Christina Klarsfeld has more than two decades of experience in fashion and interior design. But it was a move from New York City to Lexington last year that inspired the designer to found her own studio and showroom, Moderno Design House, which debuted in December in Chevy Chase.
Drew Purcell
“I started working with clients in Lexington after my sister moved here over 10 years ago and noticed there were not any modern furniture stores,” Klarsfeld said. “Through my local clients’ strong encouragement, I chose to open my first location in Lexington.”
The reimagined building on South Ashland Avenue, longtime site of The Soccer Center, is owned by Dawn Stratton and Heechung Ko, doctors of optometry who founded J. Galt Eyewear around the corner on Euclid Avenue. “They are strong supporters of women entrepreneurs,” Klarsfeld said.
Moderno Design House’s showroom is filled with stylish sofas, chairs, ottomans, tables, lamps, chandeliers and other items that reflect a modern design sensibility. Leather, acrylic, glass, petrified wood and stone are materials seen around the store. Klarsfeld sources products from around the globe, including from Africa, Belgium and Brazil, and closer to home from companies based in Connecticut, California and Texas. Moderno also carries designer wallpaper and wall art, as well as knickknacks and gift items.
“We are open to the public and love our walk in-clients. They can choose their custom sofa and fabrics, or they can schedule an in-home consultation to help give their space a facelift or completely redesign from top to bottom,” Klarsfeld said.
In the past year, Klarsfeld has provided design expertise for homeowners and their projects in the Chevy Chase area, a historic home on Sixth Street, new construction off Old Richmond Road, a log cabin in Greenup County, horse farms in Lexington and Georgetown, as well as residential projects in Nicholasville, Harrodsburg and Elizabethtown.
“I am happy to have learned that Lexington is officially ready for the transition from traditional into a more modern transitional style,” she said. “I am here to bring a little East Coast modern sophistication to the Bluegrass.”
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Drew Purcell
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Klarsfeld grew up in Dorchester, Texas (population 135), near Sherman and Denison, an hour and change north of Dallas. She was offered a modeling contract at age 14 and traveled back and forth from Sherman to Dallas for three years. When she was 17, she moved to Dallas to continue her modeling career, first in print advertising and then on the runway. She moved to New York City at age 19 and soon added acting to her resume.
“Throughout my modeling career, I grew an appreciation for fashion, textures and design,” Klarsfeld said. “It’s all connected—interior design is fashion—we just all interpret differently. Gucci or Chanel, or are you a little Betsey Johnson?” Klarsfeld studied at Parsons School of Design, where she began working with private clients in New York, California “and eventually everywhere else,” she said. Klarsfeld moved to Italy in her early 20s, and then lived in France. “But New York and the Hamptons were always my home base,” she said. In addition to residential clients, Klarsfeld also flexed her design skills for commercial clients such as DNA Footwear in Soho and Williamsburg, New York.
“I like to work closely with my clients, incorporating their personal style and pushing their boundaries just enough to get that polished but original touch." —Christina Klarsfeld
“I like to work closely with my clients, incorporating their personal style,” she said, “pushing their boundaries just enough to get that polished but original touch while incorporating custom artwork.”
She looked at quite a few locations while making the decision to open a storefront in Lexington or in the Hamptons. “Chevy Chase really felt like the perfect fit,” she said. “It is definitely a different pace from New York City and the East Coast, but my experiences with my clients and the state have been wonderful. Every one of my clients have been welcoming and eager for their personal design journeys and transformations.”