alissaswedlow

For the 5th annual Legends of La Cienega event, the La Cienega Design Quarter has created a brand new Blog & Social Media Ambassador program to highlight design blog professionals in Los Angeles.  They will be sharing content about Legends 2013 on their blogs and social media channels, and we’ll be introducing LCDQ enthusiasts to their blogs and lifestyle content.

Our first Ambassador for 2013 is Los Angeles native Alissa Swedlow.  Alissa is the founder and principal designer for her namesake firm Swedlow Design.  Alissa’s blog, The Goods Design, provides daily updates with inspiring images, ideas and insider secrets.

Alissa pursued her passion for the arts while in her undergraduate years at Georgetown University, studying art history and going abroad to Madrid, Spain, to focus her studies on art and architecture. Alissa decided to follow her passion for interior design and enrolled in the UCLA Interior Design Program. While completing the program, Alissa landed a position at an award winning hospitality design firm where she had the opportunity to work on exciting projects including a hotel in Cabo San Lucas, a bar and restaurant in San Diego, and an urban loft building in downtown Los Angeles.

In 2008, Alissa officially launched The Goods Design -a design blog in which she shares what inspires her. Shortly after, she founded Swedlow Design, her namesake interior design firm focusing on residential design.

Alissa can currently be found working on projects in the Pacific Palisades, Beverly Hills, and Hancock Park. You can follow her on Twitter or Pinterest or Instagram.

We asked each Ambassador a few questions – check back each week in April to learn more about our 2013 Blog & Social Media Ambassadors for Legends 2013!

Q1:                  Is this your first year attending LCDQ’s Legends of La Cienega?  Either way, what excites you about this year’s event?

A1:                  This is not my first time at the LCDQ Legends event – it’s something I’ve looked forward to each year for the past few years, and I even blogged about it here. I always look forward to hearing the different panels and speakers.  Working alone from home, sometimes I can get stuck in a bit of a creative rut, but I always get inspiration and new ideas from the designers who speak at the event.

Q2:                  What does the theme, Time Capsule, mean to you as a designer and blogger?

A2:                    For me the idea of “Time Capsule” evokes thoughts of designs that define a year or even an era.  A time capsule from this design era would definitely include ikat, a mixing of patterns, the return of brass finishes, and pops of bold color.  A time capsule from the 1950’s would include the color avocado green.   A time capsule from the late 1990’s would be much more monochromatic and streamlined.

Q3:                  If you were going to design a window this year, how would you get started and find inspiration?

A3:                  If I were going to design a window this year, I’d start by taking a few deep breaths, as I know I’d be scurrying around the city for weeks to get it all done in time.  To find my inspiration for a small vignette like the window, I’d probably seek out one “wow” moment piece that would be the focal point, and then find the remainder of the items that would create a cohesive look.

Q4:                  Why do you think it is important for designers to hit the streets and develop relationships with the shop owners and their teams in the LCDQ?

A4:                  I think it’s very important for designers to create relationships within the design community and in the LCDQ. When you have these relationships, vendors reach out to you to make sure you know all about the newest and greatest products.  When you have a client meeting, you look professional to have so many resources in your pocket to reference.  And when I am stuck in a bind, all the vendors I have relationships with have always helped me so much (like when I send an email that says “help! I need 42 yards of a creamy sheer fabric that’s in stock and ships quickly!” or “I’ve found this vintage light fixture online and love it, do you have anything similar?”).  They can make my job so much easier.  And they throw great parties.

 

Join the Legends 2013 conversation on social media by following @lcdqla on Twitter using #Legends2013.  Also, “like” our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/LCDQLA)!  See you at Legends this May 8-10!