How would you describe your style? I tend to go for things that are fairly simple, timeless, and well made; if it’s chic I’ll love it a whole lot more and will end up using it / wearing it endlessly. I adopted the outlook of “fewer, better” a long time ago. I apply that same approach to M + A. I try to incorporate all of the things that I love into my designs to give them some soul, with the hope that they will bring joy to people for a long time.

Do you remember the first thing you made? Mud pies with my mom. It seemed like magic that a little water from a garden hose could transform soil into a workable material.

Before I started making I… I was in the womb.

If I weren’t a maker I’d be... I’d be doing something that combines art, nature, people, and possibly healing.

Favorite quote or words to live by: Feel the fear and do it anyway.

If I could run away I’d go… To Liguria, Italy.

If you could collaborate with one person dead or alive who would it be? I’d love to collaborate with Robin Standefer and Stephen Alesch of Roman and Williams.

What would be on your maker’s soundtrack? Depends on the day, but some of my favorite days have been spent with jazz masters from the 50s and 60s: Cannonball Adderly, Stan Getz, Oscar Peterson, Nina Simone, Lou Donaldson, Dexter Gordon, Sarah Vaughn, Chet Baker…

If you could learn a new skill what would it be? Short term: there are a bunch of technical skills that I would like to learn: animation, stop motion photography, improving my video editing skills Long term: ceramics

What’s your favorite movie? Any Peter Sellers movie, but The Party is pretty high up there for its hilarity.

What is your perfect day? Waking up without an alarm, allowing the day to take shape without a specific timetable, but knowing that it will likely involve eating delicious food, drinking nice wine, being outside in the sunshine, and spending time with my husband and friends.

Last book you read? Live Beautiful by Athena Calderone

What would your last meal be? A dish that my husband makes from a Jean Georges recipe: seared scallops over corn succotash with a compote of shaved shallots, fresh tomatoes, basil, lemon juice and olive oil, along with one of his fennel salads that are as beautiful as they taste.

Favorite scent? To wear, I like vetiver, and really love using a single note roller by Rootfoot. Out in nature I love the smell of jasmine, gardenias and rosemary.

Favorite flower or tree? Peonies and gardenias. Pines and birches.

Favorite artist? I have many favorites but if I had to single out one, today I’d pick Eduardo Chillida.

What do you see outside your bedroom window? I go back and forth from Brooklyn and the Hudson Valley. If I’m in Brooklyn I see a park that is lined with old London Plane trees. Since there aren’t any buildings blocking our light, we get really beautiful afternoon light that makes me stop what I’m doing and just soak it up. If I’m upstate I see part of our backyard and just over the fence, a farm that breeds angus cows. They are allowed to roam freely over many acres and tend to come up to our fence at dinnertime to check in with us.

What do you hear right now? Birds chirping. Cars occasionally passing by. The hum of the furnace. My husband talking on a virtual meeting in the next room.

Who’s the most famous person you’ve ever met? David Bowie backstage during the Serious Moonlight Tour. My big sister was a talent booker for an artists colony in the Dominican Republic at the young age of 23. She would get comped to amazing music events in the city as part of her job, and lucky for me she let me be her sidekick a bunch of times. Meeting Bowie was surreal.

What was the last gift you gave someone? An M + A enamel bowl to the realtor who found us our house upstate and became a wonderful friend.

If money was not a factor how would you live your life? I would slow down, keep all of the same people in my life plus add some. Get out more. Travel more. Make things. Garden.

Favorite podcast? How I Built This with Guy Raz: NPRt

Where did you grow up? The suburbs in Bergen County, New Jersey.

Favorite time of day? Dusk

Favorite holiday? Thanksgiving

What is your most treasured possession? An old enamel bank that was my grandfather’s that’s the figure of a politician. It has a working arm and when you place a coin in his hand, his arm moves and drops the coin into his vest. The story goes that it was weighted to accept nickels instead of pennies as a metaphor for politicians’ greed

If you could have a superpower, what would it be? A power to heal

Most interesting thing in your liquor cabinet? Artisanal mezcal

What are you most thankful for? I am most thankful for the friends and family in my life, good health, and on most days a sense of optimism that fuels both my outlook and my decisions.

To see more from M + A visit, www.mplusanyc.com or Instagram @mplusanyc.

*Portrait by Michael Smith