These Colorful and Creative Interior Designs Are Defining the Look of the West Today

Glossy red tile, inky blue walls, berry velvet upholstery. This up-and-coming L.A. designer is at her best when she uses saturated shades to make bold statements.

Photo by Lance Gerber

Orange County-based Rachel Morrison strives for timeless, dynamic interiors that balance grace and practicality. Take this living room—where the formal molding and coffered ceiling get a coat of unpretentious aqua paint.

Tasting rooms are stock-in-trade for wine country designers. Their primary goal is to make oenophiles and visitors feel welcome, comfortable, and inspired. One could argue that those priorities are also at the top of the list for home design, and no one does a cozy winery that feels like your living room quite like Napa-based Julie Hawkins. (Pictured above: The Jasper House at Black Kite Cellars Tasting Room.)

Kirsten Blazek, founder of A1000xBetter, brings a smidgen of rock ’n’ roll glamour to everything she does. Influenced by her native Scotland and her edgy personal style, you’ll find dark florals mixed with sculptural vintage pieces.

We’ve praised Scheck’s skill with functional, fabulous kitchens before. But have you seen her sleek built-ins and closets? This Austin-based interior designer champions workhorse spaces in the home, creating thoughtful, functional, and beautiful storage solutions for her clients.

Photo by Alanna Hale

Narrative’s founder Shannon Niehenke cut her decorative teeth on high-end hospitality projects, so if the well-appointed, serenely minimal rooms she creates with her San Francisco firm remind you of a particularly lovely Ritz-Carlton, that’s no coincidence.

The stalwart team at this Honolulu firm knows how to weave nods to Hawaiian culture into sophisticated island properties, prioritizing comfort, livability, and access to the outdoors.

Living and working in the Bay Area has made Caitlin Jones an expert on maximizing square footage, and her breezy, elegant work has a way of making even shared bedrooms—like this kids’ room with sleeping space for three—feel spacious and light.

Shannon Adamson put the “fun” in functional when updating this home on Camano Island in Washington, which takes a beating from waves large enough to clear the house. Porcelain plank floors, sturdy tile, and water-resistant teak built-ins are as playful as they are functional.

Combining East Coast nostalgia and West Coast ease, Chloe Redmond Warner imagined the ultimate beach retreat. With a central courtyard and access to Stinson Beach, this 1960s remodel shows what Warner does best: Creating transportive interiors that transcend trends and blend eras. Lucky for us, Warner’s first book, This Must Be The Place (Abrams), is out this spring.

Kathryn Rogers of Sogno fell in love with historic restoration working in Washington, D.C., and brings it to her Bay Area practice. Shepherding classic homes into an era of sustainability is a passion—evident in this 1930s East Bay home, updated with smart-home tech and energy systems.

Working with the beliefs that beauty is healing and that design can impact the nervous system, Lisa Staprans created Willow Commons, a group living environment for neurodivergent adults. Its light-filled common spaces and soothing materials create a calm, nurturing space.