Bio: Clive Lonstein, 53, Architect, Interior Designer, and Product Designer
Hometown: Johannesburg, South Africa
Studio location: NoHo
Describe what you make: I lead a studio rooted in interior and architectural design, with a focus on highly bespoke work that balances form, function and material integrity. Every project is approached as a study in quiet elegance—spaces shaped through restraint, proportion, and a deep respect for craftsmanship. In addition to our built environments, I recently developed my first collection of custom furniture with STUDIOTWENTYSEVEN. It’s a natural extension of the studio’s ethos: pieces that are sculptural yet purposeful, defined by their material honesty and executed with meticulous detail. Whether a room or a table, everything we make is about creating a sense of permanence—something considered, lasting, and quietly powerful.
Describe the problem your work solves: Much of my work aims to resolve the tension between beauty and utility. People are drawn to elegant objects—like a sculptural coffee table—but often hesitate to live with them fully out of fear of damaging something that feels too precious. One client chose a piece from my collection precisely because it offers both: a refined presence and a quiet resilience. You can place a drink on it without hesitation. It’s meant to be lived with, not tiptoed around. That’s the core of the problem I’m always looking to solve – how to create objects and environments that are both elevated but truly functionally, where beauty doesn’t come at the expense of ease.
The most important thing you’ve designed to date: Glass by Clive Lonstein with STUDIOTWENTYSEVEN.
Describe the project you are working on now: Art collector’s personal residence in Palm Beach, FL.
A new or forthcoming project we should know about: A residential project located in Cabo, Mexico.
What you absolutely must have in your studio: A great soundtrack.
What you do when you’re not working: When I’m not working, I’m usually seeking out experiences that deepen my visual and emotional vocabulary—visiting galleries, immersing myself in material studies, or traveling to places that challenge and inspire me. I was recently in Vienna, spending time with the architecture and there was something incredibly grounding about being in a place where craft, history, and modernity collide so seamlessly. Whether it’s walking through a museum or exploring a new city, I’m always looking for that quiet moment when space, texture, or composition shifts your perspective.
Sources of creative envy: History is my greatest source of creative envy. I’m constantly drawn to the quiet power of historical architecture—spaces that were built with time, intention, and an uncompromising dedication to craft. There’s a restraint in proportion, a clarity in material use, and a permanence in detail that’s deeply humbling. I find myself envious of how these environments age so gracefully, how they tell stories without spectacle. It’s less about nostalgia and more about reverence—for a time when design was rooted in purpose and longevity.
The distraction you want to eliminate: I’d eliminate the constant visual noise that floods social media—the endless stream of filler content that prioritizes speed over substance. It’s a kind of digital clutter that dulls the senses and makes it harder to engage deeply with anything lasting. I’m drawn to work that invites pause and reflection, that values silence and restraint as much as expression. There’s something disorienting about the way social platforms flatten everything into the same visual volume—it can dilute your eye and your intuition. I try to protect space for slowness, for real observation, so the work can remain grounded in intention rather than impulse.
Concrete or marble? Marble.
High-rise or townhouse? High-rise.
Remember or forget? Forget.
Aliens or ghosts? Ghosts.
Dark or light? Dark.
