In TZR’s franchise, Interior Motives, celebrities and tastemakers discuss their unique approach to home design and how it reflects their personal aesthetic. Here, we sit down with designer Amber Lewis to discuss the Los Angeles home where she lives, works, and entertains.
Timeless. Casual. Elevated. Personal. Most wouldn’t even know how or where to begin manifesting these aesthetic attributes into their home. But Amber Lewis is not most people. The celebrated interior designer, who’s mastered the art of “California cool” over the span of a decades-long career, has become known — and sought after — for her emphasis on layering vintage pieces, natural materials, and found textiles to create livable yet elevated spaces that withstand seasons and trends.
“I just want it to feel like you are not just stepping into a showroom that looks like it was curated for you,” Lewis tells TZR of her design philosophy. “Even when I do these big partnerships and licensing deals with other companies, when we’re designing furniture, rugs, specifically, I want to make sure that those [personal pieces] are in the background and add your touch to it. So you could add vintage pieces, family heirlooms, you know, tchotchkes, whatever. And it will just make those background pieces, as I call them, better.”
Indeed, this customizable approach has attracted many brands and retailers eager to capitalize on Lewis’ laidback West Coast design vibe. (Most recently, the designer released her latest collaboration with Loiloi rugs, which encompass two-tone flat-weave styles, “grounding” neutral grid patterns, and washable offerings.)
While maximalist, high-octane color palettes and eclectic aesthetics are trending hard at the moment, Lewis won’t waver from the neutral zone — even in her own home. The designer moved into a Spanish-style home in the Los Angeles suburb of Bell Canyon in 2022, and the new digs made for a clean slate. And while Lewis tackled each room and space with fervor, adding subtle vintage touches and a bit of modern farmhouse edge, the “California cool” factor still shines through. It’s evident in the cream, beige, and taupe-y gray color palette that’s dominant throughout, the natural linen, light wood, and ceramic materials, and the airy layout defined by the wide archways, large windows, and doors.
Ahead, Lewis sits down with TZR to discuss her new living space and the design touches and elements that really make it feel like home.
How would you describe your home?
The house is Spanish in architecture, so it’s like, a red tile roof and a lot of stucco. And I had to really lean into that because all of my last homes have just been more ranch style and kind of open and airy with an open floor plan. With this one, there’s a dining room, a formal living room, a family room. The kitchen’s off on its own. So it was really easy and exciting to bend my mind to it and have that challenge because I do love designing rooms that are separate. So this one was cool in that I was able to design each space.
Is there a particular room you are drawn to?
The formal living room is one that I love. We don’t really spend that much time in there, but the time that we do spend in there is cool. We will put music on and play games and we’ll just kind of hang out in there and it’s very cozy, very warm. The vibe in there’s a little bit moodier, so I love it. I like that room the best.
What are the various elements you included in your decor scheme?
I wanted it to feel neutral but really inviting. So I went a little bit warmer on the walls — a kind of taupe-y beige color. And then there were already beams in there and really beautiful arched windows, so we painted the windows. They were natural wood and I painted them more of a tonal gray color and left the beams as is. By adding the plaster and the warmer trim color, it just changed it to feel a bit warmer and cozier. Then I just kept everything in there really simplistic. So lots of rougher, darker tones, a little bit of black.
Do you have a favorite piece of furniture or decor?
There’s a really beautiful vintage dark blue armoire that I love. It’s set in the corner and it’s so beautiful in person. It has just so much patina on it and so much wear. It’s gorgeous. I got that at Round Top [Antique Fair in Texas] years ago. I like to make the habit of buying things that I love and figuring out where they go later. And that was one of those things I knew I loved [in the moment] and would figure out its place later. And I did. I found the perfect home for it.
What room are you in the most?
Our bedroom, for sure. Then, probably the kitchen. We sort of hang out in the kitchen. It’s just like that’s exactly what you’re doing. I literally feel like I’m always in there cooking something or if I’m on a phone call or if I’m looking at my computer, and I tend to either do it at the island or I go upstairs. It’s one of the two. It’s either the kitchen or the bedroom.
What home retailers or designers do you shop or turn to regularly?
I do a lot of vintage shopping. If I can attend [antique] shows, which I try to at least once or twice a year, I’ll find a lot of inspiration there. And then, obviously, travel to me is a huge one. Anytime we go to Europe or anytime we spend time abroad anywhere, I tend to come back with a whole new lease on how am I going to attack projects and what I am sort of vibing on.
Is there a particular destination that always inspires you from a design perspective?
We just got back from Italy, which was lovely, but I do a lot of sourcing in England and France. So both of those places are just forever inspiring. I think they really speak to maybe my style more than anything else, and I tend to gravitate towards pieces that are from those countries more than anywhere else.
Is there an item or home essential you always find yourself shopping for?
I am a crazy person when it comes to oil paintings. I think I will find one anywhere I go if I can. And if I do, I feel like I’ve scored. I’m always on the hunt for really beautiful vintage landscapes, portraits, anything kind of like that. And then, for bigger pieces, I would say I’m always looking for a chair and like bigger, beautiful pieces that are left interchangeable, [like] impactful statement pieces, like an armoire or an apothecary drawer or a dresser, something like that, which adds a lot to a space.
