Ep. 172: designer Stefani Stein
This week our guest is Los Angeles-based interior designer Stefani Stein. Her work has been featured in Architectural Digest, Conde Nast House & Garden,\xa0Elle Decor, HGTV, House Beautiful, House & Home, and more. She was also named one of California Home + Design's 'Rising Stars' and has recently launched luxury wallpaper brand, August Abode. We talk about Stefani\u2019s relaxed yet refined style, how California lifestyle affects her design, her love for an earthy palette and embracing imperfections.\nWhat You\u2019ll Hear on This Episode:\n\n\nTrials & Triumphs about eroding light fixtures, basement updates, lighting trials and triumphs, budget solutions on flooring, storing gift wrap, falling branches, broken fountains, plants, bushes and trees\u2026oh my!\n\nRegardless of the style, Stefani doesn't like clutter. She appreciates the negative space; as in having mindful or selective emptiness and leaving breathing room around items.\n\nStefani took a risk and left her first, successful career to go to school for design.\n\nHow to make rooms feel light & airy; mix traditional, clean lines and vintage, choose lighter fabrics, and avoid high gloss finishes.\n\nStefani is influenced by the wabi-sabi philosophy; appreciating beauty that is imperfect and incomplete.\n\nHow to work multiple wood finishes into a room; pay attention to the tones.\n\nSome tips and tricks on how to care for brass.\n\nWhy Stefani prefers an earthly palette for its lasting power.\n\nA Cape Cod glam project where Stefani brought in elements she hadn\u2019t ever used along with some cozy elements.\n\nHow to compromise when one member of a couple has a very different vision than the other.\n\nDesigning for the bungalow means packing function and beauty into a small space. It\u2019s all about understanding the client\u2019s lifestyle.\n\n\nMentioned In This Episode:\nStefani Stein\nStefani Stein on Instagram\nAugust Abode\nAugust Abode on Instagram\n\nDecorating Dilemma \nHi Caroline,\nFrom what I understand, the back countertop would stay but the island would change. What I would do to give this a more current feel is I would actually hone that back countertop. It would help the 90s granite feel more like a soapstone. I absolutely think you can have a different material on the island. I personally like a calacatta paonazzo because it\u2019s a mostly white-beige background with warm veining. The cabinets are quite a bit of wood; my inclination is to keep the uppers wood and paint the lowers. The uppers should probably be bleached to be more modern, as well. Or you could paint all of it and do darker lowers and lighter uppers. I don\u2019t think white cabinets are the way to go in this kitchen. If you want to keep them light, maybe do ivory. For the backsplash, I would go with a zellige. It has the imperfections in there and feels more current, plus it would go well with everything. I would maybe change the cabinet hardware to a matte black or an oil rubbed bronze. For the range; I agree with the one you chose. I like the simple, clean-lined hood. The part where it has wood on the bottom, you may even be able to use the remnants of your marble slab and tie it in here. When it comes to the pendant lights, you could get away with doing only two that are larger in scale. My personal preference would be a round table, but the oval still works if that\u2019s your preference. I wouldn\u2019t move the light from where it is, but you could swag it so that it\u2019s centered over the table. Just use a chain instead of a chord as we think it looks better. What you have there now feels too light so I would recommend something heavier like the Remington. For the bar stools, we have a lot of suggestions like the Dayna, Allister, Dorchester, Adrian and Southport, but it\u2019s hard to say for sure without knowing the paint color you choose for the lower cabinets. Make this decision last after you make all of the other choices. We think your instincts are spot on about what you should change.