Conversations with those who create the occasion.
Samantha Sano
Designing spaces that feel intentional, sensory, and quietly magnetic.
Samantha Sano is the Founder and Executive Creative Director of SWOON, the design studio behind Teaspoon’s visual identity and launch atmosphere. Known for her instinctive understanding of environment and detail, she creates spaces that are immersive, layered, and felt as much as they are seen. Her work is rooted in storytelling, sensory experience and thoughtful restraint.
Presence & Mindset
How she slows down...
Working out is critical for me. I’ve learned that if I don’t move my body regularly, I’m just not my best self, so I try to prioritize it throughout the week to keep my sanity.
And this might sound strange, but I actually like having to drive to my workouts. I don’t get a ton of time to myself, so those twenty minutes in the car, on the way there and back, are part of the ritual. It’s a small pocket of quiet time where I can think, reset, and clear my head.
Hosting & Atmosphere
How she approaches hosting...
Hosting at home is one thing, but when we host through Swoon, we think about it more like bringing people into an environment.
Whether it’s an installation, an intimate dinner, or a 500-person event, our goal is always the same. We want to create a moment that is so immersive that people stop thinking about everything else, even if just for a moment.
We design for all the senses: lighting, music, scent, and mood. We also obsess over the smallest details, because those are often the things that make people feel something. At Swoon, we always say ‘make your own magic,’ and the details are the magic.
"Most people don’t consciously notice them, but they feel them."
Lifestyle & Rituals
What makes a space feel like hers...
Wood and incense are always present in my home.
My dad has been a lifelong woodworker, and being surrounded by wood feels deeply calming to me. Sometimes it’s the look of it. Sometimes it’s the smell, whether it’s fresh-cut wood or a fire burning in the fireplace.
It’s one of those sensory things that instantly makes a space feel grounded. It feels like home.
Taste & Aesthetics
What sparks her creativity...
Storytelling, without a doubt.
When I start something new, I tend to become obsessive, in the best way. Whether it’s learning to wood carve, which runs in my family, creating the Touch Grass installation at Shop Swoon, or working on our new hotel in Glen Rose, I get completely locked in.
I love digging into the lineage of things. The stories, the how-to, the process, and questioning everything along the way. That curiosity is always running in the background of my brain.
My friends and family will tell you that when I get interested in something, I go all the way in.
"Sparking a new creative obsession is probably one of my favorite and most maddening things about myself."
The Teaspoon Moment
Looking back on the launch...
It’s been such an honor to work on this brand. So much of the studio touched it, from branding and packaging to photography, art direction, and writing.
When it was time to launch it, I wanted to get my hands on the experience. We wanted it to feel warm, transportive, and full of a cool romance.
For me, the magic came from the tension between three elements: the dramatic overhead floral installation, the video projection, and the ultra-modern stainless steel custom bar.
Teaspoon Takeaways
A small habit that improves your day...
10 minutes in the sauna.
A hosting shortcut you rely on...
An epic charcuterie board is always on the ready at my house. It’s my crutch, for sure.
One thing you always invest in for your home...
Lighting. Good lighting makes all the difference in the world.
