Designer Spotlight: Lucie Ayres
Continuing our series in which spotlight some of our very talented designer customers, this week we are featuring Lucie Ayres of 22 Interiors. Born in the Czech Republic and currently residing and working in Los Angeles, Lucie's work has both European and Californian influences. Read on for a Q&A with her and a look at some of the beautiful interiors she has created.
Q: How would you describe your design sense?
A: Soulful European meets playful Californian
Q: How did you get into design?
A: I was born into design. I started as a 7 year old girl rearranging furniture in my room constantly. My father was a carpenter and made furniture. My mother has a residential development firm. It's in my blood clearly!
Q: What’s your design philosophy?
A: Design to create an experience that feels good.
Q: What’s your favorite part about being a designer?
A: Using both creative and analytic parts of my brain.
Q: What helps you stay organized?
A: Systems. I love Asana (project and task management), Boomerang for Gmail (scheduled sending and email reminders), and IvyMark (software for interior designers) - could NOT survive without any of those.
Q: What keeps you sane?
A: Systems (see above)
Q: How do you come up with the color palette for a room?
A: The client's feedback on colors, the light of a room, the purpose of that room, and the mood I want to evoke.
Q: What's your go-to pillow size?
A: 22 x 22
Q: What are the apps you can't live without?
A: Boomerang for Gmail, Instagram, and Pinterest
Q: Are you a morning or night person?
A: Morning all the way
Q: What's a color you never tire of?
A: Navy blue
Q: What's on your nightstand?
A: The Happiness Hypothesis, a Kindle, and the Arne Jacobsen clock
1. Flower: Dahlia & Peony
2. Favorite Arianna Belle pillows: Any of the Solid Velvet Pillows - they're my go to's - love them (shown above: Flame and Purple), Le Zebre Black and Leopard
3. No-regrets home splurge: High quality bedding - I love Coyuchi bedding - it's divine, and of course Sferra is classic and crisp and never disappoints.
4. Go-to paint: Anything by Drikolor
5. Luxury Candle: Armatura by Fornasetti
6. Artist: Shana Frase
7. Coffee Table books: James Turrell: A Retrospective by Michael Govan and Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty by Andrew Bolton
8. Style Icon: Kelly Wearstler and Cleopatra
9. Everyday Outfit: White T-shirt & Jeans
10. Place to Shop for Vintage Pieces: Rose Bowl Flea Market in Pasadena
11. Guilty pleasure: High quality bedding (see #3 above)
----
To learn more about Lucie Ayres, visit her website and social media profiles:
Website: www.22interiors.com
Facebook: 22 INTERIORS
Instagram: @22interiors
photography by: Amy Barlam
Are you an interior designer or decorator?
Join our Trade Program for exclusive benefits!
----
Using an Anchor Fabric as a Design Springboard
In her recently released book, Dream Design Live, award-winning interior decorator Paloma Contreras gives us an insight into her design process.
She reveals that when working on a new project, early on, she'll select an anchor fabric to be the impetus for the overall vision of the room.
The anchor fabric is typically a fabric that she is very inspired by and whose colors and pattern serve as a springboard for subsequently selecting complementary fabrics, trims, rugs, window treatments, and other pieces.
Since she typically uses solid fabrics on larger pieces of furniture, the anchor fabric is usually reserved for smaller pieces such as pillows. Small doses of a fabulous fabric goes a long way towards adding personality and making a statement in the room.
We were so honored that Paloma chose to feature our pillows in her book (pg 77!) and list us in the recommended Resources section. Below are her picks for which of our pillows she'd use as anchors and which other pillows she'd combine them with:
Pillow Combinations That Start With an Anchor Fabric
SHOP ALL OF PALOMA'S PICKS >>
For more on Paloma's design process, inspiration and tips, be sure to pick up her book!
Designer Spotlight: Shannon Claire Smith
Continuing our series in which we spotlight some of our favorite interior designer customers, today we are featuring Shannon Claire Smith. This DC based designer creates interiors that are feminine with a bit of edginess and a dash of modernity and oddity. Read on for a Q&A with her - she tells us about her daily rituals, what helps her stay organized, what design mistakes she sees people commonly make, her favorite place to shop for vintage pieces and more.
Q: How did you get into design?
A: I capitalized on a life-long passion of decorating and re-arranging things by starting a blog in 2010. I blogged about decorating my first home, and it grew and grew, and then I realized I could turn it into a career.
Q: What’s your design philosophy?
A: I love creating beautiful spaces - I believe that surrounding yourself with beautiful things makes you feel more beautiful, and more like yourself.
I always suggest that clients include one odd or weird thing in their room, which I include in my design. It's fun to have a conversation starter piece, or something that keeps a space from feeling too precious.
Q: Do you have any daily rituals or routines that you feel have really served you?
A: As a business owner, it's really easy to get bogged down in the day-to-day craziness of trying to be everywhere and everyone at once. One of the most valuable things that I've done to ensure that I don't lose my mind is to set Mondays and Fridays aside for a specific purpose.
Mondays are my administrative days - I work on my editorial calendar, invoicing, and administrative tasks, basically everything that needs to be done on the back end. It ensures that I start the week off really prepared to tackle the actual in-person work, and it makes the Sunday Scaries a little easier because it's a much softer entrance into the work week.
I leave Fridays free of meetings and installs so that I have a day to accomplish all of the things that I inevitably didn't finish during the week. It makes it much easier to disconnect for the weekend, which is so important!
Q: What do you do when you have a creative block?
A: Go to a museum or a walk outside. Living in DC, I'm really lucky to have beautiful architecture and art just outside my doorstep!
Q: What helps you stay organized?
A: I could not live without Google Drive and Trello! Both help me stay on task and organized, and I can access either when I'm on site or out of office.
Q: What keeps you sane?
A: Wine and Netflix
Q: What are your go-to pillow sizes?
A: I am a sucker for Euro pillows and shams - a bed doesn't look complete without them.
Q: What's your favorite type of room to design and why?
A: In DC, I'm really lucky to be able to work on lots of different kinds of projects - offices, townhouses, single family homes, condos, and studio apartments. I have a soft spot for small space design - it's like a fun puzzle :)
Q: Color I never tire of...
A: Pink, it's not just for millennials or girls!
Q: What's a design mistake you see people commonly make?
A: Scale! People don't pay enough attention to scale. You may have a pretty photo or a mirror or a chair but none of these things are going to look good in your space unless they are the right size.
Q: What's your ideal Sunday (or day-off)?
A: Catching up on the piles and piles of shelter and fashion magazines that I am addicted to purchasing but never seem to have enough time to read.
Q: Are you a morning or night person?
A: 1000% a night person, but I would be interested in changing that in the future.
Q: On my nightstand...
A: My iPhone (unfortunately), the latest book I don't make enough time to read (currently The Lowland by Jhumpa Lahiri), a glass of water, and a fan pointed directly at my face.
Q: My dream home must have...
A: Lots and lots of natural light
1. No-regrets home splurge: My apartment itself - zero regrets for purchasing a small space in an expensive city!
2. Favorite Arianna Belle pillows: Solid White with Grosgrain Ribbon Border and Pale Pink Linen with Greek Key Border
3. Place to shop for vintage pieces: Slate Interiors in Charlotte, NC, and Chairish (online)
4. Go-to paint color: "Baby Seal Black" by Benjamin Moore
5. Coffee Table books: Places to Go, People to See by Kate Spade
6. Travel destination: Paris, always and forever
7. Style Icon: Brigitte Bardot and Lauren Hutton
8. Artist: Matisse
9. Guilty pleasure: Peanut Butter M&M's
10. Sofa Style: I have a soft spot for a traditional skirted or fringed English roll arm or worn out dark leather Chesterfield
11. Luxury Candle: At the moment, "Nudesse" by Overose Paris, and "Kush" by Boy Smells
12. Set Design: Any Wes Anderson film
----
To learn more about Shannon Claire Smith, visit her website and Instagram profile:
Website: shannonclaireinteriors.com
Instagram: @shannonclaire
Are you an interior designer or decorator?
Join our Trade Program for exclusive benefits!
----
----
Follow this blog with BloglovinFall Mood Board
Shop the Look
More fall decor inspiration >>
A White Bedroom That Isn't Plain
Two key things to note:
- There's a variety of textures, not everything is flat and smooth - notice the texture of the duvet vs. the rattan headboard vs. the linen lampshades.
- There's one standout pattern (the floral pillows in front) and a couple of subtler non-competing patterns (the wallpaper and the polka dotted sheet set)
Shop the Look:
Pyne Hollyhock Charcoal
-
photos courtesy of Monika Hibbs
-
Designers Favorite Go-to White Paint Colors
Compiled from our interviews with some of our favorite interior designers, below is a round-up of five white go-to paint colors (*Tip: Save this post to your Pinterest board for future reference!):
Designer Spotlight - Kate + Amanda
Continuing our series in which we spotlight some of our favorite interior designer customers, today we are featuring Kate and Amanda, a Toronto-based duo. The women are long time friends with a shared passion for design, who decided to become business partners. Read on for a Q&A with them and a look at some of the stylish interiors that have resulted from their collaborative efforts.
Q: How would you describe your design sense/style/aesthetic?
A: Warm, clean, neutral and family oriented.
Q: How did you get into design?
A: We loved design and both had done several renovations of our own. We fell into it after that.
Q: What’s a typical day like for you?
A: I pick Kate up and we debrief on all things personal and business related while we drink our protein shake. We tackle emails, source online or in store, we generally have a client meeting at some point in the day. Followed by a salad somewhere close by. We are fueled by coffee and sour candy (we know this isn't good but can't seem to give it up) until we have to pick up our kids from school. We generally talk or text about work thereafter.
Q: What's on your nightstand?
A: Kate - books and a diffuser.
Amanda - Aesop hand cream and a remote.
Q: What helps you stay organized?
A: Tomiko our Project Manager. She is the best thing that ever happened to us and we would be a mess without her!
Q: What's a color you never tire of?
A: Is white a color?
Q: No home is complete without...
A: A great sofa.
Q: What are your go-to pillow sizes?
A: 20 x 20 and a lumbar.
Q: What keeps you sane?
A: Each other. A huge part of our success is our partnership and how much we rely on one another to make the best decisions possible for our clients.
Q: What are some of your dream home must-haves?
A: Lots of windows, natural light and a view of the water.
1. Flower: peony, tulip, hydrangea, & ranunculus
2. No-regrets home splurge: an amazing kitchen or the Restoration Hardware Cloud Sofa
3. Artist: Amy Judd
4. Go-to paint color: Oxford White Benjamin Moore
5. Favorite Arianna Belle pillows: Beatrice Bouquet Indigo, Channels Ebony and Ivory, Solid White with Grosgrain Ribbon Border
6. Luxury Candle: Coqui Coqui Coco
7. Guilty pleasure: Sour Jujubes & wine
8. Artist: Cy Twombly
9. Everyday outfit: boots, sweater, & jeans
10. Favorite Design tip: less is more
----
To learn more about Kate + Amanda, visit their website and Instagram profile:
Website: kateandamandadesign.com
Social Media: @kateandamandadesign
---
Are you an interior designer or decorator?
Join our Trade Program for exclusive benefits!
----
----
Follow this blog with BloglovinBehind the Scenes: A Peek Inside Our Studio
Here's where the magic happens!
Designer Spotlight - Lindsay Pennington
Continuing our series in which we spotlight some of our favorite interior designers, today we are featuring Lindsay Pennington, a Kentucky native with a background in law, who now serves residential clients in Los Angeles and New York. Read on for a Q&A with her and a look at some of the elegantly eclectic spaces she has created.
Q: What’s your design philosophy?
A: I seek to create highly personal, layered, and inviting rooms for my clients to live and work in. While there are some touchstones to many of my designs--liberal use of color and pattern, and an emphasis on the expressiveness of artwork, books, and accessories--because none of my clients are the same, I strive to take their personalities and think about how they are going to use their homes, and translate that into a material space that reflects them, makes them comfortable, and facilitates their ease of use at the end of a busy day. What's most important to me is delivering to them a home that feels and looks like them, not me.
Q: What’s a typical day like for you?
A: I'm sure most designers can relate--although I try to plan my days, something always comes up, and it's this unexpectedness and spontaneity in my career that keeps things exciting.
I always start with lots of Peet's French Roast coffee (made at home), help my sons get ready for school, drop them off, and then take my three dogs to the park for some exercise and zen time.
Because Los Angeles is such a big city, geographically, I have my office at home where I keep all of my sample libraries and client files.
At least three days a week, I'm driving to clients' homes for in-person meetings, because it's so important to maintain face-to-face contact and keep the lines of communication open. There are so many things that we can learn about each other just by spending time together, and this helps me put myself in their shoes when sourcing items or making decisions with builders, architects, and sub-contractors.
When I'm not driving, much of my time is spent doing the necessary follow-up on purchase orders and deliveries--the back office paperwork we all would like to avoid but simply have to do.
Finally, for installations and photo shoots, I run around like a crazy person for days, sourcing those last minute accessories to make everything come together and feel richer and more lived-in.
Q: Are you a morning or night person?
A: Morning! I'm still astonished when people text or call me after 9 pm, as though they might be able to reach me.
Q: What do you do when you have a creative block?
A: I have a massive collection of interior design, architecture, and gardening books, and I love to sit down with them in a quiet place when I feel I need some inspiration. Each time I look at photos of rooms or buildings I admire, I take in something different, and usually the solution to a creative problem will arise. Creativity is not something that can be forced, so I also allow myself to take a walk, or talk to my children about their days at school, and giving myself that break can free up mental space for inspiration to appear.
Q: What keeps you sane?
A: Coffee, SoulCycle, a hot bath, and a good book.
Q: What helps you stay organized?
A: If there were a magic wand for organization, I'd love to use it. In the meantime, I take a lot of notes and photos, and try to document most decisions in emails between me and the clients and other principals involved. Texting is easy but it can get out of control very quickly!
Q: Whats apps can you not live without?
A: Instagram, Waze, and FlyDelta.
Q: No home is complete without...
A: A bed with clean sheets, artwork, books, colorful rugs, textiles, and dogs.
Q: What are your go-to pillow sizes?
A: For sofas, 20 inch squares and 18 inch squares with a lumbar in the center, depending on the size of the sofa. For beds, I love 26 inch Euro shams.
Q: What are some of your dream home must-haves?
A: A white picket fence. (Doesn't everyone?)
Q: What's a color you never tire of?
A: Black, red, and green.
Q: What’s your favorite part about being a designer?
A: My absolute favorite part about being a designer is working with clients. It's such a pleasure to help them bring their dreams and ideas for their homes to life, to make them warm, comfortable and welcoming for them and their families. I also learn so much from them: how to be a better listener, how to be a better communicator, and how to have more patience.
Q: What's on your nightstand?
A: A Ralph Lauren lamp, four books, a glass of water, and Carmex.
1. Go-to Paint Color: Benjamin Moore White Dove
2. No-regrets home splurge: A custom, green velvet St. Thomas-style sofa
3. Design Book(s): ALL of Jeffrey Bilhuber's books
4. Guilty Pleasure: Ruffles potato chips
5. Favorite Arianna Belle pillows: Le Zebre Black, La Fiorentina Wine & Magenta, and Les Touches Black
6. Flower: Tulips and anemones
7. Artist: Cecily Brown
8. Restaurant: Cafe Mauro at Fred Segal
9. Luxury Candle: Diptyque Santal
10. Style Icon: Mary-Kate Olsen (even though I don't get to dress like this in real life)
11. Everyday Outfit: Jeans, a silk blouse, and either boots or sneakers
12. Set Design: Call Me By Your Name
13. Travel Destination: Rome!
14. Favorite Design Tip: Keep it clean!
----
To learn more about Lindsay, visit her website and Instagram profile:
Website: lindsaypenningtoninc.com
Instagram: @lindsaypennington
Are you an interior designer or decorator?
Join our Trade Program for exclusive benefits!
----
----
Follow this blog with BloglovinDesigner Spotlight: Jess Weeth
Continuing our series in which we spotlight some of our favorite interior designers, today we are featuring Jess Weeth, a former NCAA tennis player and fashion buyer who decided to pursue her passion for all things home. She currently runs Rehoboth Beach based Weeth Home Co which serves residential clients in the Mid-Atlantic coast. Read on for a fun Q&A with her and a look at some of the beautiful interiors she has designed.
Q: How would you describe your aesthetic?
A: I would describe my aesthetic as fresh, soulful and collected, inspired by life on the Mid-Atlantic coast.
Q: How did you get into design?
A: From a very young age, I've always had a love of color and interiors. I used to cut out furniture from my parents' Horchow and Frontgate catalogues and rearrange the pieces to create my dream home - my little sister hated that I made her play it with me, haha!
I started my career after college in the fashion industry as a buyer; traveling the world from Hong Kong to Turkey to Paris shopping the market and working with factories to make beautiful products.
When I moved back to my small beach hometown in Delaware, my husband and I designed and renovated a fixer upper that caught the attention of friends who began to ask me to design their homes as well. After helping to transform a few spaces for others in our area, I decided to take classes and really pursue my passion.
Q: What’s your favorite part about being a designer?
A: The beginning and the end! I love building out the initial concept boards and I still lose sleep the night before an install/reveal because I love the feeling of seeing a client fall in love with their space.
Q: What do you do when you have a creative block?
A: I am a very tactile person, so I go back to my fabrics and materials library. I play around with the colors and patterns and textures and see if it leads me somewhere new.
Q: What's on your nightstand?
A: Lavender hand lotion and a full glass of ice water that I usually only drink one sip of.
Q: What are some of your dream home must-haves?
A: Huge french doors that lead outside
Q: Are you a morning or night person?
A: Morning
Q: What's your go-to pillow size?
A: 22" x 22: and 12" x 21"
1. Artist: Kevin Fitzgerald, an artist who paints impressionist landscapes of the Eastern shore
2. Travel destination: Saint-Tropez, France (photo in collage by: Rory Wylie via French Wedding Style)
3. Favorite Arianna Belle pillows: Navy Linen with Greek Key Border - classic and bold, Leopard Linen -such a classic that brings a pop of fun to any space, and Java Java in Navy - a staple for adding textural pattern to coastal palettes.
4. Restaurant: Little Owl, NYC
5. No-regrets home splurge: Our vintage double horse lamp
6. Style Icon: Jane Birkin
7. Flower: Protea
8. Design tip: Invest in good rugs that fit your space. It will be a purchase you never regret!
9. Luxury candle: Capri Blue Volcano
----
To learn more about Jess, visit her website and Instagram profile:
Website: weethhomeco.com
Instagram: @jessweethinteriors
Jess Inspired Picks
----
Are you an interior designer or decorator?
Join our Trade Program for exclusive benefits!
----
