Among the handful of interior designers who work with the Silicon Valley elite, Dan Fink is one of the busiest. His clients include Facebook co-founder Chris Hughes, investor/entrepreneur Peter Thiel and Thiel’s PayPal co-founder, Max Levchin. Back in 2005, Fink was on track to become one of them; Thiel hired the human biology major as an assistant right out of Stanford. From there, Fink quickly transitioned into the role of advance man for the think-tank retreats that Thiel runs around the world, choosing the locations and staging the meeting areas—his first foray into designing spaces. Five years in, Fink asked Thiel for the chance to decorate his new Manhattan apartment, and Thiel agreed. “The next thing I knew,” says Fink, “Peter’s peers were looking to design homes with someone they trusted.”
Now 32, Fink lives in New York with his husband, fellow designer Thomas O’Brien (the couple is collaborating on a new home-retail venture, Copper Beech, launching this summer in Bellport, Long Island), and travels to see his San Francisco clients monthly. What he doesn’t know yet about curtain hardware he makes up for in tech-world insights. He keeps meetings short but comprehensive and specializes in layouts that are highly adaptable. “I often have to create forum-like seating where people can have discussions,” says Fink. “They want comfort, practicality—and places to breed ideas.” danfinkstudio.com