We build homes with memory and soul.
First Sense believes in supporting all the functions of a busy, active 21st century household. We are committed to a thorough and collaborative design process and sustainable practices.
The founder
Polina Shchukina founded First Sense Design after completing her MFA in Interior Design at Pratt Institute. Polina has a passion for craft and creating atmospheric spaces that engage the senses. As a long-time New Yorker raising her family in Brooklyn, she draws inspiration from the energy, history, and diverse art culture of the city, and welcomes collaboration with artists, designers, and fabricators.
Polina’s backstory
Polina grew up in a home full of fabric and rug samples. As a daughter of a garment technologist, she experimented with combining colors, patterns, and textures from an early age. But her journey to becoming an interior designer started with a gut renovation of a run-down townhouse in Brooklyn. While modernizing a 19th century house to fit present-day needs, she learned to work with the idiosyncrasies of the place, and carefully re-imagine the space rather than delete and start anew.
In her practice, her goal is to place a person at the center of design and create an environment that best supports them. Working in close collaboration, she crafts functional layouts, optimizes light, color, and materials, and carefully curates furnishings and artwork. First Sense Design helps transform houses into inspired, functional, and sustainable homes.