Your Design Team

We’re passionate, experienced and innovative - most importantly, we’re here to help.

Our consultants are well trained and well versed in many different interior design styles. Every home is unique with different spaces, tastes and lifestyles; our aim is to help find and create the best solution for you. We want to help you fall in love with your home again.

We’ve assembled a team of consultants with diverse backgrounds and repeatedly proven track records to help you achieve your full design potential. Sklar has an incredible variety of on-trend pieces. If our selection doesn’t quite fit your vision, our design team will go above and beyond to find or create exactly what you’re looking for. We stand by our philosophy: it’s Your Space, Your Lifestyle, and Your Choice.

Frank Castellan – Director of Sales and Design

Frank Castellan recently relocated to Florida and has joined the Sklar team as Director of Sales and Design. Previously he was Senior Vice President of a high end retail furniture company in New York for 35 years.


Frank Castellan – Director of Sales and Design

Frank has impressive expertise in sales, operations, staffing, training, buying and merchandising. With a strong background in management, Frank possesses strengths in mentoring and coaching team members resulting in increased productivity. In addition, he brings a unique talent for sales which adds to his skills in delegating, organization and supervision.

Sonia Lise Longchamp – ASID Interior Design Director

With over 30 years of experience, Sonia oversees Sklar’s design department. The many awards her projects have won prove her success in both residential and commercial design.


Sonia Lise Longchamp – ASID Interior Design Director

Sonia’s passion started young, learning from her father while on the job as he built homes across Canada and Florida. She went on to graduate from the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale to become a professional member of ASID and a Florida licensed designer. She has won several well-deserved awards including the ASID Medalist Award – the highest honor a Chapter can bestow on a member. Her high profile designs can be found across the US and has been praised in many publications including Palm Beach Illustrated, Focus Magazine and the Miami Herald.

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Gail Bennett – Designer

Gail Bennett started her career in design over 25 years ago working with a high end furniture showroom.


Gail Bennett – Designer

With an expert level of knowledge of interior design concepts, space planning as well as experience with both residential and commercial projects, Gail brings a unique combination of talents to the Sklar Design Team. Her ability to draw information from her clients enables her to design homes that not only reflects their lifestyles, but also stays within the parameters of their budgetary considerations. In addition, Gail pays attention to the fine details that can make designing most enjoyable from conception to completion.

Recognizing that most clients have a sense of how they envision their home but lack the ability to pull it all together, Gail loves the challenge of finding out what their needs are and then working together with them to surpass their expectations. Her unique talent of thinking outside the box has resulted in many rewarding experiences for her clients.

Mae Spence – Designer

Mae’s involvement in the hospitality and travel industry has developed a level of professionalism and attention to detail that transfers into her work as a designer at Sklar Furnishings.


Mae Spence – Designer

She delivers enthusiasm and applies a strong work ethic to all her clients’ needs. As a Florida resident for the last 29 years she has adapted a style unique to our tropical climate that is appreciated by her many northern clients. Mae enjoys design work and extends a high level of attention to any size project. With access to a vast selection of luxury contemporary furnishings, accessories, window, wall and floor coverings she is able to install any size project. Mae listens carefully to her clients’ needs and delivers the project exactly as the client envisioned their home with style and sophistication.

Things I’m Loving Now

Kathy Bootle – Designer

Kathy has been involved with the furniture and design industry for over 25 years. Originally from a city once known as the “textile center of the world”, Greenville, S.C., she developed a love for fabrics, color and textures. This combined with a love for art and furniture design led her to a long career in the field.


Kathy Bootle – Designer

Kathy has been involved with the furniture and design industry for over 25 years. Originally from a city once known as the “textile center of the world”, Greenville, S.C., she developed a love for fabrics, color and textures. This combined with a love for art and furniture design led her to a long career in the field.

After graduating from the University of S.C.   Kathy moved to Atlanta where she was a showroom Mgr. at the Atlanta Merchandising Mart.  There she managed and merchandised multiple showrooms which included working the Atlanta and High Point furniture markets. She next moved to Florida where she began enjoying a career in interior design as the resident designer for a high-end contemporary showroom in Ft. Lauderdale. The opportunity led her to DCOTA where she managed high end contemporary showrooms such as Nicoletti  Italia and Michael Taylor Designs.

Kathy’s philosophy is simple…”I believe inspiration starts and ends with the client and their unique challenges.  My objective is to listen closely to my client’s needs and create a space that mirrors their lifestyle and personalities.”  “At Sklar, I am able to combine my love for fabrics, color, original art and an extensive array of contemporary products to make the client’s vision come true.”

Your space, your lifestyle, your choice.

Things I’m Loving Now

Gail Zaff – Designer

At the early age of eleven Gail’s passion for design was already strong. Her love for textiles and clothing design formed her early years and lead to her passion for fabric, texture and color.


Gail Zaff – Designer

Gail’s clients are drawn to her ability as a designer, her enthusiasm and dedication to their project. As a 17-year resident of South Florida, Gail has adapted her love of contemporary and traditional styles into a design style that is relevant to our clientele. She graduated from Boston College with a degree in fine arts, which prepared her for a teaching career in fine art. Later, she attended Rhode Island School of Design where she was trained in interior design. This education prepared her to work as a designer in the Boston area for many years.

Carolyn Gross – Designer

Prior to joining the team in 2003, Carolyn graduated from The Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale with a degree in Interior Design and worked for design firms and showrooms throughout South Florida and Dallas, TX.


Carolyn Gross – Designer

Prior to joining the team in 2003, Carolyn graduated from The Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale with a degree in Interior Design and worked for design firms and showrooms throughout South Florida and Dallas, TX.
She has developed a devoted clientele by creating beautiful rooms that reflect their taste and lifestyle. “It’s so exciting to start a new project with a client and then see how happy they are when their new space is completed.” Her attention to detail and professionalism has also earned her the respect of outside Designers that bring their clients in to shop with her.
Carolyn’s signature aesthetic is clean, sophisticated, and modern, but she is comfortable working in any style and delivering a look that is classic and timeless. She is proficient in all of the design services that Sklar offers including space planning, custom window treatments, and bedding, and can help you select the perfect paint colors, flooring, and other finishes.
Whether you are looking for that “just right” piece to finish a room, or have an entire home to furnish, she is sure to exceed your expectations.

Kay Smith – Designer

Kay’s innate ability to interpret her clients’ taste and lifestyle combined with her exceptional flair for color and sophisticated style are the foundations of her success.


Kay Smith – Designer

Kay is an accomplished, creative high-end designer with over 30 years experience in Interior Design. After moving to Florida from Baltimore, Maryland, she completed her design degree with honors at the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale. Kay owned her own design firm, Interior Dynamics, Inc. She served a wide range of residential clientele and had her work featured in Florida Design Magazine. Now at Sklar, Kay is excited by the daily challenge to create, unique, innovative design and to exceed the expectations of her clients.

Thing I’m Loving Now

  • Coral Table Lamp in Orange (K215 Living)
  • Delmar Chair in Copper (American Leather)
  • Grey Linens with Orange Pillows (Wildcat Territory Linens- Eli)
  • Orange/Copper Sheeting with Williamsburg Blue (Wildcat Territory Linens – River)
  • White Linens with a Touch of Orange Pillows (Wildcat Territory Linens – Tyler)

Michele Dixon – Designer

Her philosophy is simple - The design process should be a joy for her clients and the ultimate goal is for their home to be a true reflection of themselves and their lifestyle.


Michele Dixon – Designer

Michele has been in the home furnishings and design industry for close to 30 years after graduating from UCLA with a BA in Fine Art. With a strong background in color and composition, interior design became an instinctual passion. She gained experience designing in California and Boston before moving to Florida to start a job at DCOTA. Michele’s wide array of experience encompasses a strong knowledge of design as well as furnishings and fabrics. The opportunity to express these design esthetics and talents at Sklar Furnishings, with its wide array of support services, further enhances her ability to help clients to achieve their personal vision.

Things I’m Loving Now

Marina Chemerisov – Designer

With over 30 years of experience in all aspects of retail, Marina incorporates inspiration from colored stones, gems, architecture, nature, and fashion into her designs here at Sklar.


Marina Chemerisov – Designer

After moving to New York from the Ukraine, Marina graduated from City University of New York, Baruch College, and began her career designing and selling jewelry at an upscale New York store. This sparked her passion and led to her becoming the manager of a jewelry boutique, where she enjoyed more freedom in designing jewelry and interacting with clients. Marina moved to Florida 11 years ago, and became part of the Sklar Design Team in February 2015. Today, with over 30 years of experience in all aspects of retail, Marina incorporates inspiration from colored stones, gems, architecture, nature, and fashion into her designs here at Sklar.

Sara Koenig – Designer

Sara joins us from New York where she was in the carpet business for over 30 years. Her passion for design and color has brought her to Sklar Furnishings.


Sara Koenig – Designer

With her personality and excellence in customer service, the process of selecting and acquiring furniture becomes a very enjoyable experience.

Bianca Torres – Designer

With over 15 years of experience in luxury retail, Bianca has worked with the most cutting edge design manufacturers and has delivered state of the art projects domestically and internationally, always making sure customers' needs are respected and fulfilled.


Bianca Torres – Designer

With over 15 years of experience in luxury retail, Bianca has worked with the most cutting edge design manufacturers and has delivered state of the art projects domestically and internationally, always making sure customers’ needs are respected and fulfilled.
A firm believer in building long lasting relationships, Bianca is a citizen of the world;  originally from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, she has lived in an array of different countries, which has helped her greatly in her inspiration for out of the box concept designs.

Andres Silva – Florida Registered Interior Designer

Andres' ability to create spectacular interiors along with the time and attention he dedicates to each client help to create successful results and builds relationships that last a lifetime.


Andres Silva – Florida Registered Interior Designer

Andres started out his career by studying architecture in his native Colombia, then went on to studying interior design in Florida.  He joined the Sklar team after 10 years of having his own design studio where he designed several projects in New York, New Jersey, and Florida.  He has worked alongside builders and architects to build dream homes for various clients.

Designer Tips & How To's

  • An Introduction To: Marble Types

    Synonymous with luxury, marble is a classic material that is always popular. To get technical, marble is a metamorphic stone composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals that is relatively soft and porous; within that category are a wide range of different marble types.

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  • How To: Bring Color Into your Kitchen

    White kitchens are crisp, clean and always in style. But maybe you’re craving a change. If so, an injection of color may be just what you’re looking for, letting you brighten up the room without going to the extreme of remodelling.

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  • How To: Care for Your Acrylic and Polycarbonate Furniture

    Whether colored or clear, acrylic and polycarbonate furnishings are enjoying a major fashion moment. On their own these pieces are fun and contemporary, but they also work beautifully in transitional style homes; pieces like the Louis Ghost Chair explicitly combine classic shapes with this most modern of materials with refreshing results.

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  • How To: Make Color Contrast Work

    Contrast in interior design creates all-important visual interest, but the line between contrast and clash can be pretty fine. When it comes to colors, how different is too different to work together in your home? These tips will help you navigate the potential minefield of contrast.

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  • How To: Transform a Tiny Room

    Every home has its awkward spaces. Whether it’s an office, a guest bedroom or a half-bath, tiny rooms present challenges in terms of both decor and intelligent use of space. Our design experts have assembled a few tips and tricks to help you make the most of what you’ve got.

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  • How To: Position Chandeliers and Sconces

    If you have decided to install a new chandelier or a set of sconces in your home, it’s likely that you’ve spent some time agonizing over their placement. Getting it right can seem like more of an art form than an exact science, but there are a few easy-to-follow rules that can help enormously.

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