Designer Spotlight: Natalie Myers

We can’t quite label Natalie Myers’ signature style. Japandi? Sandafornian? Informed by Nordic and Japanese sensibilities, her style is balanced out with a laid back California cool. Marrying indoor and outdoor spaces and leveraging light as a central component to her design, we’ll just say she has her own thing, and that’s what caught our attention.

Her studio, Veneer Designs is an award-winning Los Angeles based interior design firm, is distinguished by the integration of contemporary spaces with her unique, modern perspective. Veneer continues to be in demand for everything from full home renovations to new construction, space planning, kitchen and bathroom remodels, but they’re approachable enough to simply distinguish a color scheme of a perfect piece to bring your space together.

We were lucky to catch up about inspiration, the future of Veneer and more.

HM: What makes Hennepin Made a good fit for Veneer Designs? Is it just about design or are their other values that resinate with you about our ongoing relationship?

NM: The handcrafted nature of the fabrication process gives each piece a unique and one of a kind feel. That alone is a good reason to source from Hennepin Made since I like to steer my clients away from mass produced items when possible. Sustainability measures are a priority to me and it feels good to know I'm sourcing from a company that values the same ideals. And seeing the design team continually push the collection offerings is why I keep circling back to see what’s new and how I can make my design schemes feel fresh by using the Hennepin Made lighting. 

HM: You mix a variety of influences from Californian to Japanese. What drives your eclectic decision making and how do you achieve such balance? 

NM: It's so easy to be distracted by all the  pretty shiny things out there. There are so many pretty things in this world, but for each thing there is a place. I refuse to let a room become cluttered to buy for the sake of buying.  Edit edit edit. Starting by "collecting" as many products that might be a good fit for a space in a Pinterest folder and then stepping back to assess. The right one (for that space) will shine from the rest of the pack and I will save the other options for a rainy day on another install. 

HM: What is your approach to designing in such a way that it reflects your clients’ needs and preferences yet maintains your signature style?

NM: I tend to steer the design work through a few rounds before we reach the final version. The first round is purely my aesthetic. What would I want to install if this was my house? Sometimes, but not always, the clients dig the first round and we are good to go. Most times the clients will reply with their likes and dislikes about what I presented and hopefully show me examples of the kinds of things they are interested in. I will revise my initial schemes to reflect their view points and make the space feel more personal to them. Then usually one more round of small tweaks and we have nailed it. The scheme is a reflection of their tastes through the filter of my experience and vision. 

HM: We love your Canyon Collection of furniture, how does your process differ in creating functional objects versus a a combined interior?

NM: In some ways it's easier because furniture design is one object on a smaller scale. In some ways it's harder because every detail has to sing when you aren't playing off of the other elements in a room. I love flexing different design muscles and hope to continue down the path of product design. Making sure to only bring products to the marketplace that don't otherwise exist. 

HM: What are some of your favorite ways to find unique and vintage pieces? Do you have any go-to’s in LA or elsewhere?

NM: I follow vintage vendors in LA that have a specific curated aesthetic that is so unique. Vendors like Salvare Goods, Fig & Oak , Amsterdam Modern, Pop Up Home are wonderful when I'm short on time and need an infusion of style. If I have more time on my hands, there is nothing like treasure hunting through Facebook Marketplace for weirdly interesting items at a steal and interacting with the crazy soup that is LA sellers.

HM: What’s next in the works for Veneer Designs and what future projects are you especially excited about?

NM: I love designing in my own neighborhood of Ladera Heights. I get to build a more meaningful connection with my clients and soon to be neighbors. And I get to improve the look of my neighborhood one house at a time. I'm working on my third house of such a nature and it's a true gem. I can't wait to finish it this summer and share the transformation with my audience. After that, hopefully more houses in my neighborhood will make their way to my client roster.