Lonni Paul

COMPANY FOUNDER AND PRINCIPAL LONNI PAUL DESIGN

Los Angeles based celebrity interior designer, Lonni Paul, is a high end residential and commercial designer. Working in the industry for 15 years, Lonni has worked with celebrities such as Bill and Giuliana Rancic, Robert Downey Jr. and William Macy. Lonni bases her work on the study of all things simple, modern and clean. From her years working as a fashion model in Milan, Paris, New York, Munich and Tokyo, Lonni developed a keen eye for understated elegance, and a taste for luxurious comfort.

What are you currently working on? I’m working on an eco-friendly line of furniture for a new project featuring sustainable homes across the US and Canada. I’m also working on my new lighting line and ground up builds across the US and abroad.

Tell us a little about this project/s? I’m very excited about the eco-friendly line of furnishings. There will be several lines for clients to choose from for the sustainable homes we are building. The project will be in the US and Canada in areas that are protected and require extreme care for the environment during the building phase.

What led you to this career path? When I was living in Europe and working as a fashion model, the architecture really inspired me. The clothes made by high end Italian and French fashion designers have influenced the way I view and select fabrics and finishing details. It was a natural transition for me from fashion to interiors. Fashion is still a very big influence on my design style.

Please describe the project you are most proud of to date, with reasons why this was a success? A new modern build in Saudi Arabia. The clients were very involved but at the same time gave me a lot of latitude. They were great to work with. Traveling to and working in Saudi Arabia was also very exciting.

Please describe a highlight of your career to date. Being awarded International Designer of the Year by the International Design Society was a great honour and definitely the highlight of my career to date!

What motivates you? My children keep me motivated everyday. Being a positive example of a strong confident woman in a position of leadership while also teaching them to take care of the world they live in is a responsibility I take seriously.

Has the recent global pandemic changed the way in which you work? It’s been a challenging time with so many of my staff working remotely. I’m fortunate and thankful to have a motivated and

loyal team that has been with me for many years. We have an established working relationship that has made this challenging time easier.

Has it changed your outlook? Yes I realise that many things can be done successfully without the restraints of an office and that one can virtually work from anywhere. Obviously the office atmosphere and camaraderie is missed and it takes a bit longer to do things that were once done quickly, but overall we have still been able to work efficiently and effectively.

How do you feel it has changed the world? I believe people have realized the importance of home, family and being in a secure and safe environment. We all live such fast paced lifestyles so the upside of the pandemic, in my opinion, has been to slow us all down a bit and to give perspective on what’s really important in life.

How will it change the global design sector? Since more and more people are working from home, our homes have shifted in their purpose. Our homes are no longer just living spaces, they are now multi-functional. They have become our workspaces, our play spaces, our classrooms and our Friday night date venues. Many will never return to a traditional working environment. Now most rooms in our homes will need to have dual purpose. Your dining room may server as your office. Your kitchen may serve as a classroom. Your guest room may be your gym. Each room will take on different or many functions and design will need to adapt to the new norm.

Please tell us your aims for the next twelve months and beyond. During the coming year my goals are to have my eco friendly line of furnishings available to the public, to launch my lighting line which is currently in development and to have the sustainable home communities I’m working on expand to several locations across the US and Canada. Oh, and to travel again!

What would be your key piece of advice for emerging designers right now? Listen to your clients, understand how they live and anticipate what they will need to live a happy life.