In the world of interior design, art is rarely just decoration. At its best, it becomes the quiet heartbeat of a space: the element that turns a beautiful room into a place that feels lived-in, storied, and deeply personal. Few people understand this better than Laura Reagan, Designer, whose career has moved from independent art curation to a key role on the Lita Dirks & Co team. Her path offers a compelling look at how global art influences and thoughtful design can come together.
Laura founded Easel Art Consulting with a clear conviction: great art should create a meaningful connection between the artwork and the people experiencing it. Her approach has always been conversational, helping clients understand not only what they are seeing, but why a piece resonates, while honoring both the artist’s vision and the client’s goals. Even when presenting challenging or unexpected work, she focused on removing any sense of intimidation and revealing the many ways art can hold value.
One of her earliest and most memorable projects was curating the art program for the St. Regis Aspen, encompassing both the renovated guest rooms and the new spa. From the outset, the client and design team recognized the transformative role art could play in shaping the guest experience. That trust allowed Laura to collaborate closely with artists and encourage them to fully express their creative vision. The resulting collection ranged from custom backlit installations to multidimensional commissions incorporating natural materials, creating a rich and memorable experience throughout the property.
What ultimately drew her to Lita Dirks & Co was the culture. From her first interactions, she sensed a genuine spirit of collaboration and a shared commitment to continual growth, both personally and professionally. It is an environment that encourages creativity, challenges people to keep learning, and provides the support of a talented team invested in one another’s success. Joining LD&Co also offered the chance to integrate art into the broader design process from the very beginning. Rather than treating art as a finishing touch, it becomes part of the story of the space, an approach that aligns closely with how Laura has always worked.
In her role at Lita Dirks & Co, every project begins with understanding the people who will ultimately live, work, or gather in the space. Whether designing a model home or a hospitality environment, her goal is to incorporate pieces that feel personal and collected rather than simply decorative. She often looks for objects with history or cultural significance that suggest a life well traveled. In one of her first model homes, she selected a Japanese wedding basket as the focal point of the coffee table. Its beautifully aged patina and worn red lacquer created an immediate point of interest while symbolizing enduring love and tradition. Details like these invite curiosity and conversation. Laura believes people remember spaces not because of how many beautiful objects they contain, but because of the stories and emotions those objects evoke.
Her calm, thoughtful approach to curation and design has deep roots. She has always been naturally reflective, a quality that shaped both her career and her process. Early on, she made the unexpected decision to change her major from pre-med to art history, a choice that felt intuitive at the time and ultimately led her to where she is today. Over the years, that thoughtful nature opened doors to countless artist studios and galleries. She has learned that listening often reveals more than speaking. Spending time with artists has given her a deep appreciation for the vulnerability involved in creating and sharing one’s work. That experience has reinforced the importance of approaching every project with curiosity, respect, and the understanding that art carries meaning far beyond its visual appearance.
Looking ahead, Laura sees exciting opportunities at the intersection of world art and interior design. As technologies like AI continue to reshape the way we live and work, both the art and design industries will inevitably evolve. While change can feel uncertain, she views it as an opportunity rather than something to fear. These advances, she believes, will place even greater value on the qualities that technology cannot replace: human connection, craftsmanship, authenticity, and the experience of creating by hand. Those are the qualities that make art deeply meaningful. As the world becomes increasingly digital, thoughtfully curated spaces and original works of art will become even more important in helping people feel grounded, inspired, and connected to one another.
Laura’s journey, from independent curator to integral part of the Lita Dirks & Co team, illustrates how world art and thoughtful design can enrich one another. Her work continues to show that the most memorable interiors are those that tell stories, honor cultural influences, and create genuine emotional connections. In an era of rapid change, that human-centered approach feels more essential than ever.
