Ariana Holland, a native Bostonian who trained at New York’s Fashion Institute of Technology,  started her interior design studio after a significant career in hospitality design, where she honed her craft while managing tight timelines and budgets ranging from the low five-figures to multi-million dollars. Over the course of 10+ years, she helped design some of the country’s most iconic interiors (the NoMad Bar and the Refinery Hotel in New York, Perry Lane Hotel in Savannah, Georgia, and the Press Hotel in Portland, Maine, among others). 


While Ariana enjoyed the work, her soul craved a chance to make her mark on more intimate spaces. In 2017, she founded ABox Collective with the mission of creating meaningful stories behind the naked eye of her beautiful interiors. Inspired by her own wanderlust, she sought to transform the homes of her clients into their own “happy places,” whether those be call-backs to inspiring trips, cherished memories, or simple everyday pleasures. 

For Ariana, imbuing objects with deeper meaning is the key to making her clients feel joyful, supported, and celebrated in their spaces. Does the master bedroom want to feel like that time at the nature springs in Iceland? Does the breakfast nook want to give us the feeling of being on a fishing boat? Or does the guest room want to take us to that happy memory of your Nana’s living room when you were a child?

Painting the picture of happy places happens from your narrative—and the sky’s the limit.


Ariana’s Design Journey

  • Born in the burbs of Boston MA.

    Fav food as a baby was corn…Still is!

  • First Glimpse of Artistic Gift

    Age of 5 , became my mother’s home daycare “graphic designer and space planner,” reorganizing and laying out toys monthly and drawing ABC’s and lesson charts. (This became the first awareness I could draw).

  • Imagination and Expressive

    A child that loved Barbie dolls, playing house, and had an above average ability to play make -believe...it is no wonder my career set sail in hospitality design , the sector of strong story-telling.

  • Jazzy, Influential Nana

    Grew up in a family that improvised “Joy” through music and entertaining one another. My Nana , is a classical jazz singer and the reason I am so connected to music. ABOX utilizes music as a major pillar towards creating a client’s happy places today.

  • Graduated with Bachelor Degree in Interior Design 2010

    New York was the only city I wanted to start my career in. I loved the diversity of the city, the exposure to inspiration, and the overall heartbeat of the city. Graduated with a BFA 2010.

  • Began Career in Hospitality - Stonehill+Taylor, NYC 2010

    Starting off at a notable architecture and interior NYC firm, Stonehill+Taylor became my official cutting of teeth in the industry.

  • Nomad Bar, Refinery Hotel Accolades - 2013

    Walked through the process of design to completion on projects such as Nomad Bar, garnering many awards in 2013.

  • Further Expanded my Creative Network - Nemaworkshop, NYC 2014

    Nemaworkshop taught my how to further think outside of the box, being one of my most creative studio experiences. Model-making and material exploration were common media used to develop design.

  • ABOX Collective was born - 2017

    Compiled of my continued quest of knowledge, aptitude to provide services that provide individual joy, and value system of togetherness, ABOX Collective was launched.

  • “Return to Construction College”

    A 4-yr experience working internally with construction of a new build residential tower. I am a designer that loves the technical aspect of design as well as the conceptual intent phases.

  • Adj. Professor FIT NYC 2022

    Taught a summer seminar to high-school level students on the fundamentals of Interior Design. The focus of my syllabus was to learn the art of telling your unique story and training your eye “ to see, think, speak, act” like a pro.

Step into Ariana’s Happy Place