Behind the Scenes With AD’s Market Director

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Who among us hasn’t coveted the objects in an Open Door video, or the trappings that pepper a spread in the AD feature well? While the designers behind these spaces might be the ultimate ones to thank, we also owe a lot to Madeline O’Malley, AD’s market director. As the mastermind behind the magazine’s eminently stylish shopping pages, O’Malley knows the world of product inside and out—and, crucially, is an expert at separating the wheat from the chaff.

To get the skinny on her editorial POV, personal shopping habits, and secret sources, I sat down with her as she was wrapping up her Design Notes column for Ness and Brynn Jones Saban’s Los Feliz family home, with interiors by Frances Merrill of AD100 firm Reath Design. “It’s no secret that Frances is a brilliant colorist and a virtuoso of pattern play,” says Mayer Rus, AD’s West Coast editor, who scouted the project. “I was immediately smitten with the jewel-toned living room, and when I shared my scouting photos with Amy and the team, we were thrilled to see Frances flex her design muscles in fresh, idiosyncratic ways.”

Read on to take a peek behind the curtain with O’Malley.

—Lila Allen, Associate Director, AD PRO

Lila: For the uninitiated, can you tell us what “Design Notes” is?

Madeline: Design Notes is basically a “shop the look” of the house. I look through the fact sheets a designer sends when their project will be featured, and check to see if there are interesting pieces that we can share, so readers and designers know where to buy them. If there are pieces that are vintage, or pieces that are really hard to find, or are only available in certain markets, then I’ll try to find something that’s more accessible. I take some creative liberties, but I’m trying to stick as closely as I can to the ethos of the house.

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