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Ann Lowengart Interiors
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Pro Spotlight: 3 Lessons to Bring Your Style to Life
A Bay Area interior designer shares her guidance to let your home be a glowing reflection of who you are
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Who: Ann Lowengart of Ann Lowengart Interiors
Where: San Anselmo, California
In her own words: “The best part of my work is getting to know people as they’re getting to know me, especially those moments where I’m able to show them something they’ve never considered and they say, ‘Yes, I love that.’ ”
When it comes to our home’s design, we usually have a sense for what we think we need: a neutral sectional here, an end table we saw in a catalog there, the list goes on. But where in the redesign process do we find the feeling that our space is a true reflection of who we are and who we want to be?
“Above all, my role as a designer is to figure out what lights my clients up,” says Ann Lowengart, the founder and owner of Ann Lowengart Interiors. “I spend time listening as they articulate their goals, digging to understand what they want. I’m here to bring their style to life in the most elevated way possible — not to let their home become a reflection of me as a designer.”
Where: San Anselmo, California
In her own words: “The best part of my work is getting to know people as they’re getting to know me, especially those moments where I’m able to show them something they’ve never considered and they say, ‘Yes, I love that.’ ”
When it comes to our home’s design, we usually have a sense for what we think we need: a neutral sectional here, an end table we saw in a catalog there, the list goes on. But where in the redesign process do we find the feeling that our space is a true reflection of who we are and who we want to be?
“Above all, my role as a designer is to figure out what lights my clients up,” says Ann Lowengart, the founder and owner of Ann Lowengart Interiors. “I spend time listening as they articulate their goals, digging to understand what they want. I’m here to bring their style to life in the most elevated way possible — not to let their home become a reflection of me as a designer.”
The right path at the right time. Lowengart credits her career as an interior designer to the powerful, positive influence of family and friends. “Growing up, my wonderful aunt was an interior designer,” Lowengart says. “She was so creative and her house was full of these fantastic trappings like huge papers, coloring tools and beautiful bolts of fabric.”
After graduating from UC Berkeley, Lowengart spent her early career in sales at Procter & Gamble. “My husband and I bought a building on Lake Street in San Francisco and remodeled each unit before selling,” she says. “My friend actually dared me to leave a card as a remodeling consultant, which I thought no one would ever need or want.” She got her first call the very same day. What began as a consultancy in 2000 has now flourished into a full-service, luxury interior design firm with 20 staff members supporting projects that range from individual rooms to ground-up builds.
After graduating from UC Berkeley, Lowengart spent her early career in sales at Procter & Gamble. “My husband and I bought a building on Lake Street in San Francisco and remodeled each unit before selling,” she says. “My friend actually dared me to leave a card as a remodeling consultant, which I thought no one would ever need or want.” She got her first call the very same day. What began as a consultancy in 2000 has now flourished into a full-service, luxury interior design firm with 20 staff members supporting projects that range from individual rooms to ground-up builds.
Building your brand step by step. Lowengart’s business acumen is the cornerstone of her design practice. “I love the creative, but I also consider myself the business person’s interior designer,” she says. “I run a totally transparent business. It’s important that my clients have a holistic and detailed understanding of what the project will cost, from the goods to storage to tax and insurance.”
Armed with comprehensive information, Lowengart’s clients can then focus on the joy of design. “I help my clients have a great time,” she says. “It’s a blessing to be able to do this work, to create a wonderful backdrop for essential family memories and to understand who my clients are and how they want to build and express their personal brand.”
Ready for a redesign that inspires you every day? Lowengart shares how your home can reflect who you are.
Armed with comprehensive information, Lowengart’s clients can then focus on the joy of design. “I help my clients have a great time,” she says. “It’s a blessing to be able to do this work, to create a wonderful backdrop for essential family memories and to understand who my clients are and how they want to build and express their personal brand.”
Ready for a redesign that inspires you every day? Lowengart shares how your home can reflect who you are.
1. Let Your Home Reflect the Vibrancy of Your Life
The library in this San Francisco home is an extension of the homeowners through emblematic colors, the blend of antique and modern furnishings and the floor plan of the room and how it functions. “From a color standpoint, the rich blue is a color they both like to wear and the high gloss communicates their youth and vibrancy,” Lowengart says. “The wife grew up in a 300-year-old antiques-filled home, so we included antique touches like the games table.” Lowengart also brought in more modern silhouettes to represent the couple’s tech industry sensibilities.
“This room reflects their family. Their girls can play games as the parents lounge or read by the fire,” Lowengart says. “I never want someone to walk into a room and say, ‘This is Annie.’ I want people to say, ‘This totally reflects us. I never would have thought of this.’ ”
See more of this project
The library in this San Francisco home is an extension of the homeowners through emblematic colors, the blend of antique and modern furnishings and the floor plan of the room and how it functions. “From a color standpoint, the rich blue is a color they both like to wear and the high gloss communicates their youth and vibrancy,” Lowengart says. “The wife grew up in a 300-year-old antiques-filled home, so we included antique touches like the games table.” Lowengart also brought in more modern silhouettes to represent the couple’s tech industry sensibilities.
“This room reflects their family. Their girls can play games as the parents lounge or read by the fire,” Lowengart says. “I never want someone to walk into a room and say, ‘This is Annie.’ I want people to say, ‘This totally reflects us. I never would have thought of this.’ ”
See more of this project
2. Allow Your Home to Change as You Change
This Sonoma escape was initially designed as a bachelor pad. “After the house was completed, the bachelor got married and the wife wanted to add some softness to the architecture, which can read as masculine,” Lowengart says. “We added warmth through texture, like the table where different pieces of wood are expressed in different planes and encased in an oil-rubbed bronze membrane.” The comfortable furniture and scattered poufs and throws bring in a cozy touch.
The streamlined silhouettes and neutral color palette represent the homeowners’ style with added family-friendly functionality. “I don’t take my design cues from outside influences,” Lowengart says. “I take my cues from my clients to create something chic and wonderful.”
See more of this project
This Sonoma escape was initially designed as a bachelor pad. “After the house was completed, the bachelor got married and the wife wanted to add some softness to the architecture, which can read as masculine,” Lowengart says. “We added warmth through texture, like the table where different pieces of wood are expressed in different planes and encased in an oil-rubbed bronze membrane.” The comfortable furniture and scattered poufs and throws bring in a cozy touch.
The streamlined silhouettes and neutral color palette represent the homeowners’ style with added family-friendly functionality. “I don’t take my design cues from outside influences,” Lowengart says. “I take my cues from my clients to create something chic and wonderful.”
See more of this project
3. Honor Both the Past and the Present
The homeowner of this Marin County cottage had raised her family on the historic estate, originally built in 1941. She wanted to totally refresh the space, which had taken on a 1980s color palette in an earlier remodel. “Many times, a homeowner will say to me over and over, ‘I don’t know what I want,’ ” Lowengart says. “Usually, they do actually know. They just haven’t seen it before.”
Lowengart brought in bursts of color and a dose of whimsy to the home, with unusual prints, modern furnishings, floral-patterned fabrics and unique wall coverings that spark a sense of joy at every turn. “This design was a dream come true,” Lowengart says.
See more of this project
More: For more information on Ann Lowengart and examples of her work, visit Ann Lowengart Interiors’ Houzz profile.
This story was written by the Houzz Sponsored Content team.
The homeowner of this Marin County cottage had raised her family on the historic estate, originally built in 1941. She wanted to totally refresh the space, which had taken on a 1980s color palette in an earlier remodel. “Many times, a homeowner will say to me over and over, ‘I don’t know what I want,’ ” Lowengart says. “Usually, they do actually know. They just haven’t seen it before.”
Lowengart brought in bursts of color and a dose of whimsy to the home, with unusual prints, modern furnishings, floral-patterned fabrics and unique wall coverings that spark a sense of joy at every turn. “This design was a dream come true,” Lowengart says.
See more of this project
More: For more information on Ann Lowengart and examples of her work, visit Ann Lowengart Interiors’ Houzz profile.
This story was written by the Houzz Sponsored Content team.
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