There are a lot of ways to get to know Cristina Peffer. As a former gallerist with the late art dealer Peter Marcelle in Southampton Village; as an interior designer and home-boutique owner of Ram Design Home on North Ferry Road (or, as Islanders called it, Bridge Street); or as the mom of four kids.
And since 2024, you can know her as the face of her storefront design studio, just across from the Shelter Island School, which she opened as a separate outpost to showcase her interior design services.
“I used to have my interior design office in the back of my shop but have now opened this incredible design studio across from the school. I did a major renovation on it, and it’s been an amazing place to show my aesthetic. You really get a punch right when you walk in: You know what I resonate with,” she says.
Peffer also resonates with all things color, texture, whimsical and classic. And, with Shelter Island, where she has made her residence for the past decade. Spanish born, but a Long Islander most of her life, she raised her family and grew her businesses here. Daughter Rowan, 26, runs the shop, allowing Peffer to be more hands on with the design studio.
Southforker: How did your career in an art gallery inspire and inform your current business?
Cristina Peffer: I credit Peter [Marcelle] so much. From day one, he had all the trust in me that I didn’t even have in myself. On my first day, he dropped off 30 paintings and told me to hang the show. I had never hung an art show, let alone a major show for someone like him. And he said “I know you’ve got it.” And I have to tell you, I did it, and I surprised myself. And I never forget that experience, because of what it taught me and how I continue to surprise myself in design.
SF: Tell us five words to describe your shop.
CP: It changes a lot, but I would say that it’s tasteful, artistic, useful, fun and organic.
SF: How would you describe your aesthetic?
CP: I like the gamut of design and I live in a broad spectrum of design. I have to say, I don’t put myself in any particular niche and I don’t follow trends. What’s been refreshing for me is I have clients with really diverse aesthetics—people who, like color, or have very European sensibilities — which I really enjoy.
SF: So, how do you work with clients with such a diverse palette?
CP: By getting to know them and paying attention to a lot of cues. Sometimes you can get so much information from one sentence. Color, for example: Everybody responds to color emotionally, and everybody responds differently. Some people’s natures really require a lot of vitality of color around them … they want yellows and bright orange. Or they love black, which is quiet and can hold you in a space. And I just respect and love it all. For me, it’s like a journey of getting home with the client.
SF: Have you seen any changes in the way people are using their space?
CP: I’m certainly seeing mixed-use spaces — a guest room no longer just sits idly as a guest room; it now operates as an office and a guest room. Kitchens tend to be the number one priority for most people and continue to be where people convene around food — the making and eating of food, and spending time in there even at parties. You see people really convening in this area.
SF: And speaking of spending time, where and how do you spend yours?
CP: At this point in my life, it’s any quality time I get with my kids, or hanging out with all the killer women in my life. I love Mashomack Preserve — that’s really why I moved here and I think it’s one of the most beautiful places in the world. I like to travel — Spain, Italy and Sicily, but also Maine, Vermont, the whole East Coast.
SF: And, favorite places to do any of that?
CP: Vine Street Café is my favorite. It’s just so cozy, and the food is consistently incredible. And I love every location of Sant Ambroeus — they’re just so caring about everything that they do. And, I love Purethread right upstairs from me. [Owner Jill Heller] has an incredible eye and is so relaxed and amazing and classic and with a modern edge. She’s like a secret jewel and she cares deeply about what she’s doing.
