Natalie Myers Modernizes Mid-Century Style in L.A.

Author:Abigail Stone

Natalie Myers, founder and design principle of the Los Angeles based design firm Veneer Designs, has a keen eye for California modern interiors.  Her unique interior design background that includes working in-house for LPA Architecture, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf and Cushman & Wakefield, combined with her construction management experience and appreciation for architecture, sets her apart in the L.A. design community. The award-winning designer, often taking inspiration from the California lifestyle and its natural environment, puts her own spin on mid-century modern design in her residential, office and retail and food service projects.

 

It was a recent project Myers completed in the Pacific Palisades that caught the attention of future clients who were seeking a designer to help give their picturesque 3,400 sq. ft. Bel Air home, a new look.  Specifically, the color-blocked kitchen, which was a Best Kitchen finalist in the 2018 Remodelista Considered Design Awards.  “They knew they wanted to incorporate mid-century style into their home and gravitated to my interpretation of the era,” says Myers.

 

The young couple who were newlyweds at the time, have great personal style and are passionatly invested in design.  “They embraced the design process and brought to the table lists of things that excited them,” says Myers. “They were very trusting and open to trying new materials, colors and shapes and weren’t stuck or married to a specific look.” Another passion the couple shared was their love for travel and expressed their admiration for hotel and restaurant design.  What does any smart interior designer do with that information?  Research of course. “I followed what restaurants, bars and hotels they would go to, in order to get a better sense of what they were drawn to,” she says.

 

The previous 90’s style décor, with Formica and green tile used throughout the home, left little to the imagination and needed to be rejuvenated.  The first thing Natalie did was reconfigure some of the rooms, such as turning small hallways into larger, brighter spaces and expanding the galley kitchen, which now opens up to feature a central kitchen island.  For the kitchen island, the designer wanted to use 3” terrazzo slabs from Concrete Collaborative and her clients were open to the idea.

 

In the den, Natalie replaced the gray concrete slab floors and warmed up the space with engineered hardwood floors from Marme Summit Peaks.  Adding depth and an element of interest, a floating, custom built-in bookcase designed by the designer methodically compliment the colors and style of the built-in kitchen cabinets.  A Croft House L.A. Rivera Sectional in an earthy hue brings in the exterior tones while the Hem Stripe rug implements the color blocking from her past project that the clients used as inspiration and feel in love with.

 

In the master bathroom, Natalie once again used terrazzo slabs from Concrete Collaborative, only this time cutting them into 24” square tiles for the floors.  Other examples of the designer’s unique ability to subtly add cohesion to the project is the clever installation of Eskayel Akimbo’s cement tile on the laundry room floor and backsplash which continue through the hall and powder room.  “They wanted to give each space its own unique personality and I think we accomplished just that,” says Myers.

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