[00:00:00] Speaker A: Foreign.
[00:00:08] Speaker B: Hi, welcome back to the Interior Collective. I'm your host, Anastasia Casey, and today I'm thrilled to sit down with Sarah Solis, founder and principal designer of Sarah Solis Design Studio. Sarah has made a name for herself in the design world by embracing a refined, minimalist approach that still feels incredibly warm and full of depth. As many interiors today are leaning towards bold, bright colors and layered patterns, Sarah has perfected a nuanced style rooted in quiet layers. She combines her backgrounds in fine art, architecture and fashion to create spaces that are thoughtfully curated and timeless. In this episode, we will dive into Sarah's unique design philosophy, what she calls the subtle art of restraint, and explore how she creates livable, elegant spaces that feel both layered and minimal. Sarah will walk us through her design process, from selecting textures and materials to achieving that delicate balance between simplicity and richness. We'll also discuss the structure of her design studio, the talented team members who bring her vision to life, and how she approaches pricing for her services.
Finally, we will get an inside look into her latest venture, Galeries Elise, a curated collection of original furniture and textiles that embodies her signature approach to design. This is a conversation about intentionality, craftsmanship, and the art of storytelling through design. I encourage you to take note and begin the practice of refinement in design on your own.
[00:01:29] Speaker C: We are so excited to invite you to dive deeper into the Interior Collective Podcast episodes now on Patreon unlock access to in depth analysis, helpful downloads and worksheets created with each podcast episode. Subscribers gain behind the scenes access to additional resources like examples and screenshots of guest spreadsheets, construction documents, and so much more. Your subscription also gets you immediate access to our private community of interior designers and our team of industry experts ready to answer your questions.
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[00:02:09] Speaker B: If you've been listening to the Interior.
[00:02:11] Speaker C: Collective for a while, you probably have.
[00:02:13] Speaker B: Heard all kinds of software recommendations and maybe even tried a few. But if your system still feels kind of all over the place, I totally get it. That's exactly why I wanted to share Materio that's M A T E R I O. It's an all in one platform built just for interior designers. From concept to install and everything in between. You can try it for
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Hello Sarah and welcome to the show. I am full on fangirling right Now I'm going to try to keep my cool throughout the interview.
[00:02:48] Speaker A: Oh, you're so sweet. I'm the same. I'm the same. I'm so excited to be here.
[00:02:52] Speaker B: I am really excited to talk about our conversation today, because I do. I'm so glad that layers and comfort and texture are, like, so available in design right now. But I think that you have an incredibly artistic way of knowing when to stop, knowing when the story has been told, and not overcrowding that person's environment with noise. And so we're gonna all learn from you today on how exactly we managed to do that. But I wanna go ahead and have you start, Sarah, with your journey into interior design. What were some pivotal influences that shaped your approach and particularly your love for layers, textures, and balance in design?
[00:03:42] Speaker A: Yeah. Thank you so much for seeing that in my work and truly understanding it, because it's a practice. It is a practice to find balance.
I think we experience that in our lives daily, like trying to find. Trying to find work, life, balance, all of that. And if we can use our environments to lead that in our lives, like, hopefully it has some sort of influence and impact. I do believe it has that type of impact in my personal life.
So that's where I start is, you know, trying it out in my own space and. And then also using it in my client spaces as well. My journey was.
I feel like I've had like, a really, like, long, full circle journey. I started loving design, everything, design from a really young age.
And I.
My dad worked in construction and, you know, he's. He was very multifaceted, so he was a musician, he was an electrician, and then he became a home builder. And then he was into horses and like, all of it. Right. But I grew up going to job sites with him and was just fascinated by the process. So fascinated by the process. I was like, there was always problems, and then they were, like, getting together and they were figuring out how to solve problems. And that was very attractive to me because I.
I like challenges and I loved translating the vision. I loved seeing the translation of a vision. And that was my, you know, going those job sites was the first time I, like, saw designers working and these, all these different people. I was like, wow, it takes so many people to do this thing, like, to build a home, to renovate a home, or to touch this space. I'm like, wow, this is. This is really cool. And I'd say my earliest influences were visiting job sites as a young child and. And then it was, you know, it Was just admiring architecture. When I was a kid, we also. We would do, like, Sunday drives, and we would drive through neighborhoods and just look at houses and landscape and Creative influence, right? It. It was like my version of going to the art museum. Like, we would turn around and we'd, like, look at houses and neighborhoods and what worked, what didn't work. And we were like, it was a family activity, which kind of sounds funny, but it's one of my more memorable activities to do with my family.
So I'd say those were probably my earliest, like, influences.
To peek a boo and to plant a seed. Desire to work in design and architecture specifically, that has to do with homes. It wasn't really until I started attempting to, like, translate, like, these ideas that I would dream of in my head. Like, I rode horses, and I wanted to build my own tack trunk to store all of my goods and how to organize it and how it. Everything could have a place.
From there, I wanted to figure out how to build a chair, because I was like, chairs seem like the most, like, difficult thing to get right. So I was taking wood shop in sixth grade, and I was trying to figure out problems and, like, as it relates to space, how it relates to function, and how it relates to making something beautiful.
And then. And then, you know, it was going through stacks of magazines at the library or my mom's fashion magazines and seeing environments and how beautiful they looked. Going through big books and even looking. I think I was, like, looking at even Saladino, John Saldino, who just passed away, looking at, like, his layers and how he was doing things and how it never looked like someone touched it. It looks like someone just has really great taste. And I was like, wow. And Lee Radswell, like, and that kind, like, the layers in. In her spaces and how she was using print and space. And again, like, it not looking like. I mean, I hate to say it, but it not looking like an Instagram scroll. It was like, it looked so, like, just incredibly beautiful. Easy living and. Yeah. And then. And then it was in.
And that was really, like. Those were the books and stuff I was going through in high school. As a teenager, I just. I loved collecting design books and sitting at the library and going through fashion magazines and going through ARC Digest was like. I was like, ooh, the coolest thing I could have on my shelf is a collection of, like, old Arc Digest magazines.
[00:08:42] Speaker B: Absolutely. So in high school or maybe even younger, like, did you know you wanted to be an interior designer? Or was it at that point, like, strictly just a hobby? And like, you didn't even realize it was a career option.
[00:08:56] Speaker A: I didn't know how you got there. I couldn't. I couldn't figure out, like, how people created a career in it. I mean, and mind you, this is like the early 90s.
And so I wasn't quite there yet. I think I was like, oh, I need to be an artist, or I need to be an art curator, or I wasn't quite sure how you got there because I thought it really was for an elite group that I wasn't quite a part of or knew that world.
And so, I mean, the beautiful thing about today and our social platforms and the accessibility that it, you know, great design can touch everyone's lives.
That is so beautiful. But in the early 90s, it felt like it was out of reach to even have a career in interior design, unless you wanted to work for a larger corporate company and do corporate stuff, which I wasn't interested in. Or you had a, you know, the, the backing to really. And the accessibility to potential clients to get started in the field. So it was complicated and nuanced. And ultimately I ended up graduating from high school early and getting my first degree, just like a general degree, quite young. And then I went to interior design school from there. So I was still quite young when I went to interior design school. But I found a program and I was in love. I mean, we were doing hand drafting. We had the big drafting desks everywhere. It was like the beginning of AutoCAD. Like, I think I learned AutoCAD on like one of the first generations. And being so excited about the snap tool and how it would like, oh my gosh, it just connects lines like a snap.
[00:10:54] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:10:55] Speaker A: But I'm still a lover of hand drawn sketches. And even in my renders, I prefer a sketchy format. So like black and white sketchy renderings to do my blocking and show, scale and show.
I just think it's a beautiful way to show just enough, like, hold just enough back that the reveal is a bit more impactful at the end.
[00:11:29] Speaker B: That's so interesting you say that as I've been recording season eight, it's a theme that's come up a few times by people just. I really, really admire feeling like a too hyper realistic rendering for a client can actually sometimes end up backfiring because there's, there's. It. It lacks the nuance and it can be too easy to say, wait a minute, I thought we were getting a wallpaper that had this specific exact pattern. Or I thought we were getting you Know what happened to the side table that was going here when, you know, the designs evolve and everything gets approved. But it's interesting that how, how clients can sometimes hyper fixate on that photorealistic rendering and that sometimes delivering things in a more sketchy iteration, a hand drawn iteration or a black and white iteration can be a better tool for, for certain designers to do their storytelling and allow them to show the physical materials and then see the black and white version of the space. I think that's such an interesting theme that I've heard a few times now.
[00:12:36] Speaker A: A hundred percent agree.
I mean, I've done it all different ways and for a while we were doing the more photorealistic rendering and people get so caught up on exactly what it looks like and it's, I can, I feel like it can really take away from first of all your creative process because it's like now you gotta match that shade of brown because they are so hung up on. It's that. But you're looking at the real sample in front of you. The real one, but on the screen it's a little bit different. Yeah, I think like I, you know, it's my roots to do things hand drawn and to create like the romance and renderings and I prefer to just hold back a little bit of that. I think like the black and white renders, even if you're using SketchUp or you're using Revit or whatever it is like keeping it more in it like that pencil drawn or ink drawn look, and then having a live mood board has been more successful for me. I think there's always the client that wants to the tech of the photorealistic renderings. But I'm like, asterisk disclosure. Like this is, here's the real one. Okay. This is.
You want it to look like this, fine. But here's what it really looks like in person, but with this actual fabric sample, with this actual wood sample.
[00:14:09] Speaker B: Amazing. Sarah, I'm just curious for those listening because this conversation of like, do I go to design school? Do I not go to design school? Is, is something that I think a lot of designers, whether they're thinking about getting into design or have already, you know, had their business and they're like, should I go back and get the degree? I'm curious. You mentioned that you went to design school. Did you go back and get like an official like four year degree or did you use like a certificate program and do like a two year program for interior design? Because you said you had already gotten a degree before that. So I'm just curious what your technical path was.
[00:14:42] Speaker A: Well, I, I, I believe in education and I, I very proud of the education that I pursued and achieved. And I think that it's, it's an absolute must.
Absolute must. I think there are great designers out there that, you know, didn't have a formal design education and I don't want to discount their experience or any, I have much respect for, for everyone's different process.
But I can say that in my firm, I don't hire anyone that doesn't have a formal education interior design.
And I, I think it's very important.
I think the technical skills are very important.
I can see it in those that don't have it in their work. It is, to me it is like a blaring. It is blaring.
And I think that all spaces should have just the right balance of form and function.
It's not about making pretty pictures.
These are people's spaces and how they function in them.
It should be number one.
[00:15:52] Speaker B: And you feel like design school really helped you to understand that?
[00:15:56] Speaker A: Oh yeah. And I think a two, like I did a two year certificate program for my interior design degree and then I have a bachelor's in fine arts and art history and then I have a two year degree that I did before that. But it's, I love it. Like, I absolutely love the, the technical skills that you can apply in your work. I mean, I don't think, I think anyone can educate themselves on how to put things together, especially if you have good taste.
And I think that there is a wealth of precedent imagery at our fingertips, whether it be on all the different platforms that we use to source that.
But it's, you either have to hire people that are educated or, and trust that they are going to protect you and your client, or you really need that technical education.
[00:16:59] Speaker B: Okay, so let's talk about your team. Like you said, you only hire anybody on your team has to have a formal education. So give us a glimpse into the structure of your design studio. What are some of those like the key roles on your team and how do they really contribute to bringing your vision to life?
[00:17:17] Speaker A: Mm, that's a great question. I feel like this has been really, ever since I started, ever evolving because it really depends on your workload. Right. And typically workloads, especially when you have a few ground up projects, that's two plus years of how you need your team structured. But I've always had a studio director and that person is in a leadership role where they're overseeing all of the projects.
They're also handling, like, HR onboarding projects and invoicing.
Really has. She's. My studio director is amazing, and she's been with me for, like, almost eight years now. And she is.
She is definitely a pillar of the business that I think it's a really important role for anyone to have at their firm. Someone that has, like, a really great handle on what is coming in and out and how the designers are using their time and what the flow is of the managing the flow of the project.
It's a role that I don't think everyone uses because there's an expectation that maybe a senior designer can manage that as well. But having interface with someone that understands that the overall flow of the multiple projects that they're working on and to have that support, I have seen. I have seen as invaluable on.
[00:18:51] Speaker B: On a very different scale. Our studio director is currently on maternity leave, and we have. At idco, we have just, like a revolving door of women on maternity leave. We're just kind of all in that age range.
But I tell you, with. With our studio director, Kendall, being out, I am. I am feeling that. So I agree it is an imperative role that you don't necessarily think.
But, man, I tell you, when you've had someone doing that job who's not there anymore, you feel it.
[00:19:19] Speaker A: Oh, yeah.
Oh, yeah. No, when she goes on vacation, I'm like, oh, gosh. So I'm going to be this person today.
[00:19:26] Speaker B: Yes, exactly.
[00:19:28] Speaker A: Yes. Yeah. It has been an imperative role in my studio's success.
The. The next role that. I mean, honestly, the designers all work as project managers, and within our firm, each designer is, you know, technically categorized by their skill level, whether it be a junior, an intermediate, or a senior designer. However, we don't really, like, we don't really use that within the firm because everyone's on the same level.
It's really just what, you know, like, how we charge for them. But it is, you know, it is technically junior, senior, or junior, intermediate, senior.
And to differentiate between those roles, a senior is someone that needs very little of my support in concept, to install the least amount of my hand holding. I am very involved in all of my projects, and I concept everything in my hands like I am.
I am in everything creatively. And I redline all of my drawings for design details. But for the most part, the senior designer can completely lead that. Like, I can pass off all of my concepting and my red lines, and I don't have to be so involved in micromanaging and on taking it backwards. In an intermediate role, I would say there's half the amount of handholding. And in a junior role, it is a lot of handholding.
[00:21:13] Speaker B: Is it you that's hand holding the junior or is it your senior designer that's handholding the junior?
[00:21:18] Speaker A: Both of us got it. Yeah, primarily the senior. But and it really depends on the level of project that we're working on, how many designers are dedicated to it. I try and keep at least three designers dedicated per project, including myself. So it might be the structure of myself, a senior and a junior, or it might be myself an intermediate and a junior. But there's typically always someone that is at the junior level on the project to support all of our documentation, sampling and some of the busy work that is foundational to get you to the higher levels.
[00:21:58] Speaker B: How many.
How many designers, including all three tiers, do you have on the team right now?
[00:22:04] Speaker A: We have five.
And this has been scaled back because we grew to a place of. We had. There was like 12 of us for a while and we had the projects to support it. But honestly, I just didn't love having running that many projects. And it was taking a lot of the joy out of it for myself.
And I am a working mother and I have kids at home. And it was taking away from family time and headspace, even just headspace, because like I said, I am highly involved in every project. I can honestly tell you I can remember every detail on projects better than like all the designers on them. It's a lot of headspace.
[00:22:54] Speaker B: Sarah, I'm curious because we get asked this question a lot. People write it in like, where are you finding your talent? Especially because you are only hiring people with technical educations and I'm sure different experience levels. Are you. Is it like a post on social? Are you using a headhunter? Are you going to the same school that you went to and pulling people right out of the program? Where are you finding talent of this caliber?
[00:23:20] Speaker A: Oh, gosh. This is such an excellent question because it is something that we, I think, all struggle with. And I've talked to so many principal designers about this. This same. On this same topic. I usually keep a post up on my website for hiring and I think that I've posted on social and Stories and got it that way. I get a lot of inquiries just directly. In the past, I tried a headhunter and I did not like that experience. I had a really negative experience with a headhunter in which I felt pressured to hire a senior designer.
And I honestly, I felt like it was the pressure for the payout. And it was probably just a unique experience with this particular firm. And they really thought that this person was perfect for my firm. And. And I felt like I wasn't ready for that person.
It didn't. It didn't. It felt like the timing wasn't quite right for what that person wanted and what I was able to pay them and set them up with.
And I think the number one thing I've learned in hiring is to trust your instinct, and the first instinct that you have is accurate. So I used the headhunter for that person, and I didn't end up hiring for that position through them because I felt so pressured, and I trusted my instinct. And it was literally like I was sending out the agreement letter with this, hiring this person. And I was feeling like, I don't feel right. I don't. This doesn't. She's amazing. Like, she seems like a great designer, but it just doesn't feel like the right fit or the right timing for what I need right now.
[00:25:18] Speaker B: What are some of the qualities or expertise you're particularly looking for when building your team? And I do feel like, you know, when someone has a studio of the caliber of yours, I imagine those applications are coming in regularly enough that you have a little file in your email that you can go back in, and someone obviously is aligning with your aesthetic. But what are some of the things after you are getting those cold applications, those cold pitches that would make you say, this person could be great?
[00:25:50] Speaker A: The first thing that I look to is their technical abilities, which I spoke about education earlier.
It's. I want to see that they have the skill set to create drawings with high level of details and complete drawing sets that are well organized and they're very clear on what we expect to be completed. I want to see, like, joinery drawings. I want to see really great millwork drawings. I want to see details for stone edges. I want to see.
I want to see a really high level of drafting work.
And I think that I'm also looking for that to be done efficiently, like, with some cadence, so that they're not getting hung up on that for a certain amount of time. So I might quite often give them a sample project and say, oh, how long did this take you to do it? You know, I'm not looking for, like, speed drafting, but I'm looking for just. I think when you are able to do that, you understand. You're mindful of how you're spending your time, and you understand that you need to get the details. You need to execute the details. And so that's the number one thing that I'm looking for. I'm also looking for creativity and even just trying new ideas and in that also testing out feasibility so that they're thinking through the process of, oh, I love this idea of putting an arch here on this shower opening. But how are we going to treat the walls and what are the conditions for how the tile will meet on the bullnose corner and what are we going to need to achieve it? And then finally, does this work within my clients expectations of budget? It's great when they don't have one and they just want it to be beautiful. But most of the time there are limitations.
So technical creativity studied with feasibility or paired with feasibility and then where they're sourcing. I think in entry level designer positions, if you come to me and you tell me like, oh, these are my favorite place to source, I can usually tell if it's because there isn't just, there just hasn't been exposure. Like people they've been working with are coming out of school, they're just not.
They just haven't seen it yet.
And I usually test that out in the interview process where I'll be like, oh, well, what do you think about something like this? You know, like, what's your reaction when. And you can see it in their eyes, they're like, oh, that's dope. Or they're like, oh, that's, you know, cool.
Or like it doesn't phase them, you know, or when they're, when you feel like emotionally triggered, like that's, that's something really interesting and inspiring and exciting versus like maybe something that I've been looking at because it's all I've known.
[00:28:57] Speaker B: Yeah, absolutely. Sarah. You know, from listening to the show, I always want to know how everyone prices. And you alluded to it a little bit earlier that you do bill for your different tiers of designers. But can you help me understand how you approach pricing for your services?
Is it a flat rate, hourly rate? Are you working against a design retainer? Is it billed monthly? How does that work?
[00:29:22] Speaker A: Oh, yes. Okay, so I've got two different pricing options for clients.
I have a, our standard, which is an hourly rate that is tiered based on myself as the principal or the different levels of interior design or administration that is working on the project.
And then on top of that, I have a fixed fee for markup. My typical fixed fee for markup is 20%.
And that is because I feel like there is so much transparency and Accessibility to understand, like, what we're paying for the cost of the products.
And, you know, there have been especially early on, like, clients that are like, well, this is X amount. Why are you charging this amount? And it's like, well, that's our agreed upon markup. This is how I sustain our business. Like it. This is part of it. It's all a lot of work. And I think having that pushback early on and coming from a place where, you know, the design world used to be like, 30, 35%, like, that was what it was. But I. I set a 20% standard and I feel really good about that. And I feel like it's very fair to myself and to clients as well. You know, we don't. A typical discount for us is 15%. Like, we're not.
We're not killing it on markup.
And it feels like fairly balanced with an hourly. I try and get a read on clients when I'm onboarding them, whether to go with an hourly or with a project fee, because there are those that really want a process that is more involved on our team. And it's very hard to gauge a project fee when you don't know, you know, how many hours they're going to expect of you to be with them.
[00:31:36] Speaker B: Yeah. Even with the best historical data from your own company, you have no idea how much they're gonna want revisions or to see 18 sofa drawings or. Yeah, definitely.
[00:31:49] Speaker A: Yeah. So in my, my project fee option, we typically create a number and a time allowance and we'll say it's like over six months and we put the heavier bulk of the fees billed out per month in the beginning of the project.
I think it also helps the client stay committed and understand, like, this is an investment.
And having those fees paid out in the beginning is really when all the heavy work is being done and then lighter monthly fees towards the end, scaling out, and we develop those based on just historical amount of hours that have been put into projects. And, you know, using that to create a fee based on the square footage and, like, what the scope of work is. But it's still a very tricky moving target for me because in the ones that I have done, even recently, I haven't felt great about where it landed. And I do think it does, like, scare some clients what it is as a bulk.
And I think, honestly, an hourly fee is the best, most honest, fair way to quantify our time.
And we're very detailed in our description of how we're using our time. And it's broken down to, in 15 minute increments.
And it's, it's very telling to clients how they're using your time as well.
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Real quick as we talk about those different tiers. You have your principal rate, your senior rate, and you have an admin rate, your junior rate. What are you marking that up as? Obviously you have like what you're paying your team. And then I'm sure that like what you're billing back is not an exact same number. Do you have like a flat rule that you're like, oh, it's always 2x or 3x what you're billing back to the client versus what your, that actual person's hourly is in the sense that, you know, there's like the management fee on top of that, their overhead, all of those things.
[00:34:49] Speaker A: Right. I typically try 3x over what my salaried employees essentially are working at. It still, it still isn't the best for profit, but it's, it takes care of overhead for certain.
And it's very important to me that my team is happy and that they are paid a really good wage and have good amount of PTO and personal time. And that balance is tricky. It's really tricky as a business owner to set it up just right and feel good about, about how you're doing it.
And it also has to do with demand.
I think that I feel good about raising my rates when we have, when the demand is there. Like last year we were running a wait list and I was like, okay, I feel comfortable like raising our rates to a place, you know, not, not much. But it's also like, everything's more expensive now.
[00:36:08] Speaker B: Yeah, absolutely. And I've been doing some tests, running numbers for studios of like, okay, well maybe the principal's rate doesn't change. But just by increasing your junior Designer's rate by 10 or 15 an hour, you can actually. We have our financial toolkit spreadsheet that I'll link for everyone, but, like, you can see what that difference is. And oftentimes based off of who's actually doing the most amount of work, keeping your senior or your principal designer rate at a certain number, but increasing some of those smaller numbers can actually yield a higher profit margin just based off of the number of hours that they are logging, because it does take. They're doing the really tedious work of inputting and all of those sorts of things. So that's an interesting thing that I've. I've started to see, especially as, you know, not everybody's running a wait list right now. Things are a little bit slower for a lot of studios. And so people really fixate on, okay, what is that top hourly number that they're potentially, you know, that this designer's pitching us, and that's the number they focus on where you can have a little bit more wiggle room in those lower numbers. And actually, it ends up being more profitable for you when you're switching those. So I love that you are kind of basing it on supply and demand, essentially, and that's where you're tweaking it.
[00:37:23] Speaker A: It 100% and I 100% agree on raising the lower. The lower rates and keeping your principal and your senior. That is the model that I follow as well, because it's a little bit less scary, it's a little bit more palatable.
And I think, again, there's a fairness to it. Right. You still have a, you know, highly experienced team managing the overall process, so everything is checked and balanced. I. I think that keeping it as simple as possible has been successful as well. It's very, very clean communication. These are the hours, you know, these are the hourly rates. This is the markup.
And.
[00:38:13] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah, absolutely. When it comes to install, does that all get handled on an hourly basis as well? Or is there, like, a flat fee in the install, or do you handle install as part of, like, the initial design fees?
[00:38:25] Speaker A: I handle it as an hourly rate as well.
You know, at times, if. If I. If I know we're spending more time on it because I'm choosing to. I'll discount it.
I'll discount it, and I'll be like, hey, you know, I'm only gonna charge you for the. The first two days that we were there for the install, and then the rest is on me because I was having fun and I think that's always a nice, like, gift at the end of the project too, is especially when you've spent, you know, this one project I'm thinking of, like, we were two years on it, and we're finally installing, and then as soon as we installed, we were going to shoot. I'm like, I'm going to style this out. I'm going to dial it in. Like, the, the part of the install that I feel good about, I'm charging for. And then the other part, I'm styling this, and I'm dialing it in for the photo shoot, which is for press, which is for, you know, the potential of new portfolio and the potential for new projects. But I think keeping it as simple as possible and as clear has been the most successful for me in billing. When I've tried to complicate it and be like, well, I'll charge this for this part. And, you know, like, I'll charge a fee for this and I'll charge. This is when it creates more work for my team to also manage it, which is time. Which is time and headspace. And I think keeping it simple is successful.
[00:39:53] Speaker B: Okay, great. Well, thank you so much for taking us through the logistical side of things. That is so helpful. And I just learned so much every time I ask these questions. I appreciate your candor immensely, but I really want to talk about your design ethos and your skill set in the artistry and storytelling of your side of things, particularly when we're talking about balance, because I feel like so many designers today are leaning towards, you know, layered patterns and bulb pops of color in, like, a super English inspired way. And I'm so curious as to what has drawn you to pursue a style that celebrates warmth and depth and layers in a more restrained manner.
[00:40:36] Speaker A: I love this question. Thanks for saying this in my work as well.
Balance, as a part of my business philosophy, as a part of my design philosophy, is a constant work in progress. I think that it's important to know when to stop so that there's these great, singular, bold moments in spaces that you can honor and cherish, like a great design moment. And for myself, too many layers also create more, like, chaos in my thinking. And like it, to me, it just, it's. It's unsettling. And I think it's the best way to create calm in environments is through balance. Now, how to achieve the balance, this has to do with making choices of where you want the more bold moments to appear, where you want them to be. So if we're talking about pattern and the pattern play that I love seeing out there right now, it would be choosing your one or two prints that you are completely in love with, and you want to let that pattern really shine and choose to put it on it, Use it on the sofa, use it on the big moment, right, like, so that that moment really, really shines. That's. That's the one. That's the area to lean into. But then you don't need to do it on the lounge chairs and the ottoman and the curtains or the I, I. That's cool, like, if that's what you're into. But if you want to create a little bit more balance and calm in the space, I think it's, you know, you've got to show some restraint there.
[00:42:29] Speaker B: When you're thinking of these moments that you're like, these are the moments that I want to be bold. Are those moments that you are articulating and brainstorming with your clients, do they have thoughts into, like, I want our kitchen to be, like, this magic moment, or vice versa? They're like, I want it to be completely calm. I don't want anything distracting in that space. How much are you letting a client, client lead those moments of, you know, more bold intention versus what you feel like as a designer.
[00:43:04] Speaker A: So in our first phase of the design process, we're.
We're going through all the exploratory research and understanding, programming and understanding what really resonates with our clients.
So in that time, we are understanding it. You know, do they love color? Do they love texture? Do they love both? Are they obsessed with lighting? And do their lights light? Do their eyes light up every time they see, like, a beautiful light fixture? Or what are the things that they're really attracted to? And we're taking note of that as we get into design development and we're preparing a presentation that we believe is going to connect with them.
So it's really not led by the client. It is read by our creative direction after translating and understanding what speaks to them.
And so it makes that beginning exploratory research with the client a bit more intimate and a bit more, like, involved maybe, than maybe other people have before. It's not like they're just sending me some inspiration. Oh, I love this, I love that. And then we're just designing something and presenting it to them. We're actually having the meaningful conversations and getting to know them and understand through our expertise what is connecting to them, you know, like, what's triggering certain emotions, and also understanding the level of quality that they Expect too. I think if you look at our work, there's just a level of quality, craftsmanship, and detail, specifically small details that speak to the overall design. So we're leading it a hundred percent.
But, you know, if I'm designing a, you know, a living room in which I know the client loves color drenching, like, they love. They love color. They just want it to be so warm. They want it to feel like an insulated space. I'm gonna let the big design moment happen with the color. That means the walls are going to be, like, a deep, warm color. And then I might play off of that and lean deeper on the sofa of that same, like, color world, because we're really color drenching. Right? And I'm gonna let that be the moment. That's what gives it breadth rather than giving it way too many layers. And then I'll bring in my layers with, like, maybe, like, one throw pillow and a, you know, beautiful throw blanket or a basket that provides texture with a stack of throw blankets in it. And than how I accessorize the table, like the coffee table and the different lamps, because I love lamp light. Like, I love head highlight and the different things that are gonna come in now, if it's someone that is. We've had a meeting, and they, like I said earlier, they're obsessed with lighting. And, like, Lindsay Adelman is their favorite lighting designer or something that's just really resonates with them. I'm gonna make that room, let that lighting fixture lead the story.
It's going to be all about that lighting fixture, so that when you walk in there, you're just dazzled by that jewelry.
[00:46:23] Speaker B: As you are working to source for an emphasis in texture and palette and materiality. How do you choose and balance these elements to create such refined yet welcoming spaces? Because when I look at your work, it does feel.
Everything feels so intentionally bespoke, but also there are so many pauses. There are so many opportunities to take a breath and really, like, soak it in. And so how are you sourcing the finishes and the materials in a space to help further develop that?
[00:47:04] Speaker A: Well, I'm not gonna lie. I use first dibs a ton. It is such an incredible resource, and we do a lot of custom furnishings.
I'm like, if I can't make it, if I can't find. Okay, hold on. I am basically like, if I can't find it, I can make it.
Which has been great having my own furniture line and having the resources and the craftspeople to make things the way I Want them done?
[00:47:37] Speaker B: I'm curious. We're gonna get into having your own line. We're gonna talk about that. But I'm. I wanna go back a little bit. You, you were alluding to it, but you, you know, you were saying on a sofa there could be one throw pillow and maybe it's like a stack of throw blankets in a basket. I think that this is where even I personally just like styling my own home, but like where I see a lot of people's work.
That stopping point can be so tricky. Like something can feel. People can make it think that it feels unfinished. How are you shifting a client's perspective or your own perspective to feel like, no, this is absolutely intentional to, to stop right here?
[00:48:19] Speaker A: Well, I, I present it first and foremost as function. Like, what do you need? Like, what is the function of, of these accessories?
Is it just to beautify or is it. It a collected piece?
You know, what are you investing in? What do you need?
And I think now is a time more than any other time where I feel like it's a great practice too.
I like to teach or I like to educate my clients and my team on investing in timeless heirloom pieces, even as accessories, and finding quality at, especially at like flea markets and antique shops and markets and what to look for and how to use those elements as and as, as timeless design accessories. Like it. It's great educating clients from that perspective because then it's less about just needing to fill the shelves and style shelves.
And it speaks more to the why. Like, what do you love? Do you love art? Do you like artful objects? Okay, let's collect artful objects. That is your collection. Do you like crystals? Do you like energy?
What is it? So that it becomes more personal? Because I see a ton of styled shelves in shelf bay and I understand that that's a trend. But like, are those books that you've collected, like, is it. Will you ever pull that off the shelf? What's the why?
[00:50:00] Speaker B: Absolutely.
Do you feel like there is a stage in your design process where you are editing or pulling back, or do you feel like it is so innate in your ethos that you've never gotten to the point of it being over styled or over designed so there doesn't have to be like an editing phase?
[00:50:21] Speaker A: I think there's always an editing phase. I think it's.
I love when I'm styling a space, even my own, like bringing options, love options, and then, you know, using a fraction of them, a third of them.
And I, I would say that even to anyone styling their own home. Right.
Go ahead and just collect a bunch of stuff and then use what works and what makes sense and what feels. I don't know, maybe try and err a little bit more on, like, what feels more functional rather than it needing to fill the space.
I think it's okay to be a little uncomfortable if it doesn't fill the space. And you will.
When you pull back and you look at the bigger picture, you'll actually love the breath. Like, you'll love that breadth of space. It won't feel uncomfortable.
[00:51:18] Speaker B: Yeah, absolutely. I feel like your spaces are so well edited that I can absolutely imagine being in them or living in them.
It's also so well designed that there's not, you know, when you have the whole entire sofa filled with throw pillows and you have pillows all over the ground, and you have all these things that you're spending time. And as you've mentioned multiple times today, like, the brain space that it takes up to dedicate the five minutes to fluffing all that stuff into rearranging those things. So to have something where everything serves a real purpose, and maybe that purpose is strictly aesthetics. It is strictly because you love it, and that's absolutely great. But to really be finding the balance in only the things that really serve you, I think is such a beautiful sentiment that in design can get skipped over a lot. It's really natural for designers to want to add more because they love so much and they're shown so much and they're exploring exposed to so much. So I think that that's just such a beautiful ethos to live by.
[00:52:19] Speaker A: Well, as a designer or even as a client, I think, you know, now we're looking at photos and we're using all this, like, precedent imagery to help guide our clients and even our own, like, design intention.
And I remind our clients all the time that. That this is a photo.
This. No one's living in this like this.
And 90% of the time, they've been entirely retouched. Like, there's no recessed lighting in this house because it's been retouched out of the photo. Or there's no rug in this room, like a beautiful Axel Verveau room, because he thought it looked more beautiful without it. But I can guarantee there is likely a rug in the room now. So I think that when we look at photos and we're guiding clients with this imagery, reminding them that these are photos and this is not real life, and, you know, it's so misleading. It's so misleading and so important at the same time, because we love photos so much, and we love the idea of dreaming into a space, but how can you create that balance? And how can you create the balance of the form and the function to make it a livable luxury?
[00:53:54] Speaker B: Okay, as we get towards the end of the show, I want to make sure that we can talk about your. One of your more recent endeavors. And for so many interior designers, some sort of brick and mortar or E commerce or small shop or showroom feels like the ultimate, like, feather in their cap or, like, next step, I've made it moment. Can you talk to us about what it was like to launch your version of it, what it entails, and how we can interact with it?
[00:54:24] Speaker A: Oh, thank you so much. I.
This has been, I feel, like a childhood dream to build furniture and to build a brand that is reflective of what I'd like to see more of in the world.
And it's quality.
It's just a beautiful product that is timeless and forever.
And it has been.
I was actually telling the story to a friend the other day, and I was like, we worked on the design of these pieces for seven years to get it just right, and then it was working with multiple vendors for them to get it right so that we could build into production and all be sustainable and not just from a business model, but, like, from an environmental perspective.
And I'm very, very proud of what we've achieved. It is a great product and something I believe in, and I love. And it's comfortable and it's cozy, and I'm. I love that we have sourced and created a color palette. It's. I mean, it's. It's neutrals right now, but I think it's. We've got the best neutrals, the best neutrals, and we've got a couple of key colors that are coming out in our linens and our velvet and mohairs. One is, like, a smoky blue that I'm obsessed with, and another is a butter yellow. And so we're. We're really starting to branch out from our browns, our browns, and our mushroom and our cream.
And, you know, it just took time to develop the colors, as it took us numerous years to just get the neutrals right.
[00:56:14] Speaker B: It feels like such an I've made it moment. And also how. How those listening can interact. Can. Do you work with the trade? Can we. If you aren't a designer, can we purchase from you? How does that all work?
[00:56:27] Speaker A: I. Okay. That. That. That's great. So, yeah, I. I do feel like it's an I made it moment because it. It was a childhood dream.
And I still can't believe that it's reality after the amount of time we've invested in designing and sourcing and working through all of the. The hiccups and the times and, you know, and now it's a lot of our products are. And materials are from Europe. And so that's been hard at the beginning of this year too. But it has been a full circle, Full circle. And we'll be opening the brick and mortar at the end of the summer. So it's been as an appointment only showroom at Westlake Village here in California. And now at the end of the summer, we'll be able to open for business daily for our Galerie Solis showroom. But we are also sold through the Future Perfect, which is our designer showroom. And they have been a wonderful partner.
That was a pinch me moment when David and Laura were. We're obsessed with your line. We love everything you've done. It's time to get it out.
I was talking to David for a while before I released it, and I was like, I don't know. It's not there yet. It's not there yet. And he came over to my house in Malibu and he was hanging out with my husband and I and he's like, sarah, it's ready. Yes, yes, let's do this. Like, when are we. When can we get pieces? Like, okay, come on, let's go. And I was like, really? I'm a little bit, like, slower to just let things out that are more personal.
I am not. I.
I'm not good sharing the ups and downs. Like in a. From a social content world.
I'm a bit more private in that regard.
And I'm learning more, like, as I get more comfortable in the social world at sharing that, because it's okay. It's okay, you know? But it has been a beautiful journey.
[00:58:40] Speaker B: Well, that's so exciting. I can't wait that we can all go shop in person as well at Galeries Elise. I'd love to wrap up with one last question, because I actually think you've talked about it a lot unintentionally throughout the show. How has the philosophy of, like, thoughtful restraint impacted your personal life or perspective beyond design?
Is there a philosophy here that others could adopt in their own spaces or lives?
[00:59:09] Speaker A: This is another great question. Thoughtful restraint, it really just translates to, you don't have to throw it all in the space or at the business all at once, or you don't have to do it all, all at once.
And it's a. And yeah, it's balance. Simply put, just balance it out.
You can do a little bit of this and a little bit of that and let one thing or one moment really be great. Lean into that. I think that that's, you know, where I'm at.
A four.
What we've done with Galeries Solis, it is.
We're really leaning into furnishings and textiles. I've had great ideas for hardware and for like every component for the home.
And I really just need to focus on this to make it great.
And if you're giving, if you're spreading out your attention, then it really doesn't let one bigger thing shine or sing, you know, like I want. And I kind of treat a room in that same manner. Like, if you're crowding it with everything you love, then how does. How does one or two things have the breath and the moment to be honored and cherished?
[01:00:42] Speaker B: Yeah, absolutely. Sarah, I've appreciated those conversations so much, even our convo before we hopped on official recording. And I just want you to know that I've learned or was reminded so much in, in the concept of contentment with you just being content and like everything having a very intentional purpose in the way that we spend our time, in the way that we run our business.
It's not about more, more, more. It's about what feels really good and allows you to do what you really love and allows your team to thrive.
And I'm really grateful for that. Sarah, I cannot wait to come out and see the showroom when it opens to the public. Although I'll probably make an appointment next time I'm out in LA so I can see it before then. But by the time the show airs, it will be open. So we will have all the details of Galeries Elise in the show notes for you in the episode description. And I can't wait to catch up with you very soon.
[01:01:37] Speaker A: Okay, great. Thank you so much for more in.
[01:01:40] Speaker C: Depth analysis this interview, including exclusive downloads, examples and more. Don't forget to subscribe to the Interior Collective on Patreon. We are building an amazing private community of interior designers and industry experts open to candid conversations and answering questions. Join us on Patreon in the show notes
[email protected] the Interior Collective. Thank you so so much for tuning in to this episode. Producing this show has been truly been the honor of my career and I cannot believe I get to have these conversations. A big, huge thank you to our production team at idyco Studio and Quinn made. Your contribution literally makes this podcast feasible and the biggest. Thank you to you, our listeners. Your sweet notes, DMs and reviews mean so much to us as we work to keep our show free and always accessible.
Until next time. I hi, I'm Anastasia Casey and this is the Interior Collective, a podcast for the business of beautiful living.
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