D’Apostrophe Design Inc.
About Us The architecture and interiors of D’Apostrophe Design are characterized by a mixture of simplicity and sensuosity with a preference for primary forms. Our design is an outcome of progressive refinement, in which materials are used to curate space and movement, that are then accentuated by composing objects and art. We are simple, clear, pure, silent, polished, minimal and relaxed.
Francis D'Haene
Principal - Lead Designer Francis D’Haene, a Belgian-born, New York City-based architect and designer, founded D’Apostrophe Design, Inc. in 1996. Francis graduated from St. Lukas in Brussels before moving to New York in 1992 to pursue his design career. He gained valuable experience within the international design community, working alongside Robert Metzger, Marc Charbonnet, and Mark Zeff. His background in art, coupled with his vision for architecture and interior design, give him a clear design sensibility, which is prevalent in his residential, retail, and public projects. His work has received numerous awards, including a 2010 Interior Design Best of Year Award and has been recognized by all the top design publications from around the world.
David McAlpine
Architect of Record - AIA Dave received his BArch from the University of Notre Dame and later received his MS in Architecture from Columbia University. He has a wide range of experience with completed works in residential, commercial, and hospitality. He is a registered architect in the State of New York, New Jersey, Maryland and Connecticut; his license has been active for over 35 years. Dave first collaborated with Francis in 1992 and they have worked together ever since. Sharing the same design vision has allowed them to collaborate and complete several projects together over the past 25 years.
Mori Button
Director of Architecture Mori Button (neé Buster) is the Director of Architecture and a Jr Partner at D'Apostrophe Design. She oversees the architectural projects and staff in both the NY and LA offices, specializing in high-end residential and commercial projects. She received a BArch from Pratt Institute in New York in 2007. Before joining D'Apostrophe, Mori held a Retail Director position for 5 years, working extensively on commercial and retail projects across the US and internationally and completing over 50 luxury boutiques worldwide. Her work for Christian Louboutin has been featured in (inter)national publications and won an Interior Design BOYA award.
Khelly Koomalsingh
Architectural Project Manager Khelly received her Bachelor’s degree in Architecture and English from the University at Buffalo, followed by her Master’s in Architecture from Harvard’s Graduate School of Design. Prior to joining D’Apostrophe Design, her professional experience focused on the design of retail, residential, and cultural spaces with offices in New York, Paris, and Hong Kong. In addition to her architectural work, she has also been involved in various scales of design, including products, graphics, and branding.
Caroline Kruis
Architectural Project Manager Caroline graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee with a Bachelor’s of Science in Architecture. After graduating, she moved to New York and began her professional career. Before joining D’Apostrophe Design, she primarily focused on retail spaces in New York and Connecticut.
Cristina Milleur
Senior Project Manager Cristina is a licensed architect registered in the state of New York. She received her Bachelors in Environmental Design from the University of Colorado followed by her Masters in Architecture from the Southern California Institute of Architecture in Los Angeles. Prior to joining D'Apostrophe Design, she has 15 years of professional experience focused on producing excellent results on high end residential and commercial projects.
Trevor Messinger
Intermediate Architect Trevor received his Master’s Degree in Architecture from the University of Texas at Austin and a Bachelor’s Degree of Environmental Design in Architecture from North Carolina State University. Throughout his professional experiences at firms in both North Carolina and New York City, Trevor has managed residential, commercial, retail, and adaptive reuse projects and gained extensive experience in all of phases of design and construction. Prior to joining D’Apostrophe Design, Trevor managed the design and construction of Audi Manhattan, and oversaw the implementation and refinement of Audi’s brand architecture, acting as the Project Manager for Audi’s west coast projects. Trevor is a registered architect in the State of New York.
Morgane Gervais
Architectural Designer Morgane completed her BA in Interior Design and Architecture at the Instituts Saint-Luc in Brussels in 2013. While still in school, she had her first internship in Lasne, Belgium, where she worked on several projects all over the country. She moved to New York in 2014, where she contributed to high-end residential and commercial projects in New York City, Westchester, and Miami. She is now pursuing her Master’s in Management while working for D’Apostrophe Design.
Zach Bauer
Intermediate Architect Zachary graduated from Carnegie Mellon University with a Bachelor of Architecture. He began his professional career in hospitality work around the US before moving to New York to continue his professional career primarily in high end residential design. He is a registered architect in the State of New York.
Yann Chashanovski
Architectural Designer Yann received his Masters in Architecture and Civil Engineering from the University of Louvain, Belgium in 2015, with a thesis focused on wood framing systems. Prior to D'Apostrophe, he worked at B-architecten (Antwerp, Belgium) on higher education, urban planning, and collective housing projects involving building reuse and renovation; and at studioMDA (New York, NY) on exhibition spaces, public art, and residential projects. Curious about grassroots design, Yann has contributed to experimental and community-based projects such as MycoHouse with redhouse studio (Cleveland, OH) and Habboba Van with Elmalaz (Cleveland, OH).
Michelle Garvey
Senior Interior Designer Michelle is an interior designer who graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the New York School of Interior Design. Before joining D’Apostrophe Design, she has worked for several New York based design firms on both hospitality and high-end residential design projects. She has an eclectic range of experience and has previously worked on projects under the creative direction of Mark Zeff, Anda Andrei and the Ian Schrager Company.
Emily Roise
Junior Interior Designer Emily graduated from Pratt Institute in 2018 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Interior Design. Prior to joining D'Apostrophe, she worked on both commercial and residential projects, through internships with design and construction firms. These opportunities allowed her to transition her knowledge of art and design from school, to exploring its application in a built environment.
Emmy Sprague
Interior Designer Emmy graduated from Parsons School of Design with her degree in Interior Design in 2019. Prior to joining D'Apostrophe, she worked and interned for NYC-based design firms focusing mainly on high-end residential design. She earned her B.A. in Art History and Architectural Studies from Trinity College (2016).
Akeem Borrell
Interior Designer Growing up in Trinidad, Akeem has always had a great passion for space and form. After moving to the United States, Akeem received his AAS in Interior Design from the Art Institute of New York. Prior to joining D'Apostrophe, his professional experience has focused on high-end residential, lighting design and retail.
Mairikke Dau
Accountant Mairikke Dau comes to D'Apostrophe from managing artist studios for the past 10 years and bookkeeping for contractors, galleries, and artist. She has a MFA in painting from the Massachusetts College of Art and Design and her BFA from the University of California Santa Cruz. Her work has been presented in Architectural Digest.
Lou Peralta
Office Manager & Personal Assistant to the Principal Lou Peralta is the Office Manager at D'Apostrophe Design and Personal Assistant to Francis D'Haene. He holds a Bachelor of Fine Art from SUNY Purchase. Before joining D’Apostrophe, he managed Bonni Benrubi Gallery for eight years. His professional experience includes human resources, office management, arts administration, and exhibition production.
Cooper D'Haene
Brand Ambassador Cooper, a King Charles and Cocker Spaniel mix, is from Brooklyn, NY. Prior to venturing into the workforce, he was a stay-at-home pup for a family with 3 children, the D'Haene's. He now splits his time between his family and D'Apostrophe Design Inc, as our Brand Ambassador, personally greeting every visitor to the D’East office. In between his busy schedule at the office, he can be found working on his game of fetch, taking strolls around TriBeCa, and daydreaming about visiting D'West.