Furniture Faves: A Few of my Personal Favorite Brands

Furniture for the home - what an exciting topic! I for one love searching for and picking out furniture for clients, it’s just one of those things that I could spend hours doing. Especially for someone who’s really trying to nail down the right furniture for them. And for myself, don’t even get me started, I have a whole list going of my dream furniture.

I thought I would take a minute to share some of my personal favorite furniture brands for homes!
Now, there’s a lot to consider here, and budget is most certainly a huge factor. But my biggest advice for selecting furniture is to invest in pieces that will last the test of time - from a functional, stylistic, and durability perspective. I would much rather help a client find a piece that they will cherish for the rest of their lives and not have to repurchase in a couple years than pick something low cost that they know they’ll be replacing. Furniture that will last you a lifetime is definitely an investment, but it’s well worth saving for. Quality over quantity, people; you’ll love your home more if you cherish the things that make it a home! Enough said, let’s get into it!

A lot of the products I’ll be sharing here have a pretty natural look to them - these are just pieces that I adore, they’re very versatile, they’re beautiful in construction, and the materials are so soothing and inviting. I’m a fan of choosing materials that feel intentional and authentic. But if you’re looking for a style that’s different from what I’m showing here, rest assured each of these brands have a wide variety of styles and we can find the perfect sets for you and your unique vision. I’m here to help source this sort of stuff for you, but these are just some of my favorites!

Lulu & Georgia

Beautiful pieces come out of this brand. They have a lot of natural textures, wood pieces, and comforting fabrics. There’s a decent catalog selection of versatile pieces that can feel contemporary, traditional, boho, and glam depending on how you style them in context with others pieces in your space. They have neutrals and pops of color (score!). Overall a wide selection of pieces for anyone. And they’re an all encompassing brand offering everything from large furniture, sets, smaller supporting furniture like side tables, rugs, and decor.

I’m absolutely obsessed with everything rattan. These cane coffee tables have a nice textural and airy feel to them. Often times coffee tables can feel big and bulky and take up a huge amount of space in a living room. If you’re looking for something that has a lightness, these could be a great option, you could even slap a round wood slab on top to create a movable even-surface to place dishware or decor if needed. Lulu & Georgia.

Forom Shop

This beautiful shop focuses on sourcing furniture and decor that is handcrafted and sustainable, supporting small businesses and artisans. Their collections have earthy, neutral, and natural tones with time-tested materials like cane, wood, and marble. Some of my favorite pieces have a sculptural touch to them giving them a really unique look. These pieces could fit really well in both an elevated setting or a casual setting depending on how you style them.

I am all about these angles! Angled lounge furniture is actually really important from a comfort perspective, if a chair seat and back is too straight it can feel too stiff, too angled and it feels too reclined, so there really is a perfect in between. But not only can angles be comfy, they just add a lot of interesting form and character to a sitting space! Check out these from Forom Shop

McGee & Co

This is a Super cute brand that puts a nice contemporary spin on classic furniture pieces. They offer a lot of pieces in trending colors like rust, mustard, and neutrals. This brand is another all encompassing place to source pieces for every room, bed, living, dining, kitchen, and bath including furniture, decor, lighting, art, and more. I love the versatility in this brand, the pieces don’t feel tied to one specific style giving home owners more mixing and matching lei-way.

Leather on wood is so charming, it’s a perfect pairing that will look amazing in any home’s style. These particular stools are very versatile and come in two different heights. If you’re lucky enough to have a kitchen island/bar or are dreaming of one, these might be a decent match for you. McGee & Co

West Elm / Pottery Barn

These brands are pretty common and have great stuff! A lot of my personal favorites that are also within my own budget are from West Elm. These two are sister brands that offer different styles. Pottery Barn trends on more of the traditional and farmhouse styles with heavier furniture and craftsman details. West Elm trends more into the contemporary and mid-century modern styles with more variety in color and some slimmer profiles. But there is some crossover between the two, so it’s worth checking both of them out! My personal favorites from West Elm carry a lot of woods, cane textures, and leathers in their pieces. These are both great places to look for matching sets for any room in your home, including furniture, decor, and lighting.

This gorgeous chair brings the beauty of rich natural wood with the texture of a woven seat, durable and comfortable for short term dining. BRB, putting this on my wish list. West Elm.

Croft House LA

This studio produces some of the most unique and beautiful handcrafted furniture. They are well above my own personal budget, but if you’re willing to invest in some of their pieces you will not be disappointed! Based out of LA, they focus their craft heavily on wood, stone, and leather (which is why I love them! Such gorgeous textures!) and occasionally they throw in a big pop of color that just ends up looking stunning. Croft House focuses their selection on chairs, tables, sofas, dressers and sideboards, nightstands and side tables, and supporting furniture like mirrors and shelving.

That’s my little sneak peek at a couple choice furniture brands. This is by no means a complete list; in fact, I have dozens more brands to talk about, so keep your eyes peeled for Furniture Faves II. Thanks for reading!

**I am not affiliated with any of these shops and do not make any revenue by sharing their content

Trending Rugs: Patterns & Neutrals

Rugs are such an easy and beautiful way to add a little spark to any room. There are so many options for textures, colors, patterns, sizes, and more. Today we’ll be looking at some inspiring styles I’ve gathered from some of my favorite shops and just other cute styles I’ve seen on Pinterest.

Rug layout ideas deserve a post of their own, so keep your eye out for another post coming up on that. But for now, we’re just going to enjoy a little inspiration and take a peek at what’s been trending, what’s gorgeous, and where these might fit into.

Multi-Color Patterns

A lot of these rugs are super fun statements! There are some interesting patterns and eye catching colors. I could see a lot of these fitting in nicely in kids rooms, nurseries, or spaces where you just want a little more pop of color. The biggest advantage to patterned and multi-colored rugs like these is that they hide stains well. Let’s face it, spills and stains will happen on your rugs. It’s best to clean them up right away but you can rest assured with a patterned rug that if it leaves any staining behind it won’t be so noticeable.

I’m seeing these bright colors everywhere lately, mustards, pinks/rust, and navy or slate blue. Anthropologie.

This is a really fun spin on a diamond rug with solid diamond blocks using negative space to create the crossing lines rather than the solid lines and negative diamonds. Even though this is a bright pop of color, it’s earthy enough to fit into a more subtle vibe. I could see this fitting in really well at the foot of a bed or in a living room/sitting area. Anthropologie.

Big geometric shapes made of smaller geometric shapes is such a fun way to do pattern on pattern! This style from Urban Outfitters comes in a variety of different shape designs and colors. These would be perfect for a living room or entryway.

Distressed printed patterns have been popular for quite a while now, and I think this is a trend that’s going to stick! Washing out and distressing the print gives a bold pattern some softness so it’s easier for the eyes to handle, and it feels more genuine this way. Urban Outfitters.

This peachy tone has become really trendy this year, you might look at this and think pink, but in the right context this tone can add earthy clay vibes to a space. This one would look great paired with solid wood furniture or neutral fabric furniture, let this be the statement! Urban Outfitters.

Southwest inspired patterns in rugs are a time-tested way to merge authentic patterning with modern style. These often come in earthy colors (which I love!) and look amazing with solid wood furniture. West Elm.

Color block rugs have a much more abstract modern flair to them. These would be great in a kids play room where colors and shapes can spark some interest.

Lulu & Georgia has some gorgeous rugs right now! Again with that peach tone, it can really start to feel like an earthy supporting color. These geometric patterns really touch on boho vibes. I could see this adding some statement to a kitchen floor - try out a long rug runner at the kitchen sink.

One of the trendiest of trends I’ve been seeing is these geometric patterns that have a sketched look to them. The hand drawn shapes give it a little more playfulness. Urban Outfitters.

Neutrals

These rug styles are a bit softer on the eyes in subtle tones of mostly cream, grays, and black. Neutrals can be oh so charming in any room! They set a really versatile stage for a larger variety of furniture styles and colors and play an important role as both a supporting piece in a room and a focal point. Most of these rugs still have some interesting patterns, but in toned-down colors. If you are prone to frequent spills, be wary of lighter colored rugs because they will show staining, unless you find a really good stain remover!

Geometric patterns inspired by South American, Mexican, and Native cultures are really hot right now! These can be a fine line for me depending on who is making these rugs, because sometimes they can feel too much like cultural appropriation. But if you find a Native-owned company, supporting their business and cherishing their craft can be a great way to add something beautiful to your home!

These simple linear lines do a lot for the eyes in only a couple colors. Styles like this seem really intentional and can provide the perfect stage for a couple of well placed furniture pieces. Drop something like this in a living room or at the foot of the bed. Perennials.

McGee & Co has a beautiful selection of natural, serene, neutral furniture and decor. Highly textured rugs in one simple neutral color are a casual yet gorgeous way to add a little something something to a soothing natural space. These pair really well with all kinds of furniture, but especially with wood and will likely never go out of style because of how simple and supportive they are.

Diamond pattern rugs have been in the scene for years now, but the contrasting black and white is sticking out as a staple for many different styles. Throw a rug like this into a boho vibe, minimalist vibe, mid-century vibe, you name it! Lemdeena.

Highly textured patterns created through shape and knotting methods rather than through color can look gorgeous like this. These will look good in any room. Safavieh.

Again with the bold single shape patterns but this time through contrasting lines, I’m seeing these all over. They fit in especially well in boho, minimalist, and mid century vibes. These long runner types look great flanking the bedside, at the foot of the bed, in hallways, kitchens, or entryways. Poly & Bark.

Here’s a spin on the diamond pattern with over scaled diamonds. Definitely a statement rug but in a nice soft color. NuLoom.

Thin lines in rugs are a really cute way to add just a dash of texture and interest to the floor without being so high contrast. These styles are great for calming spaces and are very soft on the eyes. West Elm.

This last one from Anthropologie is sort of a mixture of color block, highly textural, and line pattern styles all coming into one interesting rug! It’s a statement piece that also drops into the background because of its repeated lines. If you’re looking for something to pair with a small sitting space, this style is a great option.

All of these rugs are gorgeous in their own ways! Some of them will fit in with any style, be it traditional, farmhouse, boho, minimalist, mid century, craftsman, southwestern, anything. Some of them might fall into specific styles, but nontheless can be beautiful additions to the home.

To me it’s really important to remember that trends are just trends and they might not last the test of time stylistically! It’s so essential to be true to your own taste and focus on cultivating the vibe that you keep coming back to. So if you’re eyeing that popular rug you saw on Pinterest just remember these three things: Does it fit in with the rest of my style? Will I love this in 5 years? Will it stand up to the activity level in the space?

Thanks for reading!

**I am not affiliated with any of these shops and do not make any revenue by sharing their content

Designing for Trauma: My Thesis

Comprehensive Thesis Interior Design Project completed and submitted for a Professional Degree of Interior Architecture from the University of Oregon College of Design. Designed by Stella May Christ.

There it is! Ready for you all.

My Thesis Project is now published to Issuu, where you can view my entire 200 page Comprehensive magazine-like layout of my designed Healing Center for Trauma.

This entire past year from October 2019 - June 2020 I have been programming and designing this Healing Center for my professional degree in Interior Architecture. This center addresses creating nourishing, thoughtful, and stress-reducing spaces that support a mindful experience for patients undergoing mental and physical trauma healing. Each space addresses different behavioral needs of patients and staff, like providing choice and control for patient comfort, providing places to hide and isolate, as well as opportunities to engage with the healing community. I spent a lot of time crafting material selections based on very specific healing intentions that address psychological comfort to support patients to trust and relax in the space. The project takes a deep dive into five spaces for design development, an indoor tree courtyard, a relaxing meditation lobby, a tactile therapy room, an engaging tea house, and private soothing soaking tubs.

Please go check out my project! You can also view snippets of the project here,

Thesis Project - Healing Center for Trauma

soft. meditative. relaxing.

In June 2020, I completed my Comprehensive Thesis Project for my professional degree in Interior Architecture. This project went through three stages: programming, schematic design, and design development. I chose a topic that is important to me and designed a Healing Center for Trauma Patients that addresses creating nourishing, thoughtful, and stress-reducing spaces that support a mindful experience for patients undergoing mental and physical trauma healing.

The center uses the Tamarack Building in South Eugene, adding an entirely new “connector building” to the site in between two existing buildings.

I focused design development on five signature spaces in the center that are integral to the patient journey. Each space addresses different behavioral needs of patients and staff: rest, heal, engage, hide, reflect.

• A space of choice and pause - Tree courtyard

• A meditative calming space to debrief and reflect - Zen Sand Lobby

• A nourishing and tactile Therapy Room

• A place to engage and unwind - Tea House

• A private soaking experience - Soak Tubs

Each space is curated with materials that address five main aspects of psychological comfort to support patients to trust and relax in the space.

• Stimulating the senses with tactility to address dissociation and assist patients to remain in the present moment, or to disengage from painful memories

• Cultivate discovery to foster an awareness of beauty around them, and spark joy from the little details

• True materials that do not lie to the users and allow them to trust the space they’re healing in; this addresses the specific behavioral trauma state of “fight-or-flight” that makes patients wary of potential threats or insincere intentions

• Finishes that do not leave impressions of past inhabitants to reduce the psychological impact of one patients’ trauma on another.

• Soft colors that reduce anxiety, are soft to the eye and soft to the touch. soothing greens, soft pinks, subtle creams and tans, tranquil blues.

What I love about this project: I love creating relaxing and nourishing spaces that just make you say “ahh.” Design development and thoughtful, meaningful intentions for material selection is my favorite part of every project. I love creating moods and atmospheres for interior spaces, and love doing it with a goal in mind; for this project I couldn’t get enough of mixing and matching ways to promote curiosity and discovery while balancing that with soothing and anxiety reducing vibes that really support this idea of letting your guard down and accepting healing. I could talk about this project for hours! If you’re interested in seeing my full comprehensive project book, contact me!

SAE Immersive

I was Flattered to be included in another short and sweet School of Architecture & Environment article by Journalist Alex Notman! The article is a part of a College of Design interactive immersive project to connect people to first-hand perspectives of each program, major, and discipline students can pursue at the UO College of Design. Go check it out and get lost in the beautiful watercolor immersive that takes you throughout the UO campuses and departments.

https://archenvironment.uoregon.edu/stella-may-christ?utm_source=immersive&utm_medium=photobutton&utm_campaign=map-your-future-joel&utm_content=photobutton

I've Graduated!

Caps off! I’ve completed my Professional Degree in Interior Architecture this June 2020 with Cum Laude Honors, a Minor in Music, and a Minor in Architecture!

These last 5 years at the University of Oregon have been tasking but very rewarding! I’ve learned a lot, and needless to say have grown into a very skilled and spirited designer. I went into this program on a whim, thinking Interior Design sounded cool, and related to my previous interest in the psychology of color. And through this education I’ve developed such a love for crafting Interior Moods and Atmospheres, playing with materials, coming up with solutions to problems, designing custom furniture and casework, working for local design firms concurrently while learning, and it has been a blast!

I am extremely proud of everyone who graduated as a part of the Class of 2020; this year has been a whirlwind for everyone world wide, self-isolating, learning how to work, learn, and teach remotely, social distancing, learning how to amplify the voices of others. But with these new experiences and new tools every one of us hard-working graduates is ready to take on anything! And it’s time for us to use our knowledge, skills, and degrees to make a positive impact on the built and designed environment.

I’m on to the next chapter of my design career, and I don’t know what that looks like yet. I’ll be moving to Portland and seeking out a design job, interior designer, graphic designer, furniture designer, I have passions for them all! If you are looking for a budding spirited designer in the Portland area, please contact me, and we’ll be in touch!

Cheers to the class of 2020!

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