Design To Live is a design-build and project delivery practice focused on high-end residential and commercial projects. The work brings together design, coordination, and execution into a clear process that carries from early concept through completion.

At its core, the approach is about how projects come together in practice. This includes aligning stakeholders, structuring workflows, and ensuring work moves forward without unnecessary friction. The goal is not just strong design, but outcomes that hold together from planning through execution.

About

Ryan James is a program leader, interior designer, and construction project manager with over 18 years of experience delivering complex residential and commercial projects. Based in New York for over 25 years, he has built his career at the intersection of design, construction, and project delivery.

His work has evolved from design-build execution to a broader focus on how projects and teams operate—aligning stakeholders, structuring workflows, and ensuring work progresses with clarity and coordination. He brings a systems-oriented approach to project delivery, combining thoughtful design with disciplined execution to produce outcomes that hold together in practice.

Background

Originally from South Carolina, Ryan developed an early interest in architecture, design, and landscaping. At eighteen, he completed his first full renovation project in Asheville, North Carolina. That experience set the foundation for a long-term path in design and construction.

In 2002, he moved to New York City and began working in high-end residential design-build, managing projects throughout Manhattan and Brooklyn. Over time, his work expanded into freelance design, where he developed national retail window displays and store environments for brands including Banana Republic, Ann Taylor, and LOFT. At the same time, he managed concept-driven restaurant and nightlife projects in the Meatpacking District and Southampton.

In 2008, Ryan founded Design To Live, where he continues to lead design-build projects while overseeing business operations, client strategy, and project delivery. As the work grew, so did his focus on how projects are structured and carried out, developing workflows, improving coordination, and helping teams operate more effectively across multiple concurrent projects.

In 2017, Ryan joined Smart Design to help grow the company’s New York City division. As Senior Designer and Project Manager, he developed operational procedures, led the interior design team, coordinated field execution, and played a key role in scaling the organization’s capabilities and delivery systems.

More recently, Ryan has taken on a director-level role at Brotherton Construction, where he leads the delivery of complex residential and commercial projects typically ranging from $1M to $2.5M. His work sits at the center of coordination between clients, design teams, and field operations, ensuring that projects move forward with clarity as priorities shift and conditions change.

A significant portion of this role focuses on how work comes together in practice, aligning stakeholders, refining workflows, and putting structure in place so teams stay coordinated, and execution remains consistent across multiple projects.

Design To Live was founded to provide thoughtful, well-executed solutions that respond to each client’s unique needs. The work brings together design, project management, and construction coordination into a clear, cohesive process from concept through completion.

Today, the practice continues to deliver high-quality design-build work while reflecting a broader focus on how projects are structured and carried out—aligning teams, improving coordination, and maintaining clarity throughout the process. The goal is not just strong design, but outcomes that hold together in practice.

Core Areas of Expertise

Core Areas of Expertise include program leadership, interior design, residential and commercial renovation, pre-construction coordination, workflow design, and cross-functional team alignment.

News

Project Home

HLNTV features designer Ryan James as he transforms a typical NYC rental bathroom on a tight budget. In this segment, Ryan demonstrates how to skim-coat walls to dramatically improve a room with cracks and uneven surfaces. A light fixture, some artwork, and a few accessories elevate the space without breaking the bank.