Sarah Sherman Samuel’s Much Awaited Showhouse Reveal
We love to celebrate our friends, and when it comes to our long-time collaborator, Sarah Sherman Samuel, there's always something to celebrate. Her Michigan-woods showhouse might be her most expansive and personal project yet. Everything but the natural scenery comes from her singular vision—designed, built, and filled with the rugs, furniture, textiles, and decor that have made her Lulu and Georgia collection a perennial bestseller. Free from client constraints and working with her husband, Rupert, as the builder, this project became a playground for experimentation. Collaborating with Mera Studio Architects, Sarah turned her whimsical visions into a tangible structure with a unique barrelled ceiling, steeping the space in her style. This house is Sarah from the ground up. Having a project so close to home and a blank slate allowed her to obsess over every detail, from hand-sketching early plans to playing tile artist days before installation. It's not just a house; it's a showcase of design—with each element reflecting Sarah’s unending talent. Inside, we had our eyes on some familiar favorites. We love how the shapes of pieces like the Ripple accent chair and her lighting collection are echoed in the lines of the house. And it wouldn’t be Sarah Sherman Samuel without some pattern play—from signature bedding to her Painted Stripe wallpaper and custom fabric upholstery. Even the small touches from her collection—mirrors and accent furniture—blend seamlessly into this cohesive interior.
How These L.A. Creatives Crafted Their Home Around Their Passions
It’s kind of the ultimate collab isn’t it? A creative director and a chef living in an L.A. treehouse? It’s the stuff of home design dreams and a space we couldn’t wait to see for ourselves. When Brady Tolbert and Jason Haro moved into their home in Los Angeles, they knew they’d need to create a space that spoke to both of their passions. For Brady, as Creative Director for Bobby Berk Design, that meant space to play, rearrange, and make the home uniquely theirs. For his partner and private chef of the Paleo Collective, Jason Haro, that meant plenty of room to host friends and serve up great meals. Together the home they’ve created is collected, personal, and layered, the kind of place you know you’ll be cared for in. We stopped by for a look at all of the L&G pieces Brady’s styled into the space and of course we couldn’t leave without some of Jason’s home cooking.  First Part of the Interview Questions answered by Brady Tolbert We’ve been following the journey of your Treehouse home since you lived in an apartment in West Hollywood—are you starting to feel settled in, or does it still feel like a work in progress? It is definitely starting to feel more and more like home but there is still so much that I want to do to the space. We’ve got some big renovations planned for the back half of the house (new kitchen, new dining, new bedroom) as well as some renovations upstairs in our room and bathroom so while I am starting feel more at home, we aren’t quite done yet and that is the fun of it for me. I love that your home can be an ever evolving space. I hate when people feel like their home has to be this picture perfect capsule and that once it’s done it’s done. Your home, just like you, over time is allowed to evolve and change and morph. That also gives me the freedom to not ever feel too precious about what is happening in my home as I can try something out without the fear that it has to stay that way forever.  By day, you’re a creative director with Bobby Berk, but you also seem to be a constant curator at home. How do you apply your professional eye to creating your own space?  My entire professional career has been working alongside someone else in the design world. At first it was as an assistant grabbing coffee and absorbing every word of every meeting and now it’s working as the Creative Director for Bobby Berk (where occasionally I do still make the coffee runs lol but also work on much larger scale projects and campaigns). But for me, the creative world is such a collaborative one and I wouldn’t be where I am today without the push and pull of ideas from many different people. Working in collaboration with people day in and day out allows you to see many different viewpoints and in turn create a more distinct and unique one for yourself. I hear a lot of people say that my home feels “collected” or “curated” and that is exactly what I love to do most. I love to pull from all different viewpoints, design styles, and themes to create something that feels personal and unique to me. You have a knack for small, thoughtful touches. What are some tips for balancing a home design that wows guests but still feels livable and intimate? Working as a prop-stylist for so many years I think that I have trained my eye to look at a space as a series of vignettes more so than a single room. So when I am bringing in pieces together I am always trying to create small moments that could stand alone as their own vignette. Oftentimes we get so overwhelmed looking at the big picture that it’s good to zoom in and just focus on one small aspect of a room. So when trying to create a home that feels inspiring but still intimate, focus on creating smaller vignettes within a larger space. Curating a built-in or larger shelf can be overwhelming, can you walk us through styling out your hallway? Bookshelves are one of the hardest pieces to style (and that is coming from someone that has styled a lot of bookcases in my day). I still struggle with them but one thing that I always try to do is stick within a color palette. For me and my home, that is neutrals and that allows me to play around as much as I want without the scene getting to visually overwhelming to look at. I also always include books in my bookshelf. It may sound obvious but I see so many bookshelves out there that are void of actual books and while it may work for some the books actually help to create a foundation for you to style on and can help to create levels and balance across the shelves.  What key principles do you follow when arranging items to maintain balance and visual appeal? Think of your items as a cast of characters. They can’t all be main characters and they can’t all be supporting roles. You have to have a good combo of both to create a dynamic and interesting setup. So when you’re arranging items I usually always follow the rule of three as well as create a hierarchy of heights within my styling. And you’ll often find that there are groups of three within a larger group of three which can create visual balance for your eye.  Your designs often feature a seamless blend of vintage and modern. How do you approach combining elements to create a timeless look and feel? I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Stick within a cohesive color palette and you can truly find so much room to play around with different design styles, textures, and objects. I also love the juxtaposition of hard and soft, new and old, shiny and matte, etc. Contrast inherently will bring interest to your space (even if the contrast feels very subtle) and bringing that push and pull between different objects can create something that feels unique.
This Spring, We’re Celebrating Rejuvenation With Kendall Knox
It’s the spring equinox—that time of the year when the sun is perfectly perched to balance the day and nature is finally making nice days official. Everywhere we look we're grounded by timeless rhythms and rejuvenation. Nature's age-old rituals remind us to look forward to a fresh season. There couldn't be a better metaphor for Kendall Knox's style. As one of the co-founders at Olive Ateliers, Kendall brings her honed eye to sourcing vintage and one-of-a-kind pieces from around the world to give them new life from their showroom in the Arts District of Los Angeles. We wanted to take a peek at her nearby Venice home and get some tips on how she creates charisma with natural textures and old soul finds.   Tell us about you Kendall, tell us about the creative journey from being that friend with good taste to finding your voice and building Olive Ateliers.  From a young age, I’ve always been excited and inspired by self-expression through fashion and design. My mum has incredible taste and an eclectic eye for interiors, and growing up my friends would always love to hang out at our house because of the care and character it evoked. Fast forward, after my relocation from Sydney to Los Angeles and a fifteen-year-long career in the fashion industry, I found myself yearning for a new challenge, something tactile that allowed me to explore my creativity and married my passion for interiors with my professional skills and experience. Olive Ateliers started as a side hustle, born from an adoration of unique and interesting objects of age, with a story to tell. We knew we wanted to do more than just source and sell things, we wanted to inspire curious living by creating a brand that offered access to an abundance of beautiful one-of-a-kind home and garden decor, via a unique and awe-inspiring experience. So, we did just that… We love a brand with a clear ethos, “Objects with Old Souls” fits your brand mission perfectly. What’s one thing you want people to know about you and the pieces you source for Olive Ateliers?  Objects with Old Souls, for us, are objects that embody that of an old soul or are in fact, vintage or antique by definition. We like to source and curate unique collections of one-of-a-kind items with charm and character, that are a little rough around the edges and have a story to tell. We believe that by adding these objects to your space, not only are you enhancing the charisma but you’re encouraging connection and conversation with others. For us, that’s what it’s all about. A beautiful, tranquil place to call home, that you can share and enjoy with those you love. Your space has a few Lulu and Georgia pieces layered in it. Is there one statement maker you still find yourself fawning over? It’s the Lulu and Georgia x Jake Arnold collaboration for me. My beachwood rug has transformed our guest bedroom into a cozy haven. Oh, and my Tutu wine glasses are also to die for—I receive endless compliments, and they receive (too) much use! We know care is critical in preserving artisan pieces. Do you have any special tips for storing and cleaning vintage pieces?  The majority of what we source is vintage, antique, or deadstock and comes with varied patina, wear, and tear. We advise embracing imperfections and using these objects for decoration rather than functional use. However, if you wish to style a vintage vessel with fresh florals, for example, we always advise inserting a glass votive inside the vessel, to avoid water absorption as clay is quite porous. For any vintage vessel that arrives a little too rough around the edges, perhaps with dirt, dust, debris, or a faint odor, we recommend taking a dry rag to the surface of the vessel. You can also mist the interior of the vessel lightly with a vinegar and water solution and leave it out in the sun to air dry for a few days. Nothing a little nature can’t fix. Spring is here, how are you bringing the season in? What’s your go-to seasonal renewal ritual?  First things first, a little bedding refresh is always in order. I recently received the Cultiver Linen Bedding Set which has added a lovely, light airy feel to our master bedroom.   Walk us through the process of curating vintage pieces—what’s the one piece of advice we should know when purchasing vintage?  My biggest advice is not to overthink it. Sourcing vintage isn’t about chasing a trend, it’s about falling in love with and rehoming something that has lived many lives. So follow your intuition. Another piece of advice is to always ask the vendor or source for the origin story of the piece. Not only does it help validate the worth, but it’s a nice tidbit to share with others.