cochineal Design in 2018 as Studio Director, bringing with her the precision and elegance of her years at a French fashion house. She has a gift for grounding spaces in the natural world — whether softening a Manhattan penthouse with organic textures and light, or blurring the lines between indoors and out at a Hamptons summer retreat.
Cochineal Design is intentionally small — every member of our team, from design to architecture to project management, is involved in each engagement. Every decision and every detail is handled entirely in-house. When you work with us, you have our full attention.
Let’s Work Together
We'd love to learn about your project. Please reach out to begin the conversation.
For new projects and general inquiries, please write to info@cochineal.com
For press inquiries, please write to press@cochineal.com
To see what we’re up to, please follow us on Instagram @cochineal_design
Our mailing address is 1000 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10028