Suzie Lucas Principal Designer, Lucas
A pair of Del Mar, California, beach houses conceived as “fraternal twins” (and inspired by the clients’ two sets of the same!) is the brainchild of Suzie Lucas, who founded her Seattle interior design firm with siblings David and Rachel in 2012. Like the designers themselves, the two structures have a strong family resemblance yet individual personalities. The client couple wanted houses that could function separately but also as one—places where their extended family could unwind by the ocean. Board-formed concrete and shou sugi ban slats unify the structures. Yet a sense of contrast prevails: between cozy shelter and wild waves, solid oak flooring and stained hemlock screens, charred wood and crisp white walls. Many of the unfussy natural materials will weather over time, giving the residences an earthy, organic feeling. It was Lucas’s studies at New York’s School of Visual Arts that kickstarted her journey into the applied arts. She began her career organizing the materials library at a well-known firm. “This gave me a strong background in resources and vendors, and taught me how to research,” she explains. For her, a well-designed space should conjure an emotion. “I prefer spaces that make you feel embraced and promote curiosity, with some presence of nature to ground you,” she continues. Her firm has masterminded many such personal sanctuaries across the globe, from the designers’ Pacific Northwest home base to far-flung New Zealand. PROJECT TEAM DAVID LUCAS KEY CONSULTANTS C.J. LIGHT ASSOCIATES, SWEIG GENERAL CONTRACTING PHOTOGRAPHY PORTRAIT: TALITHA BULLOCK; PROJECT: DOUGLAS FRIEDMAN
lucasinterior.com
18 years in the industry honors
International Design & Architecture Awards, Luxe Red Awards breakthrough project
Gallery House in La Jolla, California
Clockwise from portrait: Suzie Lucas, who runs her Seattle interior design firm, Lucas, with two of her six siblings. A shou sugi ban–slat entry distinguishes one of two houses the firm designed in 2019 for a Del Mar, California, property. A guest bedroom’s custom headboard is made of Holly Hunt faux leather. The interior design is casual with a strong Japanese influence, and all materials exhibit rugged durability. A Brown Jordan sectional and an outdoor fireplace anchor a restful patio. In the great room, a custom built-in sofa cozies up to The Meeting Place, a hanging sculpture made of graywacke stone by Chris Charteris. 38
INTERIOR DESIGN