February 13, 2017 11:28 am Meet Tiffany Costanzo! Interior Designer, Amazing Cook, Loves Motherhood
What do you love to do with your children? How old are they? And what is your greatest wish for them?
We have two boys, Henri, 5 and Leonardo, 2.
I love to cook with them. We have lots of fun in the kitchen together. Recently we made homemade pasta and homemade mozzarella but on a regular basis we make pancakes from scratch, scrambled eggs and homemade pizza (I am not much of a baker). We don’t do a lot of planned activities outside of school (PIFS) so we spend our weekends cooking, playing board games, family twister, going for walks and just hanging out as a family. We know as they get older their interests will grow and we will probably be busier, so we enjoy this time while we have it.
We live in town, so many weekends are filled with walks around the block, walks on Greenwich Avenue or a trip to the supermarket (Leonardo’s favorite). We keep our weekends relaxed, spending time with family including my mother and stepdad who live nearby.
We also love traveling together and have been doing long haul trips since Henri was 4 months. My husband was born and raised in Milan, Italy so we travel twice a year to Italy to visit extended family. We want to show our kids how much we enjoy spending time with both our families and appreciate our different cultures.
My greatest wish for our children is that they do whatever makes them happy in life, and be kind and considerate gentlemen. We hope to teach them these things in our home. Every time I leave them at nursery school I ask them to be “kind, nice and of course have fun.”
Who has had the biggest influence upon you?
I believe that there have been many important influences in my life and I appreciate all of them. My mother has been an amazing influence. She is always there for me, helps with the kids and is one of the sweetest and kindest women I know. She has the biggest heart. When we lived in Europe she traveled regularly to meet up in London or Italy to be at our son’s birth, baptism and even my brother-in-law’s wedding. She loves traveling, art, family cooking and she is a wonderful mother and grandma!
My father loved life. His love for the energy, music, food and diversity of different cultures was infectious. My stepdad shows me continued support and love. I admire how he has spent his life helping kids and families. My Grandfather was a painter, photographer and publisher, a self-made man who started his business in his basement and encouraged me at a young age to pursue my love for art. My aunt and uncle have also been wonderful influences in my life showing me, unbridled love. Of course I cannot leave out my husband who is my best friend and supports me to be the best mother, wife and businesswoman I can be. Working professionally for the likes of David Collins and Fiona Barrat has been very influential. What I have learned from them helped me build a successful rewarding business.
What quality do you most admire in a mother?
Patience because sometimes I feel like I don’t have enough. Although my friends and family think I have lots, I don’t always agree (lol)!
Besides motherhood, what other careers/opportunities have you enjoyed? And what are your strongest qualities?
I have always been an artist, designer and in general, a creator! I began as a painter but realized that I had a love for architecture and in particular the architecture of interior environments. After a BA in Art and Minor in business, I decided to attend Pratt Institute and received my Masters of Science in Interior Architecture and Design. Since then I have worked at some of the most prestigious firms in New York and London. When I was pregnant with Henri in London, people started asking me to do their homes and since then, I have started my own company, C Design Studio. I work on projects in Fairfield County, Westchester, NYC and this spring I am beginning a modern home in the Hamptons. I just found out that I am a finalist in two categories for the Westchester Home Magazine Interior Design Awards 2017. I am so proud to build a successful business while being a mother. I love that my boys see their mom work from home. Sometimes they draw interiors with me, visit showrooms and clients! It isn’t always easy, but I love what I do and following my passion makes me a better wife and mother.
My strongest qualities – My husband says I am funny and make him laugh, but most people would say that I am creative and driven. I don’t stop, especially when I am inspired. Whether it is a design project, cooking, an art project, knitting, making my bracelets, etc. I must have a creative outlet.
Were you happiest in elementary, middle high school or college? Please explain why.
Although I enjoyed all stages of life, I would say – none of the above! I was happiest when I met my husband. It was a time in my life when everything really came together, both in love and in my aspirations to be a designer.
What do you like to do for fun and what is your idea of a perfect day?
I love to cook and eat as a family, design, play with the kids, workout, play board games, visit a museum, knit, paint, garden, watch movies, and go to the beach. Depending on the day and the time of year any of these activities would make the perfect day!
What is one of your favorite books? Movies?
I don’t read often these days as I usually spend many evenings working or with my husband but one of my favorites is The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco. I don’t really have a favorite movie but my list would include – La Dolce Vita, The Godfather, Rear Window, North by North West, Cinema Paradiso, Boogie Nights, The Sting, Notorious…
What is your favorite type of food and what do you love to cook?
I love to cook pretty much anything! I don’t bake except the occasional batch of cookies or maybe a fruit tart. I cook just about every night and we order out only a handful of times a year. Married to a Milanese, I cook a lot of Italian food including homemade pasta and risotto. I also cook Thai, Indian, Japanese, Mexican, Spanish, Greek, French, etc. There are really no limits to what I will make and it makes me so happy to serve good homemade food to my family and friends.
If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go?
I am fortunate to have already crossed off so many amazing places on my list. Milan, Rome, Venice, Florence, Como, Berlin and the Alps in Germany (including the Neuschwanstein Castle), Barcelona, Ibiza, the vineyards of Spain, Athens, Greece and its gorgeous islands. India including the Taj Mahal, the Pyramids in Egypt, Peru and Machu Picchu, Morocco, Paris, London and the British Countryside, San Tropez, Southwest of France, Monte Carlo, Switzerland, Portugal, and many beautiful places in the US. I guess if I were to travel somewhere new on our next adventure it would probably be Japan!
Where is your favorite place to Party with Moms and what’s your drink of choice?
I don’t go out often but recently I have gone to Lugano a few times with friends and love the relaxed atmosphere at the bar where we can order lots of small plates and drink wine. My drink of choice is wine with the occasional Prosecco!
See more of Tiffany’s beautiful work…
