January 3, 2024 – February 6, 2024
And the winner is...
Founder/Principal Designer, inside eLements
“Here we used the Calligaris Vanity Long Mirror in a guest room. The client has an impressive collection of art alongside some classic vintage pieces, and this mirror was a perfect blend of the two. The design is simple enough to not draw too much attention but interesting enough to fit in with everything else in the room. The combination of curved and straight lights also helps the mirror relate to the different shapes already present in the room.”
I started my professional career working a 9-5 office job for a large financial institution. I had been interested in interiors and furniture from the time I was really young, and had been helping friends with their apartments and homes in my free time. I eventually went to school at night while still working an office job to decide if interior design was a path I should pursue. I eventually LLC’d my company and left the 9-5 to run inside eLements full time. I’ve spent the last 6 years working on luxury residential projects in New York City, the Hamptons and Miami.
I look for inspiration everywhere, especially when traveling to new countries and cities. I really like mixing different cultural aesthetics and blending old and new. I find pulling traditional and vintage pieces and combining them with modern practical design brings a soul into the space and creates character and uniqueness. I also feel that using vintage pieces or repurposed materials is good sustainability practice that can have a positive environmental impact.
I personally like to use natural materials and organic lines, while keeping the design simple. I believe that when you walk into your home, your mind should feel a calm separation from the craziness of daily life outside, so I try to design in a way that will allow the client to feel peaceful and rejuvenated in their own way when they are in their own home.
I believe a design is successful when the client is happy. We all live our lives differently, and if a space functions for them and allows them to live efficiently, then I think that is a win. It doesn’t necessarily have to be the way I want it, but they way they want to live in it.
I love the limitless options there are to design. To be able to think outside of the box and create new ideas is invigorating and amplifying. I love telling clients there is no wrong way to design their home, and give them license to explore ideas that make them feel good, as opposed to subscribing to what everyone else is doing.
Architectural designer Amanda Gunawan is the founding principal of Only Way is Up in Los Angeles. Her handmade ceramics line, OWIU Goods, complements her design philosophy of creating spaces that not only last, but evolve.
Amanda was also featured in the 2023 Lumens Design Experience Emerging Designer Panel hosted by Dan Rubinstien. Watch Now.
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