Ian Stallings Bio

ian stallings’s work brings together interior design, fine art and cultural engagement. his approach draws on the expressive possibilities of objects, materials and architecture, with an appreciation for the histories they carry. his interiors balance personal meaning and visual character, creating settings shaped by the people who inhabit them.

stallings studied filmmaking and painting at california college of the arts, earning his bachelor of fine arts in 1999. he also studied art history, painting and drawing at the school of the art institute of chicago. this education offered different ways of considering composition, atmosphere and narrative, establishing a foundation for a practice that moves between interiors, exhibitions and cultural projects.

his early career unfolded in film, television and cultural programming in san francisco and new york. working with frameline, mtv networks and oxygen network, he gained experience in the collaborative work of bringing creative projects to an audience. these beginnings inform his interest in how a setting communicates, how details establish mood and how individual elements contribute to a larger story.

in 2008 stallings founded isfad studio, developing an international practice with residential and commercial projects across three continents and seven u.s. states. his work has brought together artists, artisans, fabricators and international partners. for brownstone furniture in china, he designed a 21,000-square-foot flagship showroom, integrating furnishings, lighting, accessories, fine art and architecture into an immersive expression of the brand.

as design director at gary hutton design, stallings brings this experience to a studio where artistic inquiry and craftsmanship are central to the work. his collaboration with hutton encompasses interiors and the presentation of gary hutton furniture, communicating the collection’s sculptural qualities and material character to designers, architects and collectors.

stallings’s engagement with art extends beyond interiors. he established is fine art and design as a san francisco gallery and exhibition platform and founded the wabash international artist residency in 2019. his work in indiana has included community revitalization, adaptive reuse and historic preservation. in 2022 he secured a $100,000 historic-preservation grant for a huntington restoration project, connecting his interest in architecture with the cultural life of a community.

from 2022 to 2024, stallings served on the board of the eli and edythe broad art museum at michigan state university. in 2022 he received an honorary doctor of arts from kendall college of art and design of ferris state university. his involvement in arts organizations, education and community initiatives reflects an enduring interest in the people and institutions that sustain creative life.

selected press

voyagemichigan

luxe interiors + design

spaces

ivy

city pulse

selected design showcases

2018 san francisco decorator showcase—good vibes! meditations on family

2017 san francisco decorator showcase—the age of innocence

2016 san francisco decorator showcase—white witch study

publications

gladden space—pam vitaz: a mother’s work is never finished

2024–2025 gladden space—decorative arts show, in collaboration with isfad studio

2024 gladden space—home in the universe: paul verburg, david king and mary ann lawson

2024 gladden space—mary gillis: studio views

2017 is fine art and design—daniel samaniego: drawings

2017 is fine art and design—colleen flaherty: black & white series

2017–2018 is fine art and design—colleen flaherty: levels

2018 is fine art and design—diane rosenblum: a measure of art

2018 is fine art and design—david king: untitled

2018 is fine art and design—mary ann lawson: drawings

2018 is fine art and design—davy fiveash: untitled

2018–2019 is fine art and design—r&d: diane rosenblum and joe doyle

2019 is fine art and design—david king: new works

2019 is fine art and design—blechmeki: untitled

2019 is fine art and design—steven vasquez lopez: untitled

awards & honors

2022 kendall college of art and design, ferris state university—honorary doctor of arts

2019 wabash city schools—graduate of distinction award

boards & cultural leadership

2022–2024 eli and edythe broad art museum at michigan state university—board member

2024–present gladden space, lansing—founder and director

2019–2023 wabash international artist residency, indiana—founder
is fine art and design, san francisco—founder and director

lagro revitalization and historic preservation, indiana—strategic initiator