CanvasRebel: Meet Danny Russo
Meet Danny Russo
We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Daniel Russo. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Daniel below.
Daniel, appreciate you joining us today. Alright, so we’d love to hear about how you got your first client or customer. What’s the story?
I started my business on my dining room table. I first became interested in interior design when I was in 7th grade and took mechanical drafting. My first actual client was a hair salon located near my residence.
I was brought into my first project, and the salon owner was about to paint the walls red, green, yellow, and blue. It was about to be a hot mess. I turned into a french inspired serine experience that was very cohesive. This laid the ground for the designer I am today.
I then started working on hospitality and numerous residential projects throughout the United States.
Daniel, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
Danny Russo and his sought-after team at Daniel Russo Home have secured the trust and loyalty of clients around the country by prioritizing their needs, translating their lifestyles into designs, and involving them in every step of his creative process. Russo’s award-winning work reflects his philosophy that “anyone can design a space, but only a designer can make a space magical.”
Russo achieves his goal of creating cohesive environments with synergy and flow—not spaces in which one piece or room outshines the rest—by approaching his design projects holistically. “If done well,” says Russo, “design should evoke emotion. Designers” are storytellers, creating unifying spaces that reflect and accommodate each unique personality and lifestyle.”
A social media influencer, Russo is part of the first all-digital generation of designers and is well-versed in today’s design technology and applications. He understands the balance between incorporating upcoming trends and a timeless perspective throughout all his designs—from space planning and lighting selection to material usage and variety. Russo’s compositions strike the perfect cord: his work is risky and safe enough to stand the test of time while remaining fresh, bespoke, and innovative.
Based in Columbus, Ohio, Russo is an American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) member as well as a member of the National Kitchen and Bath Association (NKBA) and brings more than 20 years of experience to each of his projects. His designs have been published in numerous print publications, and his work has been exhibited at the Columbus Museum of Art and the Columbus Center for Science and Technology. Russo is also a regular contributor to regional TV and Radio programs. He is a featured designer on the so-to-be-launched network Home Design Television. Danny is one of the few vetted luxury interior designers with Ethos Design Collective.
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
I have to pivot so much in the interior design industry I might as well be considered a ballerina! Our industry has had so many twists and turns over the years. I started during the great recession and made it through Covid-19. I am amazed that I have survived the wild journey I have been on through the years.
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
I learned the importance of attending furniture markets and networking with my peers. I had a business partner who said there was no need to participate in this kind of event, and he would shop at big box retailers and chain stores. Boy, was he mistaken. These events are so crucial to building a brand and business. The first rule we were taught in Business 101 was never to have a business partner, and that rule has always been in my mind.