Ross Thiele & Son is a fourth-generation family business founded in San Diego, California by Ross Thiele in 1932.

 

Ross’s design life began working in the furnishings and design department of Marston’s, a prominent department store in downtown San Diego, assisting customers to select luxury furnishings for their homes. In 1927, Ross travelled to Spain at the request of store’s owner and local philanthropist, George Marston, in search of antique furniture for a new building he had commissioned – San Diego’s Junipero Serra Museum. He travelled with Arthur Byne, the antiques buyer for William Randolph Hearst, who guided and educated Ross on historic furniture and sourcing abroad. It was from this experience and subsequent travel to Europe that inspired Ross to open his own interior design business and serve the emerging growth and European architectural influences developing in southern California.

 

The business first opened as Ross Thiele Interiors in 1932 on the corner of Fifth Avenue and Laurel Street in Bankers Hill, offering interior design services with a specialty in providing European antique furniture.

 

The business grew for several years from Bankers Hill and then, in 1942, moved to 1227 Prospect Street in downtown La Jolla. The existing brick-fronted building with its central courtyard was used both as a showroom for elegantly presented furnishings as well as workspace for custom goods. A few years after the move, Ross’s son, John Thiele, joined the business and it was renamed Ross Thiele & Son.

 

John’s design education at the New York School of Interior Design and his keen business sense expanded the business’s design services to reach more customers. He ran the business and team from Prospect Street for several decades and then, in 1982, Ross Thiele & Son moved to a new building at 7425 Girard Avenue in La Jolla. Similar to Prospect Street, the new building featured a furniture showroom but was also equipped with multiple design workspaces, meeting space and a materials library to support the business’s growing design services.

 

In 1987, John’s daughter, Elizabeth Thiele Barkett, became the third generation to join the business. With Elizabeth’s inherent talent and training at the Design Institute of San Diego combined with the growth of the local design and construction industry, the business’s services expanded further to include design for new construction and whole-house refurbishment projects. Sourcing trips to Europe continued to be part of the business but focused on sourcing furniture and fixtures for specific projects rather than for the showroom only. Ross Thiele & Son has since been a design studio offering full interior design services and custom home furnishings as well as having a retail showroom.

 

In 2020, Elizabeth’s nephew and John’s grandson, Ian Thiele-Long, became the fourth generation to join the business. Fully qualified with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Interior Design, his professional career began in 2006 with seven years designing luxury resort hotels in the United States and Europe for major brands including Ritz-Carlton and Four Seasons. During this time, he relocated to London for this work. Since 2013, Ian has focused exclusively on residential projects – designing and delivering single-family private residences and luxury development projects in central London, Asia and the United States.

 

In 2025, Ross Thiele & Son relocated to new premises in San Diego and expanded to the UK. The
UK office, based in Cambridgeshire and led by Ian, offers full interior design services and bespoke furnishings across East Anglia, the UK and internationally.