UNIONWORKS
Poonam Khanna is a New York City-based designer known for work that is at once luxurious, discreet, and inviting. Her approach is informed as much by her education as by her life experiences and pursuits. Poonam was born in Chandigarh, India, a city planned by famed architect Le Corbusier, graduated from Brown, and holds master’s degrees in architecture from Parsons and Columbia University. She began her career in the public sector in urban planning and housing, having focused on public architecture in her schooling. Before long, a fortuitous opportunity opened the door into a career in designing luxury interiors for private clients. These experiences, disparate but equally pivotal, crystallized the philosophy that has guided her ever since: “More than anything else,” she says, “design is emotional and deeply personal.”
Collaboration is inherent to design, but for Poonam it is the very essence of her practice. When she founded her studio in 2007, she named it Unionworks to honor the alchemy of designers, clients, and architects behind every project. There is a thoughtfulness there, a kind of intentionality, that is palpable in both her work and the experience of working with her. “I don’t limit myself by design discipline or style,” she notes. “I’m driven by curiosity and guided by empathy.” Poonam’s projects—which have been featured in 1st Dibs, Architectural Digest, Elle Décor, Interior Design, House & Garden UK, and Vogue Living, among other publications—span residential and hospitality interiors, fashion showrooms, and upscale retail brands and offices. Recent commissions include a Soho as well as a Charleston store for Loeffler Randall, a Brooklyn townhouse, a home in Sag Harbor, a townhouse in Brooklyn, a home in upstate New York, and an estate in Rhode Island. In 2021, Poonam was named to the prestigious Elle Décor A List. Poonam is a guest editor for Homes & Gardens.
Poonam maintains a primary office in Manhattan and has a satellite studio space in Philadelphia. She lives with her husband, son, and two rescue dogs.
