© Emma Bassill
Longtime friends and creative collaborators, Joelle Kutner (Toronto) and Jesse Rudolph (Pittsburgh) founded Ome Dezin in 2020 as a design-build studio rooted in the thoughtful restoration of Los Angeles’s character-driven homes. United by a shared passion for travel, architecture, and cultural history, their work is shaped by lived experience — each journey informing a deeper understanding of craftsmanship, materiality, and how people inhabit space.
Drawing from Los Angeles’s layered architectural heritage — from Mid-Century and Art Deco to Spanish, Craftsman, and Tudor homes quietly embedded in its neighborhoods — Kutner and Rudolph approach every project with a strong sense of stewardship. Their practice is guided by a respect for architectural codes and details that give a home its identity, paired with a careful integration of contemporary comfort and refined, livable design.
Ome Dezin gravitates toward natural, enduring materials — aged woods, textured stone, and honest metals — and places great value on collaboration with artists and makers who share their commitment to longevity and craft. At the heart of their work is a belief that homes carry stories worth preserving, and that design, when done thoughtfully, can honor the past while supporting the lives that continue to unfold within it.
1. Could you tell us how your journey into interior design started?
Joelle: My journey into design truly feels like a second life — though everything I did before was quietly preparing me for what I do now. I was always creative, but when I entered university, my focus was actually on film, specifically documentary. I first studied Anthropology and then Sociology, wanting to build a deep understanding of people, culture, and human behavior before learning anything technical. I came from a very academic community at the time and didn’t know anyone who went to film school — I didn’t even realize it was a real possibility.
When I moved to Los Angeles from Toronto, I enrolled in a film program both to gain technical skills and to remain in the U.S. legally. Once I was legally allowed to work, my first job was at ACNE’s design studio, and from there I moved through various creative and design environments — working across interiors, stage design, packaging, and branding. Each experience added another layer to my understanding of space, storytelling, and materiality.
Alongside my journey was my long friendship with Jesse Rudolph. While he was apprenticing with builders, I followed along as a friend, absorbing the process from the sidelines. In 2020, we finally had the opportunity to work on one project together. That single collaboration quickly snowballed into many — and ultimately into what Ome Dezin is today.
Jesse: I grew up surrounded by old buildings in Pittsburgh, and from an early age, I was fascinated by how things were built — the bones behind beauty. My background was entrepreneurial first, in food and beverage, and later in construction and development, so I came to design through the lens of structure, history, and problem-solving. Those early experiences taught me how to build systems, manage risk, and think long-term — lessons that still shape how I approach design today.
When Joelle and I began collaborating, our perspectives aligned organically: emotion and structure, intuition and execution. That balance became the foundation of Ome Dezin and continues to guide the way we work together.
2. Do you think there has been a defining moment in your career?
Founding Ome Dezin in 2020 was the pivotal moment for both of us. It was during a time of global uncertainty, yet it clarified our values and our desire to create with intention. Launching during that period forced us to slow down, be thoughtful, and build a studio rooted in meaning rather than momentum alone. It defined our belief that homes are not just projects — they are deeply personal worlds.
Castilian Primary Bathroom © Austin Leis
Kent – Brentwood Mid-Century Kitchen © Austin Leis
3. What do you think is the key to a successful interior design? And in your business in general?
The key to successful interior design is not adhering to trends, but truly listening to the home itself and to the neighborhood it lives in. Every project needs a clear north star — an anchoring idea or intention that you return to with every decision. Design always comes with moments of decision fatigue, and in those moments, returning to that north star brings clarity and confidence. Letting go of rigid “rules” is equally important; some of the most meaningful spaces come from intuition rather than formulas.
From a business perspective, we have intentionally carved out a niche that allows us to focus less on traditional client work and more on our own development projects. This gives us creative freedom and long-term continuity in our work. We also place a strong emphasis on documenting our process and building community, both of which have become integral to how Ome Dezin exists beyond individual projects.
4. How do you start your interior design projects? Do you usually start with a certain element of design or a keyword? And how do they develop?
Every project begins with conversation and observation. We take time to understand the client, if there is one, the architecture of the home, and the character of the area it sits within. From there, we establish a clear north star to guide the project — this might be a piece of art, a film, a specific material palette, or even a feeling we want the space to evoke.
Once that foundation is set, the process becomes a series of thoughtful layers, including many conversations, drawings, site visits, and iterations. It’s a slow, collaborative unfolding that allows the project to evolve with intention rather than urgency.
5. How would you define your signature style? Do you have “a mantra” that encapsulates your taste in design?
Our style is quietly cinematic, rooted in history, and softened by nature. We gravitate toward homes that feel collected rather than decorated — timeless as opposed to trendy. We don’t have a mantra yet, but we should create one!
6. What are your 3 favorite pieces from the Philia Collection?
From the PHILIA Collection, we are especially drawn to pieces that feel sculptural yet deeply architectural:
7. Could you tell us about one of the favorite projects that you worked on?
One of our most meaningful projects was an A. Quincy Jones home, tucked into a quiet corner of Brentwood. The house had beautiful bones and a strong mid-century identity, but it called for a great deal of sensitivity and restraint. Our goal was never to dominate the architecture, but rather to support it — restoring original elements wherever possible, introducing natural materials, and creating a sense of warmth and flow throughout the home.
The result feels both nostalgic and entirely livable for today, which is always our aim: to honor the past while thoughtfully designing for modern life.
8. If you could pick one interior design tip that is important to you, what would it be?
Design with restraint. Leave space for life to unfold.
9. What was the best advice you have received in your path?
These questions are too good. Take it slow, probably. If possible, just don’t rush into everything.
10. What would be your advice to beginner interior designers?
Taste evolves, but understanding how things are built will serve you forever. And travel — nothing shapes the eye more than experiencing spaces across cultures.
11. What was one of the hardest learned lessons in your journey?
Learning when to say no. Not every project is the right fit, and early on, it’s tempting to say yes to everything. Over time, we learned that alignment — with the client, the scope, and the vision — is essential to protecting both the work and our creative energy.
12. Are there any books/podcasts you would like to recommend to our readers?
Books:
Jesse has a book on Piero Portaluppi’s architecture that he refers to all the time. He also loves to reference a Pierre Chareau book.
Podcasts:
Joelle listens to Clever with Amy Devers, and while this is not design-related, I recently lost my father and listen to All There Is with Anderson Cooper. It’s pretty revolutionary in the way it talks about various forms of grief, which in turn teaches you about life.
‘XXV’ Outpost Living Room © Ori Harpaz
Benmore © Nils Timm
13. Finally, what are your upcoming projects? Anything you’d like to share or add to the interview?
We are currently working on several residential renovations across Los Angeles, including an architectural gem in Laurel Canyon, an expansive Tudor home in Benedict Canyon, and a hillside modernist residence in Nichols Canyon. Alongside these, we’ve also just begun a furniture line collaboration, which has already challenged and expanded us in exciting new ways.
Each project continues our commitment to architectural stewardship, material integrity, and soulful design. We feel deeply grateful to work within the historic fabric of Los Angeles and to help these homes thoughtfully evolve for another generation. We are also in escrow on a small standalone office building, which we are excited to renovate and move into, hopefully creating a space for ourselves but also the community.
Thank you so much Joelle and Jesse, for this lovely interview!
