special feature designing duos Andrea DeRosa and Ashley Manhan Cofounders Avenue Interior Design, Los Angeles How did you come to start your own firm? Ashley Manhan: We met at a design firm in LA. Both of us were just starting our careers and became fast friends while working late nights and long hours. We started the company in the fall of 2009. The economy and industry had taken a downturn, and I knew whoever was as crazy as me to start a business at that time had to be a good match. Andrea DeRosa: I immediately recognized and valued Ashley's passion for design, collaborative nature, and willingness to do whatever it took to get it done and to get it done right. While we discussed the idea of starting our own firm together, we both recognized the need to expand our knowledge of the industry and work for other firms prior to building our own business plan. Earliest memories of working together? AM: Our first office was far from glamorous. We shared a bathroom with our eccentric neighbors who had been there for 30-plus years. We kept a sign on the communal door that read 'Enter at your own risk,' which was completely mortifying when clients or vendors came for meetings. Photos and renderings courtesy of AVENUE INTERIOR DESIGN and by BRENT DUNDOR-ARIAS Tell us about your design process. AM: A key element for us is trust. We both sincerely value and trust each other's opinions and never go at decisions with an ego. It makes collaborating together the most fun part of our job. AD: Ash and I are always on the same page in almost an uncanny way. Whenever we're entertaining a new scope, we begin brainstorming independently, and when we come together to start concepting, we often bring similar ideas and even literally the same inspiration. 102 July 2017 hospitalitydesign.com A rendering of the soon-to-open Ramble Hotel in Denver boasts a luxurious lobby accented with industrial elementshttp://www.hospitalitydesign.com