Interior designer Donald MacDonald balances New York classicism with West Coast naturalism. He deftly designs homes as varied as a formal Central Park West apartment to an upcoming modern St. Helena getaway. Opening his eponymous New York City firm in 2002, he relocated it to San Francisco in 2012. His approach is highly individualized and tailored to each client; he notes, "For the interiors I design to be successful, I need to learn and understand how each client wants to live in their space." 

Initially pursuing a business career after completing an MBA from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, Donald rediscovered his lifelong passion for residential design when launching the Retail Licensed Merchandise Division for Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia. 

He continued his education at Parsons School of Design, New York School of Interior Design, and the Institute of Classical Architecture and Art in New York City. This background lets him go beyond selecting finishes and furnishings to understand a project's construction, "I love a space with fully articulated interior architecture starting from a proper crown moulding down to a well-proportioned baseboard," he says. 

Donald collaborates with respected architects, contractors, artisans, and landscape designers to facilitate the client's vision while acting as the project's point person. His ten years designing New York City apartments taught him rigorous space planning and editing to create multi-functional rooms. With an extensive knowledge of furniture periods, he harmoniously juxtaposes styles and materials to create beautiful, comfortable, yet interesting homes reflecting a story for the family inhabiting it. While not adhering to any specific design style, Donald etches all of his interiors with balance, rhythm, harmony, proportion, and scale.