Interview with Rachel Winokur

Rachel Winokur, founder and lead designer of eTTa designs – a full-service multidisciplinary boutique interior design firm based in Los Angeles – is known for creating innovative and stunning designs that happen to be eco-friendly for commercial and residential interiors. We spoke to Rachel about how environmentally friendly design has transcended its early limitations, some of her favorite decorating tricks and what’s next for eco interiors.

Your interiors don’t seem to scream ECO, but it’s clearly an important priority for you. How do you convey environmental friendliness without relying on heavy use of hemp, bamboo and other obviously sustainable materials within your designs?

Thanks for pointing out that it’s not so obvious that my designs are eco since I strongly believe that eco is not and should not be about a particular look or style. Since we’re so fortunate today to have so many options for sustainable, non-toxic and socially responsible products, an eco design can truly have a wide range of looks. So while finding an eco solution is great, it must also have the look, function and budget for the particular client and project. Great sources for finding a wide range of looks and prices while being eco-friendly are antique stores and vintage items found at flea markets. In fact, I love mixing old items with new ones! For buying new while still being green, there are also a variety of options, like the modern Terra Collection from west elm or the traditional-looking PB Comfort Slipcover Sofa from Pottery Barn. Another great resource for buying green furnishings is the Sustainable Furnishings Council, of which all three of WSI brands are members: www.sustainablefurnishings.org. In designing the modern eco nail salon in Hermosa Beach and the traditional and elegant spa at Hotel Casa del Mar in Santa Monica, I found plenty of eco solutions for every project and look!

Can you tell us a little about how you’ve incorporated elements from Williams-Sonoma Home, Pottery Barn and west elm into your projects? What has been your go-to furnishing or accessory?

Although I’ve had great success incorporating WSI items into my hospitality projects, my greatest success at utilizing items from all three WSI brands in one space was transforming a drab and dated residence in Franklin Hills, Los Feliz (Los Angeles) to one that’s classy and vibrant. In the living room alone, I used a Williams-Sonoma Home daybed for a reading nook by a window, a large square tufted Pottery Barn ottoman as a coffee table with a pair of small leather ottomans next to it for additional seating and a west elm mirror leaning on the fireplace mantel (capturing a beautiful reflection of a vintage Lightolier ceiling fixture). Not sure I have a consistent go-to WSI furnishing but my new favorite item is west elm’s aluminum and mango wood side table – a brilliant and versatile eco update on the classic milking stool!

We love that you’ve worked a lot on spa design. What’s your favorite way to bring the peacefulness and sense of retreat you find in a spa to the comfort of your home?

Nesting in our own homes is so popular today and a great way to create a relaxing and calming retreat is to dim your lights (dimmers are also very eco-friendly!), light candles (be good to the environment and your health with Pottery Barn’s Beeswax candles), play your favorite chill tunes, add plants (improves air quality) and organic flowers, and enjoy a cup of tea.

Innovations in green fabrications and products seem to be hitting the market at an impressive clip. What’s the one up-and-coming trend in eco-design that you have high hopes for?

I’ve been a fan of socially conscious goods that are also eco-friendly and don’t harm our health (a truly holistic sustainable approach) for a while and was so excited to see west elm embrace this by partnering with HandEye magazine and offering certain handmade items for sale. I think that there’s something very powerful about the connection between a homeowner proudly displaying or using an item that was made by someone on the other side of the globe who received fair wages for making that item while he or she made it in a healthy work environment, using eco-friendly materials and employing ancient artisan techniques.

For more information on Rachel Winokur and eTTa designs, visit her website.