In today’s home tour with designer, Claudia Afshar, we learn how she transformed this abode from traditional to timeless. With an eye for livable luxury, Claudia fused earthy elements and sleek styling to create this contemporary family home. Claudia and her team share what inspires her designs (and her award nominated rug line!) in the interview below.

Tell us a bit about how you got your start as a designer. How and when did you launch Claudia Afshar Design?

Claudia started her career young, essentially groomed by a combination of her love for aesthetics and her parents’ professions. She apprenticed at her Mothers’ award-winning interior design firm – Living in Space – in London’s Belsize Park, while learning architectural design and ground-up development from her Father’s successful large-scale property firm – Hadley Homes. After moving to Los Angeles and ending a chapter as a professional dancer, Claudia started taking on her own design projects. Her architectural and interior design firm, Claudia Afshar Design, continues to grow as one of LA’s premiere design companies, with an amazing portfolio of projects and product lines.

Let’s talk about this gorgeous home tour! What was your jumping-off point, where did you begin?

This particular project began a couple of years ago with a plan to transform a traditional house into a minimalistic home, that was functional, warm, and inviting. Like with any of our clients, we strive to deliver the agreed vision for their new home in the most elegant way possible. We knew the client wanted luxurious and functional environments, so we created them with a combination of bespoke pieces, minimalist design and easy to live in spaces. A lot of the furnishings were designed by Claudia, like the 10-foot marble dining table and the stylish stacked coffee tables. Often less is more. It’s knowing what works and what doesn’t that makes all the difference. This is repeatedly why we are hired. Our goal was to create an environment that the clients could immediately enjoy and still grow and evolve into.

If you could take one piece/feature from this design and bring it to your own home, what would it be?

For sure it would be one of the beautiful Mehraban rugs from our collection. We’re so proud of the end results. Designing these pieces was a real labour of love and Claudia created a collection that can’t be found anywhere else on the market. We love how much character the rugs add to a space, and how the clean details, generous pile heights and sensuous textures make them the perfect statement pieces. We included two of them in this house and the client loves them. We feel the same; the end result is amazing. Similarly, Claudia designed the fireplaces beautifully, and we simply adore the contemporary statement they make in each space and how much the fluting details and textures complement the design of the house.

As someone who draws inspiration from natural elements, stone in particular, choosing the slabs for the family room, kitchen and formal living room, required a fair amount of consideration on our end, and is how Claudia’s collaboration with Cosentino started. She wanted to be able to select stones that perfectly complement her creative vision and her surface collection now gives others the same opportunity. Needless to say, we would move many parts and pieces of this house into our own homes in a heartbeat.

Each room, while unique and breathtaking in its own way, flows right into the next. How do you achieve those seamless transitions with each home you design?

Consistency is key. Having coordination between the colors and details throughout the home, makes it possible. Claudia has a way of layering textures or colors that create
seamless transitions, like she did with the fluting on the fireplace in the family room and in the kitchen.

The living room in this home is livable luxury at its finest. How can we create this vibe in our own homes?

Again, less is more; don’t overdo it. Choosing quality and timeless pieces, and positioning them correctly will create luxurious and liveable spaces. Cluttering or overfilling does just the opposite. Claudia is a big family person and wanted the living room to be all about family and friends hanging out, in style. Textures over patterns; the warm tones with our sands rug, complete this space beautifully and create the perfect amount of luxury. You can see how she created movement with the fluting on the fireplace and how it works with the dark stained walnut parkette floors and the large super comfy sectional sofa from Natuzzi for the ultimate family hang out.

You’ve designed a rug line that has been nominated for an International Design and Architecture award, congratulations! Tell us a bit about what led you to create your own rug line, and what inspired it.

Huge thank you! This line was created after reviewing Mehraban’s many beautiful collections in their showroom. Claudia was inspired to add her own touch to their wide range of wonderful lines, and had a full collection of rugs designed within 48 hours of them asking her for her ideas. The inspiration for the line came from natural tones, organic shapes and textures, and architecture. I see things like the cracks in Greek limestone mountains, the ripples from the waves that land on Los Angeles’ beaches, beautiful architectural buildings and iconic staircases from around the world. As a fan of timeless design, Claudia wanted to create a line that would last both in style and quality, and therefore chose to have the collection made of the highest quality wool and silk, with a generous pile height to create that plush feel. We can honestly say that we believe this collection is all you need to complete a well-designed space and leave it feeling glamorous. The home also showcases two rugs from our recent product line with Mehraban Rugs (The Sands and Contour Rugs).

When it comes to filling up your creative cup, what sources of inspiration do you gravitate to?

Nature and traveling. Spending time in Europe always refills Claudia’s creativity. Whether visiting Spain, where she spent the majority of her childhood summers, exploring the gorgeous Italian coastline, or spending time in London with her friends and family, Claudia is constantly finding splendour that inspires her and renews her will to design. There is so much beauty in the world, it’s endless, from diverse environments and architecture to a myriad of details, colors and scents. Nature gives us majestic shapes, organic textures, rich and vibrant colors. It’s part of why Claudia loves spending time in the elements. The stimulation that comes from changing environments is so rousing and meaningful, that to experience it is to be shaped by it.

What does a well-lived home mean to you?

A well-lived home means a lot. It’s generally your most valuable asset and the place you create your most intimate everyday moments. It’s where families are nurtured and relationships are cemented.

Claudia spends a lot of her personal time at her home with family and friends; hosting dinner parties, barbeques and pool parties. She finds extreme delight in a home that’s comfortable, functional and beautiful. I think the pandemic highlighted just how important it is to love the spaces we live in. For many this meant putting additional energy into creating homes they were really pleased with and comforted by. This is why we love what we do. We get to create beautiful spaces where our clients’ lives are enhanced by a combination of additional flow, design, better living and the serenity of a place you can just relax into. A place where you can just let all your worries go and feel at home.

Like what you see? Take a peek at the talent behind the story… Interior Design: Claudia Afshar · Photography: Lisa Romerein · Rugs: Claudia Afshar Design for Mehraban · Wall coverings: Philip Jeffrey