We are thrilled to set our 55th communal table at Laura Brophy Interiorsin Newport Beach on Friday 9/10/21 with the talented Chef Kyle Powers. We love her energy, eye for design and enthusiasm–and that she is always up for an adventure. Although our lark communal dinner has sold out, we invite you to come along with this brief dive “below-the-surface” into her beautiful world of design.
Q. Where do you call home? I reside in Southern California, but home to me is wherever I have family and right now we have an opportunity to be nomads,o I feel like that could be anywhere.
Q. When did you decide to open your own business? What factors came into play?
Oh gawd, that is a loaded question. Come to dinner and I’ll tell you about it. But really, I eventually got “over the fear” and just went for it. It is the best decision I ever made.
Q. Is your interior style influenced by anyone…any heroes out there?I am constantly inspired by fashion and feel that this influence of design can play anywhere, even in interiors. Kelly Wearstler is a great example of funky and cool, constantly translating her fashion aesthetic into the homes she designs.
Q. By the local businesses in your area, your studio location straddles both the old and new in creative conquests. How does this influence or inspire your work (or day)?Being connected to TToes on the Noseis a dream situation. Love their vintage fashion vibe and would love to see this play into the California home lifestyle.
Q. The mood in your studio is so positive, do you a have work style/management philosophy? I like people to thrive at what they are great at. We have a group of people whose individual skills all contribute to a group effort and that makes all the difference.
Q. We know your taste + love for beauty and style is expansive, has the world of design always been a part of your life?Yes, growing up I went to fashions shows with my parents and they also exposed me to Interior Designers. I got an early view of the creative process and became inspired.
Q. What is your favorite question to ask a potential client? How creative can we get on this project?
Q. What three things do you love about being a Interior Designer?
- How personal this business is… working on homes, you become intimately involved in a client’s life..
- I really enjoy being able to source things and meet really interesting people.
- I get to do what I love. I consider it a gift knowing not everyone finds what they are passionate about.
Q. Can you share a bit about The Next Layer? Yes, it’s something we offer our clients and it’s a great way to transform a home quickly and make a space look personal without doing a huge remodel.
Q. We always ask our chefs about culinary school–– is design school necessary? Yes, just to gain confidence and extra knowledge. Honing in on portion and scale AND the why behind things is an important aspect when designing a home. Once you have a solid understanding of design, well, that is when you can break the rules.
Q. Who or what currently inspires you?Instagram, there are so many amazing great amazing people on there. You can connect with people you admire easily.
Q. What is your favorite culinary pleasure?Chef Kyle’s food! Going on larks! I like interesting experiences — things that are different.
Q. How did you hear about lark? I heard about it from Lisa on “the downlow” while we were both working in similar industries…. I followed her on Instagram for year before I made the leap and fell in love.
Q. We have collaborated on many occasions, want to share a quick, fun story about lark? Well….there was this one occasion when Lisa almost got swept away by the ocean. It was a guerrilla lark in Corona Del Mar and it was absolutely the hardest set up and breakdown…we scaled our tables, chairs and food over craggily rocks to arrive at our perfect location. We dined with our feet in the water. It was so different and so fun!
Modern. Organic. Inspirational. Social Dining. Come on a lark with us!
New dates to be announced soon!