Introducing Hannah Oravec of Lawless Design

Portrait by Bruce Rogovin.

Photograph by Joelle West.

Photograph by Joelle West.

Photograph by Joelle West.

Photograph by Joelle West.

A one-of-a-kind rug designed by Hannah Oravec.

New England Home is thrilled to present the annual “5 Under 40” awards, celebrating New England’s finest emerging talent in residential design. Today meet Hannah Oravec of Lawless Design based in Plymouth, Massachusetts.

Hannah Oravec’s passion for creating beautiful homes is equaled only by her zeal for doing it in a way that’s good for the environment. “While I believe interior design should be beautiful and functional, I also really want it to do better for people and the world,” says the owner of the Plymouth, Massachusetts-based firm Lawless Design. “I source from local places as much as possible and use reclaimed wood and natural materials that can be reused instead of discarded, or that will biodegrade.”

Oravec grew up in Western Massachusetts and studied at Endicott College, graduating in 2014 with a B.S. in interior design with a concentration in sustainable design and a minor in business, a curriculum she undertook in anticipation of one day owning her own firm. “I knew I wanted to start a business, but I thought it would be later in life,” she says.

Fresh out of college, she worked for a couple of architecture firms in the Philadelphia and Boston areas, where her focus was on commercial interior design. “I didn’t love only doing commercial design, and I didn’t love working for a bigger firm,” she confesses. With the encouragement of her husband, Michael, an engineer and furniture maker, she branched out on her own much sooner than she expected, opening her company in 2016.

In projects all over New England and, recently, in Florida and California, Oravec and her staff of three create interiors the designer calls classic, timeless, and organic. “I love to use lots of textures—woods and stones and fabrics—for a variety of tactile and sensory effects,” she says.

Oravec’s future goals include using her college experience working with Habitat for Humanity to start a similar nonprofit organization that emphasizes sustainable design. “I believe sustainability and wellness are interconnected,” she says.

The “5 Under 40” celebration is open to the public. Join us by purchasing your tickets here.