Meet the Woman Who Designed Offices For Dropbox, Instagram and Other Startups

Lauren Geremia has designed offices for a number of startup Internet companies with an alternative view on what kinds of spaces they should be.

Geremia, 31, told Quartz the increased attention that companies, especially tech startups, are paying to workplace design is indicative of new incentives for employees: The work environment has become an extension of one's compensation.

With that level of pressure on the design of a space, it's no wonder she calls herself a "curator." That suits her better as the head of Geremia Design.

Geremia graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design in 2004 then settled in San Fransisco where she bartended and later became an exectutive assistant. Some opportunities with interior design projects came along, at restaurants like Umami, and then things took off. She's designed interiors for the homes of Facebook employees and has found a niche in startup office spaces. Through those she is able to curate artists, furniture makers and other designers, combining and presenting their works in the interiors she designs.

"The juxtaposition of new and old is just something we like to do," she told Quartz." Our work is often called eclectic, but I think that people now design from what they have. It's not like people are just using grandma's furniture from the 1930s. People have retro 1950s Eames chairs with really old furniture. That's the way it is.You use what you have and you tie it together with interesting art and furniture."

Upwards of 80 percent of the furnishings in client's spaces is made in house by Geremia Design and almost every detail is fine art based.

A change over the last ten years Geremia noted was that now roughly 30 percent of her client's employees want standing desks.

You can read her entire interview with Quartz here.