635 Springfield Ave.
Berkeley Heights, NJ 07922
908-665-4050
An Eye for Design
By Katrina Musto
Alicia Gabra has an eye for design and is not afraid to travel the world for inspiration. As Head Principal and Interior Designer of AG Design Studio in Berkley Heights, she takes joy in working with clients every step of the way to design their kitchens and bathrooms.
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n since 2019, AG Design Studio specializes in contemporary modern design. Alicia and her design team meet with every client and give them their full attention from start to finish. “I meet clients at their homes, take measurements of their spaces and talk about what their ideas and hopes are for their new space,” she says, “my design team consists of Interior Designers who have degrees in design and are trained in the field.” Next is the fun part. They invite clients into their showroom to go over material and color selection, and then present clients with a 3D rendering of their new space and digital design boards of materials they have selected. “We do the whole job from demo to finish!” Also, on her team, is a crew of licensed contractors who handle town permits and supply the materials, to ensure the kitchens and bathrooms are functional, while also being esthetically beautiful. “We hold every client by their hand,” she mentions, “honesty is very big, and we let the customer know upfront how much something is going to cost and what they are getting.”
An industry trend she is seeing is light wood materials coming back in. Another popular trend is adding a pop-up color accent piece, such as a kitchen island. “The hunter or sage greens are popular looks now,” she says, “brass is hot now too, (not a bright gold, but a champagne color for home fixtures), as are quartz countertops instead of the typical granite.”
At 27 years old, clients are sometimes surprised by her young fresh face. Don’t confuse her age, for a lack of knowledge and passion, though. Born in Egypt, Alicia came to the U.S. when she was just three years old, settling in South Jersey before moving to Union County. Her parents worked hard to give her and her brother a good education, which led to her early work ethic. “I was the one in college who studied all of the time and had three jobs while taking 18 credits!” she explains, “I worked hard to get to where I am.” Growing up, her family went to Egypt every two years, and she would stay the whole summer, right near the Red Sea. “Most of the countertops you see come from Egypt, India, or Spain as they are imported granite,” she explains. So, each time she is back there, she goes to look at countertops to see where the market is heading.
After graduating with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Interior Design from the Michael Graves College at Kean University, she worked for a kitchen and bath company and then for Benjamin Moore as a color consultant before going out on her own. Currently expanding into in-home paint-color consultation, she and her team travel to the homes of clients all throughout the tri-state area to suggest colors. “People will message me through our Instagram page and ask what color the cabinets in the photos are or where a particular light fixture comes from,” she says. “I love to inspire people!”
She had a client who began by just wanting her kitchen refaced, and Alicia explained how that would cost the same as getting new cabinets. The client appreciated her honesty and before she knew it, the kitchen was gutted, cabinets were replaced, and a new backsplash was added. It was quite a transformation! “Every little detail counts!” she says.