Happy Girl Interview Series: Rachel Madden

Happy Girl Interview Series: Rachel Madden

Rachel Madden

Owner of Rachel Madden Interiors, Marin County, California

 

What a great surprise it was when I scrolled my Instagram few months ago and came across beautiful pictures of Rachel. Of course my eyes where caught by the kids' room which has some of our Cloudy floor pillows. It's a treat for me to see what I create makes it into people's life especially when every single thing around is very well curated. 


Good news is that Rachel moved recently in the Bay Area and you can contact her directly to get interior design advices. See more details directly on her new website right here: www.rachelmaddeninteriors.com


On my side I'm very glad to have Rachel for the second interview of my Happy Girl blog post series. Please see below how she started her business, what defines a good design for her and more!



Could you tell us more about who you are and what you do?

I just moved to Marin County from NYC with my family last September and we are thrilled to be back in California. I am originally from the Los Angeles area, and lived in NYC for about 10 years right out of college. After graduating, I worked for several architecture firms, focusing on both high-end residential and commercial projects. After that I started my own interior design business, which then led to meeting my husband (who was one of my clients!), which then led to my 2 beautiful babies. I have always been very passionate about design and I am excited to be bringing my design business to this new town!

 

Is there any designer or artist who influenced you in a special way?

I remember reading Kelly Hoppen's design books in college and loved the way she broke down design analytically. I started to look at spaces differently, and would try to understand what elements made the space visually appealing and cohesive. Just that practice of observing a space and breaking it down, gave me a better eye for design.

 

What defines good design for you? 

Good design is cohesive spaces. Spaces that flow into each other with similar colors and patterns, but shifting those color schemes so each room feels different. Focal points are important. Once the focal point is chosen you need to build around it, and ensure that the supporting elements aren't fighting to take center stage. Texture over color. If you want to create a sophisticated, interesting space, I would rather create the interest through lots of differing textures versus lots of bold colors. I also believe if you are going to use pattern, only use a sophisticated, ultra unique pattern. Dated, overly used patterns can really kill a space for me. Throwing in something unexpected, something that breaks the harmony or cohesion or symmetry, is a great way to make a room feel livable, as opposed to staged. A room that has a good balance of warmth and cool is key. Even if its just one wood element to break up an overly cool space. And last but not least, the best design is eco-friendly design. I admire anyone who makes this a priority and considers things like where are the materials/wood sourced from, what is their toxicity levels, how will this effect indoor air quality, etc.

 

What are your favorite shops, restaurants or places to go in Marin County?

We love Sushi 69, El Paseo (great steak!), Terrapin Crossroads (great for kids) and Farmshop. We love to go hiking -  there are gorgeous trails everywhere. We take the kids to Muir Beach, Stinson, Discovery Museum, and love taking a date day at the Cavallo Point Spa.

 

Find more about Rachel's business right here: www.rachelmaddeninteriors.com

Happy French Gang's items featured above: 

 

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