What drives her: A sit-down with senior designer, Christina Sugathapala.

My favorite part of a project is the beginning and the end. I love imagining the start, where everything is still in the planning phase—scheming and exploring endless options, with countless fabrics and ideas swirling around in a messy, vibrant chaos. Over the course of a year or two, that chaos transforms into something organized, beautiful, and thoughtfully curated. I really love the bookends of a project—the initial spark of creativity and the final reveal when everything comes together so beautifully.

My name is Christina, and I work with Caroline Rafferty Interiors as a senior interior designer. When I approach a new project, I often think about the past—specifically, those interior designers whose work you can't find online or on Pinterest. They're only visible through coffee table books, and I find it astonishing how modern and current their interiors still feel today. These timeless designs inspire me deeply.

What truly motivates me is the end product. Moving a client into a home that we've layered with vintage pieces, textures, and thoughtful details after two years of sourcing and planning is incredibly rewarding. I love sourcing vintage RJ fabrics and discovering textures that are not readily seen—those hidden gems that add richness and depth to a space. The imagination involved in creating all of this is what drives me. When I enter a room that feels lifeless and lacks personality, I think about the potential—about the shade of caramel paint, the yellow pillows, the straw rug—and how these details can transform a space into something vibrant and full of personality. That creative spark and imagining the possibilities is what gets me up every day.

I especially love designing family rooms because I enjoy envisioning the conversations and life that happen within them. These spaces tend to be more casual, layered with color, pattern, and texture, truly reflecting the soul of the home and its inhabitants. I imagine art books, comfortable furnishings mixed with vintage tables, interesting and quirky lighting—all combining to create a space that feels warm, inviting, and full of character.

When I first met Caroline, I was immediately drawn to her provenance—her proven track record in sourcing vintage furnishings and her skill in custom embroidery fabrics. While I was used to some of these techniques, her approach felt fresh and in a different vernacular, which I found fascinating.

I've known I wanted to be an interior designer ever since my mom stenciled bows and ribbons on my walls when I was seven years old in Columbus, Ohio. Working with the team at Caroline Rafferty Interiors is one of my favorite parts of the job. It's a wonderful mix of people from diverse backgrounds who complement each other perfectly. Together, we create a well-rounded, dynamic team.

Regarding my educational journey, when it was time to choose a school, I selected one of the top interior design programs in the world and moved to New York City. After college, I stayed in New York for 15 years, working at a prestigious interior design firm. That experience honed my craft and taught me the ins and outs of the business, giving me a solid foundation in the industry.

Shortly after, I moved to Palm Beach, where I met Caroline and fell in love with her work and personality. Since then, we've been working together. Stylistically, I gravitated toward color, texture, and a sense of fun—things I found lacking in the more buttoned-up, tight style often associated with New York design. This contrast was one of the main reasons I was eager to shift my aesthetic and embrace the more vibrant, textured, and lively style that Palm Beach offers. After a certain point, I knew I was ready for more color and personality, and Palm Beach became the perfect next step on my design journey.