California based Interior Designer Ariana Lovato has made a big name for herself in the design community. As Owner and Principal of Honeycomb Home Design, she has always had a spark for design and all things creative. Recently named an NKBA 30 under 30 during this year’s KBIS she has a keen understanding of kitchen and bath design and brings a distinguished edge to interior spaces.
Ariana’s talents were on full display in a kitchen renovation that was selected as an honorable mention in Top Knobs’ inaugural Design Board Contest. This dreamy farmhouse kitchen was carefully crafted with love after a fire had destroyed the owner’s original home. We had the opportunity to delve into Ariana’s design decisions, creative inspirations and much more during a special Design Board Member Spotlight Q & A.
TK: Tell us about the kitchen and how it fulfilled your client’s plans for their home.
AL: This was a whole house re-build. We completely redesigned this home from the ground up due to a devastating house fire. My clients are elderly so I worked mostly with their daughter who lives in Houston, TX. We corresponded mostly via Zoom and email to make their decisions. We designed the single level home to accommodate their large family with a big open floor plan, a large kitchen island and butler’s pantry, 4 bedrooms, 4 baths and a spacious master bath.
TK: Which Top Knobs hardware did you use for this project?
AL: I used the Ascendra pulls and knobs in Sable in the kitchen and also in Brushed Nickel in the Master Bath.
TK: Tell us what made you choose Top Knobs hardware for this design?
AL: We wanted a sturdy piece of hardware but did not want to compromise on style. I found the Ascendra collection and I fell in love! The Sable finish was the perfect contrast to the white cabinetry in the kitchen. We used the brushed nickel in the master bath against the stained wood cabinetry.
TK: Did you run into any challenges with this specific project?
AL: The plans that my client had drawn up by their previous architect yielded a much more craftsman style home. My client was wanting more of a modern farmhouse style, so we had to make some changes to the exterior and interior as we went. That was challenging, but I think we did a good job of incorporating the touches they were looking for.
TK: We’d love to know more about you and your design firm can you tell us more about your background?
AL: My name is Ariana Lovato, Owner and Principal Designer of Honeycomb Home Design. Honeycomb Home Design is a full-service Interior Design firm located in Pismo Beach, CA. I grew up on the coast and moved to Los Angeles to attend FIDM for Interior Design after high school. I moved back home upon graduating, earning a Bachelor’s in Business Administration from the University of LaVerne, and worked for designers, builders and even in the tech world for a start-up company before branching out on my own in 2016. I had been moonlighting for a couple years and had a small savings and a whole lot of determination. Design has always been a passion of mine and I love working with my clients and making them happy. Our design aesthetic is based upon our client’s tastes, but we always try to streamline and modernize finishes to highlight architectural details. Now, we have a team of 3 designers and usually work on about 15-18 projects at one time.
TK: Where do you turn to for new ideas and inspiration?
From other designers. I also love Kelly Wearstler, Vanessa DeLeon and House of Bohn’s work. I also find inspiration from travel. Earlier this year my trip to Malaga, Spain fueled my passion for handmade tiles!
TK: Which design trends are you most excited about in 2020?
AL: Terrazzo!! It is everywhere right now and I am not mad about it!
TK: What’s the best interior design lesson you have learned?
Pay attention to scale. It’s one of the fundamentals of design but it is so important especially when you are playing with patterns. Also, double-check your measurements. That was not a fun lesson to learn but it had to happen. From a business perspective, I would suggest to hire out the things you are NOT good at (i.e. bookkeeping), but I encourage everyone to know how to read a balance sheet and a profit and loss sheet so they can do their own check-ins.
View more of Ariana Lovato’s work here:
Website: www.honeycombhomedesign.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/honeycombhomedesign
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/honeycomb_homedesign/ or https://www.instagram.com/ari.lovato_/
Photography provided by Ariana Lovato and Marcel Alain Photography
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