Fun Work if You Can Get It

DD Allen
Architect and designer, in her client Gwyneth Paltrow's house

What makes your job fun?
I spend most of the day looking at pretty things—beautiful fabrics, great furniture. It's all about being surrounded by beauty and trying to make something of it. And I get to collaborate with fun people.

Who are some of your more recognizable clients?
Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Phoebe Cates and Kevin Kline, and Tommy Tune.

Do you find that the celebrities you design for bring a lot to the table?
I suppose people involved in the arts tend to think more creatively about their surroundings, and certainly I've found that clients in the movies and theater know how to collaborate. A lot of times they'll be on the road for work, staying in hotels, while I do the job. They'll send back ideas from hotel bathrooms and places like that.