“People are into Pole dancing.,” deadpans interior designer Benjamin Noriega-Ortiz. He’s not kidding. “No really, I have two clients who want dancing poles installed in their living rooms. It great for your stomach muscles!” Now there’s a trend that’s going to be hard to pass by a Park Avenue Co Op board. But if it’s what the client wants it’s what Noriega-Ortiz, the founder of BNO Design is going to give them. Clients who go to him want the unexpected. Whether a bold face name, a hotel magnate or real estate developer, those who hire Noriega-Ortiz are in for a unique of-the-moment treat.

It’s not surprising that celebrities appreciate the BNO Design look. They know they are getting something that will be theirs alone. After all, this is the designer who gave Lenny Kravitz, a Lucite piano, a fur-upholstered swing and the design bug too. He’s discrete about working with Kravitz except to say that it was a true collaboration, with musician calling him between sets with design ideas. Currently BNO Design is finishing up an almost 5 year design project for Sean “Diddy” Combs. “Sean has been a great client, but he has so much going on that it is hard to keep his attention!” says Noriega-Ortiz. And the stylist Patricia Fields, client, close friend and fellow fashion-follower, will surely be thrilled not just with her dressing room but rest of her sexy Manhattan abode as well when the finishing touches are installed.

Now while you may think of Noriega-Ortiz is all about glam rock star cribs truth be told he previously worked for John Saladino, one of the masters of modern classicism. Add to that a master’s degree in architecture from The University of Puerto Rico and another on in architecture and urban planning from Columbia University and he’s got the proper academics. This is the background that attracts the regular clientele looking for a comfortable chic home that fits their lifestyles. Which isn’t to say he’s traditionalist. “John taught me that every great room needs something tacky,” points out Noriega Ortiz. “If it is too elegant or chic then it gets boring. I prefer the kids who are customizing their clothes to the lady in the perfect black dress and pearls!”

Fresh and modern in fact is really the way to describe his work. A bit of Lucite here, a mirror there, upholstery in pale colors, the merest hint of a window treatment and some feathers for good measure all add up to the BNO image. “I grew up in San Juan and in the summers if we weren’t on a family vacation we would go to our beach house. My mom would put us in shirts and flip-flops and we’d be outside all day! That carefree lifestyle left its mark on Noriega-Ortiz’s design sensibility. He really doesn’t like curtains of any sort but finds himself using very sheer fabrics to obscure the views and create a thin veil of protection. And while the indoor/outdoor lifestyle of his childhood may not be possible in New York City he does still insist on freedom of movement. “Every room in my apartment has two doors it helps tremendously with the flow. I don’t like feeling trapped.”

Spatial organization is the biggest obstacle to a well designed home according to Noriega-Ortiz. Not just easy flow from one room to the next but even the use of rooms is up for debate with him. “My clients use every room in their house,” he explains. “And I don’t feel you have to subscribe to the normal patterns of use. Make a small den your sleep room and turn the big master into a library. Most Americans don’t take baths so install a great shower. Make the architecture work for your program not theirs.” Of course this has its limits. Take his sister’s home where he installed a bed in the middle of the living room. “That’s how they like to watch TV!” It was all fine and good until his mother showed up, and insisted on a proper sofa for the living room. “Now her kids always have their feet up on the sofa or coffee table and they aren’t as comfortable as they could have been!”

Last year Noriega–Ortiz went into business with his partner Steven Wine, a co-founder of And Bob’s your Uncle Lighting Inc. Rebranded as ABYU Lighting, Noriega-Ortiz now has a stronger hand in the company’s designs, which have been incorporated into BNO Design projects for years. In fact, the feather lampshades and custom light fixtures are part of his design signature. “For me it is a bit of a hobby but for Steven it is his business.” Which in a way mirrors Wine’s participation in BNO Design. “Steven and I always style my interiors together. I don’t like too many tchochkes and he has a great eye for the perfect object.”

The most important part of a project according Noriega-Ortiz is the entrance. “You really want that big first impression when your guests enter your home. It should be dramatic.” And he points out “As every star worth their salt knows a powerful exit is crucial.”