If you’re not already familiar with Cassie Adams Designs, allow us to introduce you to your next favorite follow. A lifelong artist with a passion for color and a professional background in interior design, Cassie brings a unique perspective to every piece she creates - whether it’s a layered collage or a dreamy room refresh. Her work is joyful, textured, and deeply inspired by the world around her (think: coastal scenes, nostalgic summers, and bold, saturated hues). We caught up with Cassie to talk about her journey as an artist, how design and fine art overlap in her practice, and why framing is such a key part of her creative process.
Cassie Adams and family in front of Nightshade, which is printed on archival cold press watercolor paper.
Can you share a little about your journey as an artist? What first sparked your interest in art, and how has your career evolved?
I’m an artist at heart and have always loved color. When I was 12 my friends and I used my family’s new video camera to shoot a mock “tonight show”, I pretended I was Henrietta Matisse on the show to discuss my new book and recent exhibition at the MOMA. I was lucky to have parents with a great appreciation for the arts. I majored in art in college and moved to NYC after graduation where I got a job in a gallery, but at the time I couldn’t imagine a career as an artist that wasn’t tied to getting an MFA and teaching, so I got a job in interior design and fell in love with all the textiles and patterns. I returned to school for Interior Design and a wonderful color theory class sparked my passion for making art again. However, it was another ten years (late 2021) before I embraced my calling as an artist. I have always enjoyed multiple mediums, especially painting, printmaking, and collage. Recently I embarked on marrying them in a digital format, thrilled with the notion that these individual pieces could create something greater together. My process begins with hand cut paper and original paintings in acrylic and watercolor. I then photograph or scan sections of the physical paintings and cut paper pieces in order to enlarge, layer and arrange them. Often these are then combined with digital drawings done by hand with a stylus using mixed media elements from pencil and marker to pastel and oil crayon, creating beautifully layered works.
You both create art and work professionally in interior design. Are there specific ways your design work inspires your art or vice versa?
In my studio, I am typically toggling back and forth between my design work and my art. I am surrounded by both little stacks of cut paper and bins of oil pastels waiting to create a work of art and stacks of textiles, paint chips, and tiles waiting to become a new space. In my design work I am always playing with color and pattern, drawing inspiration from a location or a feeling I want to evoke in the space, be it a coastal vibe or a layered, cozy one and those exercises can’t help but serve as inspiration for my art. They often lead me to explore or expand on a certain mood or color palette which then circles back to the spaces I create.
Pieces of cut paper surrounding a Cut Flowers collage
As a designer, what trends or themes are you most excited about for 2025?
I have to admit, in order to answer this question, I googled interior design trends for 2025 as I was curious to see what my favorite publications [House Beautiful is a go-to] might be touting as “in for this year”. I was pleased to find mentions of things I always incorporate in my designs: colorful, patterned rooms, bringing nature [or the feeling of] indoors, and a focus on cozy, comfortable spaces that consider my clients individual needs and desires.
Your work spans multiple mediums - painting, collage, and drawing. How do you approach choosing a medium for a new project?
I like to switch between mediums, flowing from one to another based on my mood. Sometimes it’s a need to collage, the experience of cutting the paper and piecing the images together is like solving an intricate puzzle. Other times, I am more in the mood to simply let my brush or oil crayon flow across the canvas, moving with a rhythm that just takes over, focusing on the layering of color.
Are there specific experiences, environments, or themes that have shaped your recent work?
Summer, both the season and the carefree, nostalgic feeling it evokes. Nature, particularly the coast, the ocean, the sound. The movement of the reeds or grasses and the color of the water, the sunlight and sunset, and how they are vibrant, yet soothing at the same time.
Evening Meadow No. 1 and pillows featuring Cassie Adams' Up Down V stripe pattern
What are some unexpected or surprising parts of your creative process?
I think people are often surprised by all the different things I am working on, like it might feel chaotic to go from textile design to room design to making art and back again, but for me, I just see how they all connect. At any given moment I can glance around my studio recognizing how the pillow samples look like the paintings which in turn inform the new wallpaper designs and how there is a distinct color palette weaving its way through everything, finding roots in the colorful, ever-present ocean + sunset palette imagery on my mood boards: cobalt, turquoise, coral, bright pink, clementine, a shot of lime green.
Cassie Adams Designs and family in front of one of her custom textiles framed with a floated mat style in Gallery White.
What exciting projects or goals are coming up next for Cassie Adams Designs? Are there any new collections, collaborations, or ventures you’re particularly excited about?
I am super excited to share that my new studio space is almost finished! Last summer we broke ground on a two story “little house” I designed for our backyard — nicknamed Little Mayview. She will not only be a space to work, but also a place to gather, where I can have open studio days, host new collection launches, and throw dinner parties for local creatives, offering a space to share ideas while enjoying some good eats and bubbles! One of the first parties will be for my new collection of printed grasscloth wallpapers designed using motifs from my artwork!! I am in the process of finalizing the color ways and working on a couple murals which I cannot wait to see come to life. In the meantime, you can check out some of my new favorite small works framed with custom grasscloth mats, they are like little jewels for your walls.
Cassie Adams Designs in Little Mayview her new studio
How do you choose a frame for your artwork, and what role does framing play in the overall impact of a piece? Can you share an example where framing significantly enhanced the design of both the artwork and the space it was placed in?
I think framing is so important. As a general rule, my favorite way to frame paper pieces is to float them. Giving them a little lift and breathing room immediately makes them feel special. I love hanging these in a pair or group. My designer side really comes in handy when framing for my art clients. Last year, I did a commission for a beach house on Bald Head Island. The work was a large format mixed media piece with a hand deckled edge. The destination was the wall at the top of the central stairwell directly across from the main living space. I sized the piece accordingly (over five feet long and 3 feet high) and ordered a simple white deep gallery frame, which I then had custom lacquered in a killer cobalt blue. We float mounted the piece to really show off the hand torn edge, it was stunning.
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You can follow Cassie Adams Designs on Instagram, or head to cassieadamsdesigns.com to view all her artwork or learn about her interior design services.
