Alesia T, Assoc. AIA
Designer Alesia Tom was born and raised in Palo Alto. After graduating from U.C. Berkeley with her B.A. in Architecture, she moved to the East Coast and launched her career at a small architectural firm in New Jersey.
Alesia’s lifelong intrigue with fashion, coupled with her exposure to the metropolitan sensibilities of Manhattan, prompted her to seek another degree at New York City’s internationally acclaimed Fashion Institute of Technology. With her newly acquired skills, she had a brief foray into the world of women’s sportswear, working closely with fashion designer Rebecca Moses and published in WWD and Vogue – to name a few.
A few years later, she reentered the world of architecture, working for the New York firm, John Burgee Architects with Philip Johnson, the “Father of Modernist Architecture.” During her tenure, Alesia contributed her creativity to numerous commercial high-rise projects, her favorite being Puerta da Europa, the world’s first twin inclined skyscrapers in Madrid, Spain.
After moving back to the West Coast, Alesia settled in Southern California, merging her love of architecture and fashion to design her own home. Influenced by her Palo Alto upbringing and her extended family’s roots in the architecture and construction industries, the Spanish Colonial dwelling she designed and built was created with “forever living” in mind.
While raising her own family, Alesia pursued entrepreneurial endeavors focusing on lifestyle design. Blending her expertise in interiors, architecture, landscape, and fashion, Alesia curated unique, sustainable spaces and collaborated with local artisans for custom furnishings and accessories. Dwell and Wired Magazine featured several of her sustainable residential projects. During this time, she also designed a line of jewelry and women’s tennis wear.
Passionate about sustainable and diverse environments, Universal Design, Aging-In-Place, and communities for vital living/longevity, Alesia served on the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) board and advocated for residential LEED certification.
Alesia brings a wealth of experience to Harrell Design + Build. She views Interior Design as a blank canvas for her unique and creative skillset. It perfectly aligns with her background in architecture and aspects of fashion such as color, texture, materials, finishes, and mood.
“I love knowing who I’m working with, who will occupy a space, and how it will be lived in,” Alesia elaborates. “I help families think through how their home can and will be used and how to make it sustainable for the environment and the homeowners’ future. For me, it’s all about thinking through every lifestyle scenario and doing design right the first time.”
Fun Fact:
Alesia continues to design jewelry and apparel in her spare time, and she takes her German Shepherd, Bodhi, to agility classes just for fun. After a ten-year hiatus from playing tennis, she has again picked up her racquet and restarted hitting hit the courts.
