Thoughtful Intentions: Annenberg Wildlife Crossing
A quiet moment of recognition arrived this season. A national home design publication named Sarah a top interior design expert. It is an honor that reflects many years of thoughtful, careful work and the relationships that shaped it.
As the season settles in, this time of year offers a gentle pause and a chance to gather with loved ones. Our studio enjoys using this moment to reflect on the year behind us and set thoughtful intentions for the one ahead.
In the spirit of giving, we are excited to continue our tradition of making a holiday donation in honor of our friends and clients. This year, we are contributing to the Annenberg Wildlife Crossing, a significant conservation project currently under construction over the 101 Freeway near Agoura Hills. The project, which began in 2022, aims to reconnect the natural habitats of the Santa Monica Mountains and the Simi Hills, allowing mountain lions, deer, bobcats, birds, and many other species to move safely across the landscape. For decades, road expansion has divided these ecosystems, leaving wildlife isolated and vulnerable.
The crossing represents a collaborative effort involving state agencies, conservation organizations, scientists, and community supporters, all united by a vision of restoring a healthy ecological balance. Construction is currently at an exciting stage, with soil and native vegetation being installed on the bridge deck. As the planting progresses, the structure increasingly resembles the surrounding hillsides it aims to connect. The project is expected to be completed by 2026, and the first animals will likely cross the area shortly after the landscape is established.
Sustainable and compassionate practices remain at the core of what we do, and we hope our upcoming projects will continue to bring you joy and motivation.
May the spirit of the season fill your home with warmth and bring peace for the months ahead. Have a very happy and healthy holiday season!
Sarah Barnard, WELL AP + LEED AP, is a leading designer of personalized, sustainable spaces that support mental, physical, and emotional wellbeing. She creates highly personalized, restorative spaces that are deeply connected to art and the preservation of the environment. An advocate for consciousness, inclusivity, and compassion in the creative process, Sarah has appeared in Architectural Digest, Elle Décor, Vogue, HGTV, and many other publications. In 2017, Sarah was honored as a “Ones to Watch” Scholar by the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID).
Sarah Barnard Named Top Interior Design Expert
A quiet moment of recognition arrived this season. A national home design publication named Sarah a top interior design expert. It is an honor that reflects many years of thoughtful, careful work and the relationships that shaped it.
A quiet moment of recognition arrived this season. A national home design publication named Sarah a top interior design expert. It is an honor that reflects many years of thoughtful, careful work and the relationships that shaped it.
Annual expert lists highlight designers who are helping guide the field's direction. They consider the ability to create spaces that support wellbeing, the stewardship of natural materials, and the commitment to design that serves real people with real needs. Sarah’s work has long centered on these values. Her designs are meant to nurture, to include, and to restore. Sarah’s WELL and LEED credentials have guided her toward an approach that cares for both people and the planet. Her work celebrates nature, craft, artfulness, and compassion. She has been featured in publications like Architectural Digest, Mansion Global, and Business of Home, and each project has carried the same intention: to make a meaningful difference in the lives of the people who live in these spaces.
This year’s list includes many thoughtful voices from across the design world. Creatives like Brigette Romanek, Studio McGee, Joy Moyler, Bobby Berk, and Nicole Hollis stand alongside Sarah. It is a generous community of designers who care deeply about their craft.
For our clients and neighbors, this recognition is truly shared. Every project begins with someone opening their home and trusting us with their hopes, challenges, and daily rituals. Those stories shape each space. We are grateful for every collaborator and every person who has allowed us to be part of their world.
We remain committed to creating spaces that support comfort, inclusivity, accessibility, and the natural world. These are the values that guide us, and they continue to shape the work we are doing now.
Sarah Barnard, WELL AP + LEED AP, is a leading designer of personalized, sustainable spaces that support mental, physical, and emotional wellbeing. She creates highly personalized, restorative spaces that are deeply connected to art and the preservation of the environment. An advocate for consciousness, inclusivity, and compassion in the creative process, Sarah has appeared in Architectural Digest, Elle Décor, Vogue, HGTV, and many other publications. In 2017, Sarah was honored as a “Ones to Watch” Scholar by the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID).
Creative Workspaces: Home Office Interior Design Reimagined
As a WELL and LEED-accredited interior designer specializing in spaces that support emotional and physical wellbeing, I have a particular passion for creative workspaces. Creative work can be inherently joyful and healing, and having a dedicated space, whether an entire room, a desk, or even a chair outdoors that is devoted to accessing a creative flow state, can be an excellent way to find support in the home. Even the intentionality of dedicating an area to creativity gives that work weight and importance, automatically making it a greater priority. The more care put into thinking about a creative space, or any space, the more likely it is to become a functional presence in life, which can be a great way to encourage positive and joyful habits.
One of the things I talk about with many of my clients is designing a space that is specific to their needs and preferences, and working with them to feel comfortable eschewing any expectations they may feel obligated to meet about what a room should look or be like. Many of us adapt to the environments we are in, rather than adapting our spaces to meet our needs. Increasingly, people are craving spaces and routines that feel aligned with who we are, rather than trying to match expectations that feel out of step with what actually works for us. When I’m working, I try to take to heart the idea of meeting my own environmental and emotional needs. Not only does it support my best creative work, but it also helps reinforce how important it is for the client to have this same experience, and makes me feel more connected to my goals as a designer.
I’ve come to learn that different parts of the creative and work process may be best supported by different surroundings. When I’m waking up my brain and body, I like to start the day in the garden. Nature is a huge part of my creative work, but it’s also where I find the most joy and feel most connected to the world and to myself. I love the quiet acts of caretaking as I tend to my plants, and seeing them progress and change reflects the seasonality and natural rhythms of the earth. Seeing the plant life and the birds, and collecting pine cones and seed pods, all help me ground and relax in a way that lends itself to creative thinking throughout the day. While I don’t necessarily spend the time in my garden looking for inspiration, it always finds me. Many of the colors, textures, and imagery in my client work and in the products of my home goods studio, Kale Tree, are inspired by time spent in my garden.
After feeling fully immersed in nature and ready to begin my day in the studio, I’ve found that limited sensory input gives me the most mental space and clarity for creative expansion and problem-solving. Soft, natural lighting, silence, minimal to no scents, and no distracting textures all contribute to a profound external quiet that lets my internal world take focus, and that is really when I can enter a creative flow state where I do my best work. Then, I can tap into the imagery and inspiration that guide my designs and connect with my clients' desires without the distraction of a conflicting external space.
Knowing that I need such minimal sensory input has really emphasized the importance of encouraging clients to honor their personal sensory sensibilities. Every person needs a space as individual as they are, and it’s so important to evaluate what works best for them. If there is a moment when someone really feels they are in a flow state and connecting with a positive feeling, creatively, taking a step back afterward to take stock of their environment can be a good way to reflect on what’s most supportive.
So often, expectations around design can override actual habits and preferences. A common anecdote from clients remodeling their homes is that, although they currently have a designated home office, they usually work at the kitchen table. Knowing this becomes a great opportunity to reconsider the idea of a home workspace and embrace personal sensibilities, rather than expectations about what a home office should be or look like. Is it the warmth and comfort of being around family? The openness of the space, or a more expansive view? Maybe it’s not abandoning a home office altogether, but creating a space that adapts more to a work environment that is actually pleasurable. Taking the time to evaluate what is supportive and what makes it easier for someone to access a flow state can lead to perhaps more unconventional spaces, but also more productive ones. Re-examining how we approach these concepts and environments is one of the most exciting parts of my job and one of the best ways to help my clients physically and emotionally.
Sarah Barnard is a WELL and LEED accredited designer and creator of environments that support mental, physical, and emotional wellbeing. She creates highly personalized, restorative spaces that are deeply connected to art and the preservation of the environment. A certified California Naturalist, Sarah believes in celebrating nature through responsible design that works symbiotically with the local environment.
An advocate for consciousness, inclusivity, and compassion in the creative process, Sarah has appeared in Architectural Digest, Elle Décor, Vogue, HGTV, and many other publications. In 2017 Sarah was recognized as a "Ones to Watch" Scholar by the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) and has been awarded "Best of Houzz Design" for seven consecutive years. Sarah's MFA in visual arts from Claremont Graduate University informs her practice and innovative approach toward interior design as creating a living work of art.
A Home Without Mirrors: Intentional Interior Design
Mirrors are a staple in interior design, serving important functions as focal points, adding symmetry and balance to a room, and elevating the aesthetic with decorative frames. In smaller rooms, they are one of various design elements that can amplify the sense of space, capturing and releasing natural light. Some end users place functional value on mirrors for daily tasks.
As homeowners strive to create living environments that truly reflect their needs, and interior design serves as an inclusive tool to meet those needs, it is becoming more common to design homes that are either mirrorless, or that limit mirrors to specific areas, intentionally.
Beyond being a purposeful design element, mirrors, more specifically reflections, can impact mental health, self-confidence, and self-image. Mirrors play (or could play) a very different role for everyone, depending on the point of view, and how experience and expectations frame how a reflection is seen.
For some, the reflection is a source of affirmation. For others, the experience is the opposite. It’s an important, but subtle divide that can influence well-being.
Sometimes societal attitudes towards appearance and social media set expectations, and mirrors can reinforce ideas, whether they are relevant or not.
With this connection between reflection, perception, and health and well-being, it’s worth exploring why mirrorless design is an option and what practical design approaches can be employed as alternatives.
"Intentionally designing a mirror-free sanctuary can cultivate a space free from self-conscious distraction, fostering a deeper connection with our internal experience rather than our reflected appearance," says says WELL and LEED accredited interior designer Sarah Barnard.
Meanwhile, replacing mirrors with alternative design elements can help better customize a home for people of all abilities.
Why Design a Home Without Mirrors?
"Aesthetically, designing a home without mirrors strives for calm and order at home. The absence of reflective surfaces can also help make a space feel more contained and intimate, fostering a sense of coziness and privacy within the home," says Barnard.
How to Maximize Space Without Mirrors
Mirrors are often used strategically to create a sense of space or to reflect and disperse natural light, especially in smaller spaces. However, making a room feel light can also be achieved through other interior design elements.
Sheer curtains and carefully considered window treatments can help maximize access to natural light. Light-colored walls and furnishings can also help create a more naturally bright and airy feel. Appropriately sized furniture, placed strategically, can help with scale. Making use of vertical space draws the eye up and out. Layered lighting can reduce shadows, which can make a room look bigger.
A book collection, displayed in built-in bookcases embraces vertical space. Sheer drapes and large windows make the space feel generous and bright, without any mirrors.
Can You Include Mirrors For Functional Purposes in Mostly Mirrorless Design?
To include mirrors strictly for functional, task-oriented purposes, consider placing them intentionally and discreetly. In bathrooms, pocket and tabletop mirrors are an excellent option to provide mirrors on demand, when needed, and put away when not required. A small, retractable wall-mounted mirror, which can be pulled out is visually unobtrusive while maintaining functionality.
What Can You Use Instead of Mirrors?
Mirrors are often used to anchor a room and to achieve symmetry and balance, but they are not the only solution. Here are tips for alternatives to consider:
Mirrors often sit atop a fireplace mantel to draw the eye as a focal point. Raising the fireplace to eye level and integrating it into the wall can be a decorative alternative to both mirrors and mantels.
Textured wall art can be an alternative to mirrors, given how it adds visual and tactile interest. It can also be effective in creating balance in a space.
Consider textured art in areas such as over a foyer table, or at the end of a narrow hallway, for an impressive focal point.
Strategically placing windows in a bathroom without mirrors adds beautiful symmetry while helping to pull in natural light. A tiled wall where a mirror might traditionally hang adds a layer of visual and tactile texture.
Windows, and window placement, in the place of mirrors in a bathroom takes into account senses beyond sight, delivering warmth from natural light.
For some homeowners, a mirror-free home is practical, while others might find emotional benefit, or be drawn to the aesthetic quality. What is common among these approaches is that end users can benefit from thinking about how they want their homes to feel, and then exploring the various design elements that can help to support those feelings.
Sarah Barnard is a WELL and LEED accredited designer and creator of environments that support mental, physical, and emotional wellbeing. She creates highly personalized, restorative spaces that are deeply connected to art and the preservation of the environment. A certified California Naturalist, Sarah believes in celebrating nature through responsible design that works symbiotically with the local environment.
An advocate for consciousness, inclusivity, and compassion in the creative process, Sarah has appeared in Architectural Digest, Elle Décor, Vogue, HGTV, and many other publications. In 2017 Sarah was recognized as a "Ones to Watch" Scholar by the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) and has been awarded "Best of Houzz Design" for seven consecutive years. Sarah's MFA in visual arts from Claremont Graduate University informs her practice and innovative approach toward interior design as creating a living work of art.
Wonderful For Imaginative Play, practical for Living. A letter from the parent of a child with autism
I contacted Sarah last year after reading her thoughtful blog post titled “Creating a Safe Space for Neurodivergent Children to Thrive.” My 15 month old son had just been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. His days would now be filled with hours of intensive at-home therapies. Could we transform our home into a space that would support these therapies, yet be warm and comfortable and naturalistic?
Sarah and her team were excited about the challenge. We had ~400 square feet of my one-bedroom condo to work with.
She came to visit and we talked. I wanted everything. It had to provide a place to hide out, a sensory retreat. It had to have a running path, because my son loved to run. It had to have fixed and reconfigurable climbing options, because my son loved to climb. It had to have a treehouse with a slide, just because. It had to have a bed.
And of course, it had to promote therapy. Early intervention for autism is all about saturating children with attention and social interaction. The child, of course, would much rather be doing their own thing. Clinics facilitate this by putting the child and therapist into an 8 by 10 foot room with a rug in the middle. This way, they have no choice but to interact.
We had a conversation that went roughly like this:
“I want the same effect,” I told Sarah, “but without the walls.”
“Have you considered the possibility,” Sarah said, “that if we have a therapy area surrounded by all these fun options to run and climb and it looks like a natural setting that he will just.... run off?”
“Yes,” I said.
I had another thought. “He’ll also need easy access to 50 bins full of different toys. He’s at the general combination stage of presymbolic play.”
“I’ll have a mood board ready next week,” Sarah said.
The mood board was amazing. It looked like a collection of children’s museums, rich people’s houses, and gardens. I circled half of the items and said it would be great if our condo could look like that.
“I’ll have a design in a couple of weeks,” Sarah said.
Two weeks passed, and it was time to see the design. I prepared myself for disappointment, for being brought back down to Earth, because it was a list of requests impossible to satisfy. But then Sarah said, “I think we’ve got everything. Here’s how we did it.”
She opened up an AutoCAD file and went through the design. There were custom rugs laid out to create — in negative space — a running path along our hardwood floors. There were bookshelves and climbing shelves funneling inward to the bed, which now doubled as a crash pad. There were lily pads and rocks and modular climbing forms. There was a treehouse and a sensory cave carved out of our old laundry nook. A shelving system for therapy materials. The treehouse light looked like the sun, illuminating origami cloud lights hung around the room.
The largest cloud light hung low over the largest space on the rug, bordered on one side by the running path, on another side by the modular forms, and on another side by the shelving system.
“The therapy area,” I thought. “They’ll naturally sit and play here. The light is low-hanging enough that everyone has to be child level. There’s no walls, but it’s clear this is the best place to sit.”
There were other areas in the space too that were naturally conducive to one-on-one interactions. The sensory nook. The treehouse. The bed. The table by the library shelving. It was an entire space that encouraged adults to interact with children.
Over the next months, construction proceeded and the space became reality. Sarah’s team handled everything about the implementation, e.g. furniture delivery, getting contractors, etc. The end result was beautiful.
My son loves the space, and has thrived in it. It works just as designed. He engages happily with his therapists, working when he needs to, playing when he needs a break, and afterward it transforms happily into just his home. He improved rapidly over the next year, engaging more and more with others. It was a wonder to see his happy, social, and outgoing self emerge. At 26 months, he began to talk, and a few months later he overcame his speech delay entirely. It was due to the hard work of many people, himself included, and the space Sarah designed provided the stage for all this to happen. It was key.
There are companies that specialize in making rooms for autistic children. They look like therapy rooms — here’s the trampoline, here’s the lights, here’s the swing. They all look so clinical. Our space is every bit as functional, but it doesn’t look like a therapy clinic. It just looks like home.
One thing I love about the space is that everything is general purpose, nothing is prescribed. The climbing forms are my son’s taxi, battleship gun, car, boat, elevator, and many others. The padded areas next to the bed are a sofa, climbing area, book storage, toy stand, etc. It is wonderful for imaginative play, and very practical for living.
Everything is thoughtfully done. The color palette is amazing. My son loves the color green, and so shades of green are everywhere. When I added houseplants to the plant wall, I was startled to see that they matched the color palette. There are blues and purples around the room as well.
“The tricky part was finding something that would match the blue handles of the toy bins,” Sarah said.
“You considered that?!” I remember thinking.
Before I met Sarah, when I thought of high-end interior design, I thought of rich people’s houses that were cavernous and modern and museum-like, all shades of gray or beige broken up by expensive art. But our space didn’t turn out like that at all. Instead, it was vibrant and colorful and lovely and fun.
Comments from others: the parent of a nonverbal child came in and just said, it works. It’s funny how when you make a space totally focused on the child, it makes the parent happier too.
When my sister came to visit, her two kids were here along with my son, and all 3 kids were happily occupied in different areas of the space. My brother in law said, this makes it easy to watch all the kids at once, everyone is happy.
Another sentiment — it’s the roomiest 400 square feet in the world. Parents visiting the space often have larger houses, but have said they want a system more like ours, that has space for their children to play and all their toys too.
The design works for neurotypical children as well. They come in and are purely delighted. They don’t want to leave.
Working with Sarah was a wonderful experience. She is as much an engineer as she is an artist. She created something functional and beautiful. The intersection of those domains was something simple and elegant and clear. She turned something impossible into something that now seems inevitable and obviously correct — I couldn’t imagine it any other way now.
I appreciate that the process was conversational and collaborative. Before I met Sarah, I talked to two other people. One designer had the approach, “I look at your space, I make a design, and what you get is what you get.” Another wasn’t even an interior designer — she was a professional organizer — but was adamant that her way was the best, and kept telling me that she was right and I was wrong (e.g. “the books need to be displayed cover out, not spine out.” “but we have so many books.” “maybe you should have fewer books”).
In contrast, Sarah was much more experienced, knowledgeable, and proficient — but the way it came off was very different. She took the time to learn what we needed for my son, and understand on a deep level the “whys” behind what we were doing. Instead of saying “no” to any idea, she would guide me through the tradeoffs and constraints involved. There was never a sense of, “I’m more experienced, so this is the way things should be”; it was always more of a conversation, and very collaborative. Sarah didn’t just make it seem like she was powerful and capable — though she was, of course. She made me feel I was powerful and capable too, which is what I needed at a moment I was trying to do something right for my son.
A common pattern is that Sarah and I would have a brief conversation or email exchange, and a few days later, she would let me know of a solution. It was evident a great deal of thought and attention had been put into it. It gave a sense of infinite capability. Everything was also well organized and documented. It was amazing how quickly things could go from an idea to a concrete implementation. With Sarah, anything was possible.
Sarah Barnard, WELL AP + LEED AP, is a leading designer of personalized, sustainable spaces that support mental, physical, and emotional wellbeing. She creates highly personalized, restorative spaces that are deeply connected to art and the preservation of the environment. An advocate for consciousness, inclusivity, and compassion in the creative process, Sarah has appeared in Architectural Digest, Elle Décor, Vogue, HGTV, and many other publications. In 2017 Sarah was honored as a “Ones to Watch” Scholar by the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID).
Inclusive Playspace: Creating a Unique Sensory Environment for a Child with Autism
Thoughtful design can transform a home into a supportive and enriching environment, particularly for individuals with unique needs. This custom playspace, designed to support the sensory needs of a child with autism, naturally blends therapy and play into daily home life. Biophilic design elements such as a nature-inspired color palette, organic forms, and textures are utilized to create a visually stimulating child-oriented environment of diverse visual and sensorial experiences that create order within the space while also inspiring movement, play, and fun. These design features create visual and sensorial cues that help to create awareness of what is available to them within this environment, empowering them to make their own selections and choices for activity, play, and therapy, creating a space where they have autonomy, support, and space to thrive.
The main playroom is designed to present a series of visual and sensorial experiences that help facilitate one-on-one play-based therapies within the home, such as speech therapy, occupational therapy, infant stimulation therapy, and applied behavioral analysis (ABA) for a child with autism. Creating a child-oriented space that balances fun and order was essential in integrating therapy and play within the space. Color, texture, and lighting were thoughtfully designed to create a series of visual and sensorial cues that bring awareness of what is available within the space to a child with autism, empowering them to make their own selections and choices for activity based on their individual needs.
An inbuilt shelving system provides customized storage for various toys used in play-based therapies. Access to a wide variety of toys keeps a sense of novelty, and ample storage makes space for toys that are more complicated or contain many pieces, which can help build up play levels and skills during therapy. This storage creates an organized and clutter-free play space where toys can be chosen visibly and are easily accessible.
A nature-inspired palette of greens and blues throughout the main play space creates a visually stimulating environment. Stacked cork sheets from sustainably farmed cork provide warm accents on the treehouse and bookcase.
A custom rug made from wool and bamboo silk helps create a child-oriented space that naturally facilitates one-on-one floortime therapy and play by encouraging adults to play on the floor alongside children. The rugs incorporate biophilic design through a nature-inspired palette of green, grey, and blue patches that are woven into curved organic shapes resembling lichen or grass. This variation in texture contributes to a diverse sensory experience within the space designed to keep a child engaged with play and therapy.
A large cloud-like light hangs low within the room, demarcating a space on the rug at child height and helping facilitate one-on-one floortime play therapy. The height of this light creates a feeling of shelter and security under its soft, comforting canopy. The honeycombed paper they are made from also helps absorb reflected or sudden sound within the space. They create a fully dimmable soft glow from within their paper structure. Lighting controls are installed at a height accessible to children, and each light can be dimmed individually to determine the preferred lighting levels in the space.
The shape and placement of rugs throughout the space subtract parts of the wood flooring to help emphasize landing areas for therapy and play. This rug placement also creates a path of exposed flooring, which reveals a recreational running loop through the playroom, kitchen, and library, seamlessly incorporating a space for movement breaks between one-on-one play and therapy.
Modular, green climbing structures made from durable, commercial-grade textiles are incorporated into this play space. These textiles are durable, designed to withstand play, and sustainably sourced as they are made from 100% recycled poly, 75% of which is SEAQUAL fiber made from recycled ocean plastics. This material also contributes to healthier indoor air quality as it meets the Oeko-Tex standard 100, a rating that sets the benchmark for textile safety and certifies that this material contains no harmful substances. These soft forms offer opportunities for physical movement, enabling the child to climb and exercise their muscles. Additionally, they can rearrange the structures into various configurations during play, stimulating their imagination.
A custom-made bed was ergonomically designed to be low to the floor and suitable for child height to create a child-oriented space facilitating one-on-one play and therapy. A series of soft climbing shelves anchored to the wall give the bed a dual function as a soft landing during exercise and play.
A custom-made wipe-off magnet board creates a space for artistic expression and interactive play with magnets that picture different feelings and emotions. A series of plants installed on the wall above create a living green space that brings the serenity of nature into the playroom.
A custom indoor treehouse is split into upper and lower sections that present different textural and sensorial experiences so a child can independently choose from varied surroundings.
A circular padded doorway made from a durable indoor/outdoor textile serves as a child-sized chair and entrance to the downstairs nook of the treehouse. The child-sized doorway to this space doubles as an escape tunnel that connects with a parent's room next door. This option creates a sense of comfort and safety when interacting with therapists in the space, creating a retreat when breaks are needed. The smooth, dark green walls provide a pleasing sensorial contrast to the glass pebble tile floor made from recycled glass that mimics the look of Carrara marble.
The upstairs treehouse provides a space flooded with bright natural light, and the white walls feature a textured tree bark design. The window also provides a view of the trees outside, which can contribute to positive emotions and a sense of well-being.
A climbing ramp connects this custom-built indoor treehouse to the outdoor patio space, which, when used with adult supervision, incorporates the fresh air and sunlight of the outdoor environment into the main playroom.
Pink and lavender are incorporated into the library to distinguish this as an area designed for focused learning and therapy, separate from the blue and green main play space.
Bookshelves painted in a lavender hue provide accessible storage for toys and books, providing visual choice and making them easy to access for play, learning, and therapy.
Custom pink lily pad pillows made from a durable wool-acrylic blend and a custom rug crafted from wool and bamboo silk create a child-oriented space on the floor. This environment encourages one-on-one interactions and therapy, making it easy for adults to engage in activities on the floor.
The cabinetry of this kitchen was painted a lush nature-inspired green to visually connect with the existing countertops.
This contemporary five-light pendant chandelier provides bright, even lighting throughout the space. The round dandelion-like shape of its pendants works harmoniously with the chic white disc-shaped brass and marble hardware installed on the kitchen cabinetry.
This painting of an abstract landscape connects with this kitchen's nature-inspired color palette to bring the beauty of the natural world into the space.
Designing a space that blends therapy and play at home can have immense benefits for a child with autism. Being surrounded by visual and sensorial experiences that create freedom of choice and autonomy creates an at-home environment that meets them where they are, supports their individual needs, and encourages them to learn, grow, and thrive.
Sarah Barnard, WELL AP + LEED AP, is a leading designer of personalized, sustainable spaces that support mental, physical, and emotional wellbeing. She creates highly personalized, restorative spaces that are deeply connected to art and the preservation of the environment. An advocate for consciousness, inclusivity, and compassion in the creative process, Sarah has appeared in Architectural Digest, Elle Décor, Vogue, HGTV, and many other publications. In 2017 Sarah was honored as a “Ones to Watch” Scholar by the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID).