welcome home, Christopher Lowell the celebrated interior designer brings his latest innovations to Santa Fe Before there was HGTV, there was Christopher Lowell, an interior designer who plied humor and know-how to inspire homeowners to take charge of their spaces via TV shows like Interior Motives and The Christopher Lowell Show. The Emmy Award–winning host and author of six best-selling lifestyle books began spending time in Santa Fe a few years ago and started exploring the Internet as a content-delivery platform for design enlightenment via YouTube, blogs, and social media. After officially setting down roots here, Lowell began incubating an idea that’s poised to revolutionize home how-to once again. Set to launch in 2015, My Lifestyle Hub will cater to dual-income, hyper-tasking couples who are jointly making style decisions for their home—a demographic Lowell says most retailers overlook. A website and complimentary mobile app will include videos of real-life design consultations, behind-the-scenes footage, and retail components. In this new endeavor, Lowell has found a partner in Reside Home, a local boutique home and lifestyle showroom opened in December 2013 and headed by designer and retail expert Jeff Fenton, graphic designer Chris Martinez, and realtor Kendra Henning. Here, Lowell will meet clients, film videos, and develop design concepts for My Lifestyle Hub. For those eager to take advantage of Lowell’s expertise in advance of the hub’s launch, Lowell has already begun conducting one-on-one design consultations in the showroom.—Ashley M. Biggers
Santa Fe style, reinterpreted Santa Fe style has long been a reflection of Moorish/Spanish influences with Western and Native American twists. Lowell’s vision for the next generation of Santa Fe style, as noted in his tips below, reflects the melting pot of cultures and creative pursuits of those who live here. “If Santa Fe stands for anything, it’s self expression,” Lowell says. Consider architecture and landscape. By virtue of being in Santa Fe, your home already has Santa Fe style—it’s out your panoramic window and imbued in each viga. Choose interior decor selectively to enhance, not overwhelm, this picturesque scene. Together these elements will make a statement. “When in doubt, ask yourself, ‘Is this object something that tells my story accurately, and is it classic enough to work no matter where I live?’” Lowell says. Make your choices luxurious enough for her yet tailored enough for him. For example, Lowell suggests choosing furnishings with sumptuous fabrics but also sleek, architectural lines. Don’t ignore your personal style. Lowell guides clients to identify one of four lifestyles or attitudes: town, country, city, and shore. Defining the lifestyle that most resonates with you will help build confidence as you make style choices, he says. Santa Fe style can be interpreted through each of these lenses— even if, as Lowell’s Reside Home colleague Kendra Henning jokes, the “shore” is more appropriately called an “arroyo.” Create an authentic space. Newcomers to Santa Fe may eagerly embrace rolled-arm leather couches, cowhide rugs, and romanticized photographs of cowboys, but this enthusiasm can fade. Choose pieces that represent your life and style before— and perhaps after—your life in Santa Fe, Lowell says, and allow them to reflect international influences. Jeff Fenton, another Reside Home partner, points out that Santa Fe Trail travelers brought wares from all over the country and the world to the City Different. Your style can also reflect this eclecticism. Mix, don’t match. Combine materials and styles to make a statement, Lowell says. For example, you might look for a liveedge wooden table with steel legs that blends rusticity and modernity, Or choose a traditionally fine material, such as marble, but pick a rustic finish that lends itself to Santa Fe style.
Warm desert hues and geometric accents say “Santa Fe,” but with a timeless interplay of traditional accents and contemporary attitude. 116
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Choose solids or classic geometric prints for investment pieces. “Geometrics don’t date the piece. That’s the secret to longevity,” says Lowell. That’s not to say that geometric references can’t have regional flair; many evoke Navajo motifs. You can also play with scale. An overblown houndstooth or ikat brings freshness to those classic designs. Change out pillows, not the entire couch, to create new visual interest. Don’t miss Christopher Lowell’s design column in the August/September issue of the Santa Fean.
JEFF FENTON
Play with color. The first of Lowell’s seven layers of design, which he touted on his TV shows and in print, is paint and architecture. Begin with color here. Santa Fe style means earthy hues, but that doesn’t mean you have to avoid vibrant shades, he notes. Choose wall paint colors with muted, dusty hues to make them more neutral. Bring in vibrant shades in accents only.