BTS: Inside the Studio

Here in North Coastal San Diego, we take a peek inside my design studio. The goal: Create a private sanctuary in this 1940s bungalow so it feels apart from the beach-town buzz. The challenge: Preserve the original bones. Design tends to imitate life in so many ways. Because here in this little house, I had to practice restraint and leverage the light for it to operate as a refuge. A place honed for focus.

Lighting Up Minimalism

There’s themes in my design. Privacy is central. Vintage is a big one. And light. Light always has its own way of organizing a space. I frosted the front windows to diffuse afternoon light and drown out the visual street noise. I wanted to avoid the heaviness of a drape. Overhead, I installed these vintage orbs from the Netherlands. They have a celestial appeal come nighttime. Throughout the space, I enlisted art, 70s lamps and vintage ceramics from my collection alongside heroic pieces like this Danish teak desk. Meanwhile, the neutral rugs are on repeat, providing continuity and a neutral base, which is vital, since I design so many of my other projects here.

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