About

Raelyn Capozzi // Owner

Raelyn is the Founder and Principal Designer of West End Interiors. With a BFA in Interior Design, Raelyn has twelve years of experience in the design field. Following her lifelong entrepreneurial urge, she started West End to bring a fresh take on design to her hometown, Buffalo, NY—but it quickly grew from her dining room table to a Main Street studio with a staff of eight, projects ranging in scale from powder rooms to new-builds, and clients from New York to California.

Raelyn creates beautifully balanced spaces that feel refreshingly modern and classic. Quality custom millwork is at the heart of Raelyn’s design practice, and she is known for clean lines and unexpected and unique details. She works collaboratively with highly skilled local craftspeople, including her husband Jon (Old Growth Ski Co.).

Raelyn can usually be found at the West End studio but finds a way to spend a lot of time traveling and visiting new places with Jon and their two dogs, Milo and Daisy.

Claire Gambacorta // Partner // Senior Designer

Claire joined the West End team in 2019 after completing her BFA in Interior Design while working for local fabrication, retail, and design firms. She has quickly progressed from Design Assistant to our Senior Designer. She leads large-scale design projects, from new builds to historic renovations, while also mentoring our Junior and Associate designers. Claire’s sharp organizational skills, as well as her excellent eye for layering details and materials, result in well-executed designs with unique character.

Claire and her dog Finn are avid hikers, and she keeps the studio apprised of all things Buffalo Bills and TikTok.

Edward Henriquez // Associate Designer

Ed joined the West End design team as a beloved intern while completing his BFA in Interior Design. Upon graduating in May 2022, Ed was immediately promoted to Associate Designer. During his tenure at West End, he has taken our construction build document protocol to new heights. He works with our entire team on project designs and material-sourcing under the direction of our Principal and Senior Designers.

Ed loves to travel and explore new cities and always has the best restaurant tips.

Joanna Gillespie // Studio Manager

Joanna is an integral part of our team with her background as a private art consultant, creative project manager, and her MA in Art and Architectural History. Her skillset and attention to detail make her well-suited for an array of design-related tasks. While we grew our studio over the past few years, she handled every design assistant and back-office role—specifying materials, managing warehouse receiving, accounting, and improving our internal systems. Currently, Joanna serves as our Studio Manager and Procurement Lead.

Joanna is a freelance art consultant and writer for niche brands.

Laura Harris // Accountant

Laura joined the West End team in 2022 as our Accountant. She has MBA in accounting and is a New York-licensed CPA with ten years of experience in accounting, financial reporting, and business procedure improvement. Our Spreadsheet Queen, she keeps our back office organized with billing and accounts receivable and has expanded her role to include new client inquiries.

Laura is a mom, an amazing cook, and loves to spend time in nature.

Caryn Dujanovich // Hospitality Consultant

Caryn joined the West End team in 2020 after working with us as a client on her Ellicottville, NY restaurant, West Rose. With her extensive background in retail merchandising and visuals combined with her expertise in function and layout, Caryn advises on our commercial projects and is a great compliment to our design team. 

Caryn is co-owner of four successful restaurants: West Rose (Ellicottville, NY), The Grange Community Kitchen (Hamburg, NY), and The Grange Outpost (Orchard Park, NY), and Wayland Brewing Company (Orchard Park, NY).

Hillary // Drafting

Located in Rochester, NY, Hillary is a seasoned designer with expertise in commercial and residential interiors. Following the completion of her B.A. in Psychology, she opted to redirect her career and pursue a formal education in interior design to align with her true passion. Hillary's fervor for design revolves around colors, materials, and furniture, and she frequently immerses herself in daydreams of transforming spaces.

Hillary practices modern dance, explores the Adirondack Mountains through hiking and skiing, and enjoys checking out all the best local restaurants.

Michael Reyes // Landscape Design

Michael has nearly 20 years of experience in the garden and nursery industry and holds a BFA in Print Media. He began working with West End in 2023, providing thoughtful and site-specific arrangements for styled shoots. Michael will be stepping into a new role to provide our clients with elevated garden designs that complement their projects, emphasizing native and unique plantings.

Michael owns The Plot, a floral studio specializing in bespoke wedding designs and growing distinctive cut flowers. If he’s not in the garden, you can probably find him in an antique store or cruising around the city on his bike.

Kelly Peters // Operations

Kelly started as a West End client before joining our studio team in 2022. She holds an MBA in Business Administration and has over fifteen years of experience in account and product operational roles. Kelly keeps our inventory in ship shape, receiving our products (thousands of items a month!) and keeping client projects organized for delivery to job sites. She also supports our design team by assisting with installations and maintaining our sample library.

Kelly is a mom of two and our resident Swiftie with a positive outlook that lifts our entire team.