Last year, just after I found out we were expecting, I got a call from Maya Brenner about designing her new office space downtown LA. I have loved her jewelry for a while and the brand she has built so I was excited about the project but hesitant to add on another project before baby. When I met her at the space for the first time she confided that she too was expecting (we were both early days at that point) and we decided we would just make it happen before BOTH of our babe’s arrivals. And so we did.

This weekend the LA Times featured the project (you might notice they had us re-shoot our portraits for less pregnant photos (ha),  but I’m sharing the originals) and I am thrilled to now share the whole tour!

Maya had a few must-haves, above having a functional office space, and they were: 1. bright and colorful but not overwhelming. 2. A press wall that becomes a feature in the space and that she can add to easily, 3. A showroom for the jewelry and plenty of closed storage. 4. A mix of high and low but nothing too precious 5. and finally she wanted it to feel special and reflect her brand.

The press wall (above) turned out to be one of my favorite corners of the space and is an example of the high and low mix. The vintage brass tulip table and the CB2 chairs sitting with a Target vase and magazine clippings taped to the wall. To give the press wall a little polish we used black thin masking tape to hang each piece.

Gem Wallpaper Mural from Houzz // Kaishi Chair from CB2 // Tulip Table (Vintage) // Desktop from Ikea // Desk Legs from Pretty Peg Legs // Waste Bins from The Container Store // Desk Lamp from Schoolhouse Electric // Wall Storage Unit from Ikea //  Conference Table from Article // Conference Chairs (in Wasabi) from West Elm // Pendant Lights from Rejuvenation One way we brought a lot of visual interest through the space is with wallpaper. We used three different designs but spaced them out throughout the office so they don’t compete with each other. In the kitchen we did a mini-makeover with my Sarah Sherman Samuel for SemiHandmade cabinet doors (before and after below). I noticed that the basic office kitchen that was there previously was Ikea cabinetry so all we had to do was switch out the cabinet doors and hardware for a big change. Then while we were at it we swapped out the countertop for Ikea’s wood one and popped in a new sink and faucet. Maya’s mini kitchen was the first one to use both my Semi-handmade doors and my hardware I designed with Park Studio.

Cabinet Hardware from Sarah Sherman Samuel x Park Studio LA (Mackinaw / Ottawa / Half Moon) // Cabinet Doors from Sarah Sherman Samuel x Semihandmade // Faucet from Home Depot // Ibo Gold Wallpaper from Anthropologie // Wooden Cutting Boards from Sarah Sherman Samuel Just as you walk in we created a small lounge area for visitors to relax and for Maya to take informal meetings. The woven back chair Maya already had and I used that as a jumping off point for that space. Behind the chair we hung a scarf by Block Shop, layered a vintage rug over a jute and brought in both brass and natural wood accents to balance each other out.

In the showroom, which became like it’s own life-sized jewelry box, we used my Pink Agate Wallpaper for Lulu & Georgia and I found this vinyl flooring by Atrafloor that looks like marble with a brass inlay. I like to work in juxtopositions and contrast so I used a rugged concrete table to counterbalance the soft pink wallpaper and I also carried some raw wood in here to do more of the same.

Pink Agate Wallpaper from Sarah Sherman Samuel x Lulu & Georgia // Fitzgerald Flooring from AtraFloor // Concrete Table from Wayfair // Wooden Stools from Houzz // Shelf Brackets from Rejuvenation // Chandelier from Wayfair // Drapery from West Elm // Drapery Rods from West Elm // Jute Rug from Overstock // Vintage Turkish Rug // Settee from Anthropologie // Coffee Table from LAX Series // Hanging Scarf from Block Shop // Gold Planter from Urban Outfitters In addition to upgrading the Ikea kitchen with my SemiHandmade doors I turned to Pretty Pegs to upgrade the Ikea desks but swapping out the legs for theirs. The wood with the brass accent was perfect for the space. The centerpiece of the studio is a large white oak conference table from Article which I surrounded with these amazing art deco-esque chairs from West Elm.

Kaishi Chair from CB2 // Desktop from Ikea // Desk Legs from Pretty Pegs // Waste Bins from The Container Store // Desk Lamp from Schoolhouse Electric // Wall Storage Unit from Ikea //  Conference Table from Article // Conference Chairs (in Wasabi) from West Elm // Pendant Lights from Rejuvenation

And now for the little kitchen before and after…

Like I mentioned above, the existing cabinets were from Ikea so we didn’t have to buy or install new cabinets. We were able to swap out the doors and drawer fronts with SemiHandmade for a big change. We also got a new undercounter refrigerator that was panel-ready so we were able to made the kitchen look more seamless with a panel from SemiHandmade as well. The gold Terrazzo like wallpaper is a fun jewel-like pattern that carries your eye up to the ceiling making it feel a little larger, while the wood countertop and gold accents warm up the previous corporate vibes.

Cabinet Hardware from Sarah Sherman Samuel x Park Studio LA (Mackinaw / Ottawa / Half Moon) // Cabinet Doors from Sarah Sherman Samuel x Semihandmade // Faucet from Home Depot // Ibo Gold Wallpaper from Anthropologie // Wooden Cutting Boards from Sarah Sherman Samuel