A Note From Elizabeth
When I founded Art & Design Partners in 2012, our company name had a straightforward message. We not only offered design services, but also recognized art as the ideal partner for good design. Over the years, our company name has grown to mean so much more. “Partners” describes our internal operations - a creative, collaborative team environment; our client interactions - in tandem and in partnership; and our design approach - ensuring form and function unite seamlessly.
The need for well designed interiors isn’t a new concept, but given technological advances and the speed at which we experience life in today’s world, I believe it’s more important than ever. As a business owner and mother of two teenagers, I understand our clients’ busy lives. Having an organized environment that functions well in daily life is vital, whether at home or at work. This holds true for cozy places to unwind at the end of the day, inviting rooms to make memories with family and friends, and formal spaces to host neighbors and events at a moment’s notice.
These thoughts lead me back to our guiding principle - bringing beauty, style and order to every project. The implementation of thoughtful design has become my life’s work. It allows clients to focus on their goals and ambitions, while also relishing the little moments in between. So you do that… and leave the design work to us!
“THE ESSENCE OF INTERIOR DESIGN WILL ALWAYS BE ABOUT PEOPLE AND HOW THEY LIVE.”
-ALBERT HADLEY
Meet the Team
Elizabeth Spratt Cooper
Principal and Lead Designer
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A love of furniture, fabrics, and art, comes naturally to Elizabeth Spratt Cooper, who grew up among the cotton mills and furniture factories of the Carolinas. Elizabeth began her career in the visual arts, including positions at The National Endowment for the Arts, National Gallery of Art, International Arts & Artists, as well as the commercial galleries Karen Taylor Contemporary Art (London, UK), and Heinemann Myers contemporary art (Bethesda, MD).
After earning a Master’s in Art Business from Sotheby’s Institute in London, and spending a year traveling throughout Europe, she settled back in Washington, D.C. In 2003, she formed a consulting firm, Art Strategies, to assist small arts organizations with their development, business, and curatorial needs. Her desire to work more closely with artworks and individual clients led Elizabeth to interior design - a move that has proven to be a natural shift in focus.
In 2012, Elizabeth founded Art & Design Partners, LLC, which offers both interior decorating and art consulting services. Elizabeth’s skills include partnering with clients to design functional and aesthetically beautiful interiors that showcase the clients’ own personal style, collaborating with builders and clients on custom home builds, and incorporating art collections into homes with busy family life.
Elizabeth is a member of ArtTable, an invitation-only organization for women leaders in the visual arts, and the American Society of Interior Designers ASID. She lives in the Woodley Park neighborhood of Washington, D.C. with her husband, Chris, two daughters, and their Havanese Pippa.
Rachel Wunder
Managing Partner and Designer
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As a young girl, Rachel reimagined the spaces around her with different colors, furniture and layouts. While her passion for interior design was clear in her personal life, her career took a different path. She earned a Marketing Degree from St. Joseph’s University, and spent her early career in the non-profit sector, managing a 20,000 square foot facility housing a financial literacy program for 8th grade students. After 5 years, Rachel decided to make a change and follow her heart. She pursued jobs that indulged her love of decorating - staging homes and learning the retail side of the industry in an interior design boutique. In 2017, she joined the Art & Design Partners team as an Associate Designer, and quickly learned the ropes.
Rachel brings a thoughtful approach to both the inner workings of our team and client projects in her new role as Managing Partner and Designer. Each design project offers a unique opportunity to improve the life of our clients, and Rachel takes full advantage by crafting plans for elegant, yet comfortable rooms. Most importantly, Rachel is rewarded by the meaningful relationships that are formed with clients through our highly personalized design process.
When Rachel is not designing, she is at home in Falls Church, Virginia with her husband and 2 young daughters.
Juli Schmidtchen
Studio Manager and Junior Designer
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Juli was born and raised amongst the Victorian architecture of Cape May, NJ to a family of art and antique collectors. She earned a BA in Art History from Gettysburg College, where semesters abroad in Italy and Greece furthered her lifelong love of beautiful art and interiors. She moved to Washington, D.C. to pursue an MA in Decorative Arts and Design History at the Corcoran College of Art + Design. With two degrees in hand, she accrued over a decade of experience working in the fine arts and luxury goods industries.
She joined the Art & Design Partners team in 2021, where she merges her passions for business operations and creativity. Her favorite part of of the job is helping to tailor the tiniest of details to the likes of each family member, even those of the furry variety. Juli resides in Woodley Park with her rescue Pomeranian, Charlotte.
Sarah Dorval
Junior Designer
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Sarah’s love for interior design was sparked by an uncle who was an architect. His family renovated an old farmhouse in Northern Maine that became the backdrop for most of her childhood adventures. How homes were built and how interiors could be manipulated using color, textures and materials fascinated her young mind and ultimately led her to the field of interior design.
Leaving the comfort of her home in Midcoast Maine, Sarah went to Iowa State University for her Bachelor’s of Fine Arts in Interior Design. After graduating, she worked for two years in Maine as a Junior Designer before moving to Washington D.C. to continue her career in the design world as a Resource Librarian. This job taught her immense material knowledge and the inner workings of the commercial design industry. She found her way back to high-end residential interior design through work at Art & Design Partners. She brings laughs, high energy and bright ideas to the team’s designs and the office.
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