Sara Malek Barney
If you could have a second home anywhere, where would you live? Oh this is sooooo tough. I’d like to say Sonoma or somewhere in Italy. Sonoma because it’s easily accessible yet gorgeous and with the right amount of downtime + activity. Italy because...duh!
What are three words to describe your style? Classic, Approachable, Light-hearted
Tell us about your childhood bedroom? For the longest time, it was a mirage of boy-ish hand-me-downs from my two older brothers, but with a weird girly twist, including a million stuffed animals and many, many teen magazine pullouts of New Kids on the Block. As I got older and my brothers moved out, my parents let me upgrade my room. I thought it needed to have a theme, so I went with a butter yellow, cherub vibe.
What’s the first investment piece you ever bought for your house? I remember scouring design blogs long before I became a designer. I stumbled upon a carpenter who made the most beautiful wood tables, but I fell in love with a metal table base he had designed. I reached out to him and commissioned him to make just the base, and I added a glass top to it, so it could always shine.
In the history of design, if you could hire any designer other than yourself, who would it be? I’ll be honest. I am not gonna go way back in time for this one. I so live in the present. Likely, I’d hire some of my modern day design crushes — Ken Fulk, Raili Clasen, Chango & Co.
No room is complete without thoughtful ambient lighting.
People think of me as an excellent multi-tasker, but really I am a massive procrastinator.
Things you omit from:
A flower arrangement: Oh gosh, weeds? Lol. I’ve got a black thumb
An hors d’oeuvre platter: Meat...I’m a pescatarian
A bar cabinet: Fancy bottle openers. Stick to the basics
A song for:
Dinner at home: Be My Baby by Lowland Hum
Working at your desk: By your side (Neptunes Remix) by Sade feat. The Neptunes
Going for a run: Underestimate Me by Maggie Rose
Biggest Vice? French fries and pretending I’m decent at tennis.
If you were on an Ambien high and internet shopping, what would you buy? Really fancy sneakers...like several pairs and a new handbag...or three. The only thing I love to shop for is sneakers and purses. Everything else feels excessive.
Do your clothes reflect your design sensibility, if so, how? Yes and no. Some days I’m casual and others I’m more polished. Overall it does reflect the approachability and comfortable nature of my design.
Who is your star crush? Vince Vaughn and I have a weird fascination with Pitbull.
What is the thing you would never do on a project, but don’t detest when you see others do it? Maximalism. I skew more minimal. I don’t like stuff for the sake of more stuff, but I really appreciate thoughtful layering.
What design book do you find yourself going back to again and again? Honestly? Probably the ones my work has been featured in. This is something I’d want my kids to have down the road.
For posterity, what would you like your work to be known for? I’d like my work to make people smile and if it can be enjoyed and lived in.
A Few Favorites:
Movie: Big
Book: The Bell Jar
Scent: Anything that musky and moody
The fabric you always come back to: There’s always a place for velvet in my heart
Dream project: A beach house in Tahiti. Will be a nightmare to coordinate but a dream to visit repeatedly
Meal: The quintessential girl meal — Caesar salad and fries with a glass of rosé
Drink: Champagne or diet Dr. Pepper
Hotel: The Ritz in Half Moon Bay, CA
Travel Destination: The Amalfi Coast
Artist: I can’t pick one!!! I find that the Tappan Collective curates fun, modern art beautifully
A cause near and dear to me: Empowering young girls
Thing to collect obsessively: Makeup products
Era in the history of design: I love the detailing from homes built in the 1920s-1940s before mass-produced housing became more common
Museum: Not a museum, but I will never ever forget the Alexander McQueen Savage Beauty exhibit at the V&A Museum in London in 2015. It gives me chills still thinking about it and was absolutely life changing
Paint Color that always looks great: Chantilly Lace by Benjamin Moore
Favorite person to follow on Instagram: I don’t go down the influencer rabbit hole often. I use my Instagram for personal connection, but @notskinnybutnotfat is the best balance of snark, pop culture, and normie mom life
Dogs, Cats, or No Pets? I have a dog and I love her but I also love when I don’t have to take care of anything lol
