NKBA Honors Sarah Barnard with "Praiseworthy Pick" for Person of the Year Award
Interior designer Sarah Barnard has received praiseworthy recognition from the National Kitchen and Bath Association (NKBA) for the "Person of the Year" award in their official publication, Kitchen and Bath Business (KBB).
Barnard was selected as a praiseworthy pick due to her innovative and influential approach to home design focused on wellness and sustainability. Being both WELL & LEED accredited, Sarah Barnard sets the example for California home design by creating livable spaces that benefit both our bodies and the environment.
Working with clients who prioritize personal and environmental wellness, Barnard encourages inclusive collaborations where clients feel safe to share details about their lives and unique preferences. By exploring solutions that fully support her client's lifestyle, Barnard provides an approach to home design centered around their physical and emotional needs. Additionally, her studio embraces the principle of one size fits one - every person has individual needs and will require an individualized space for optimal health and happiness.
In particular, Sarah Barnard's designs promote a relationship with nature, a connection known to help people feel calmer, happier and healthier. When nature isn't available, incorporating art into home design can help improve wellbeing. There have been studies about the reaction we have when viewing artwork, finding that beautiful art activates pleasure centers in the brain similar to falling in love.
Barnard also emphasizes the importance of sourcing non-toxic materials to produce environments that optimize our home health. For example, creating a space with improved indoor air quality can help to better sleep, reduce headaches, and in some cases, may help with allergies and breathing.
Sarah Barnard's notable accomplishments from 2021 are her bathroom designs created to serve as a peaceful retreat from the current world. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, homes must now work harder to meet the needs of families. Stay-at-home orders removed many former sources of relaxation, and some clients feel as though the days of enjoying a spa in a group setting are gone forever. Because bathrooms are one of the few spaces in a home affording privacy, Barnard focuses on creating tranquil bathroom retreats that enrich daily moments of ritual and calm.
She recently designed a bathroom looking to pollinators as inspiration. The bathroom is honey-toned, with gold and copper-hued wall tile, warm lighting inspired by honeycombs, and has custom floor tiles made with marble and inlaid bees. The bathroom design is rooted in biophilic principles, inspiring a renewed nature-brain connection with each visit.
When personalized functionality, a visual connection to nature, and a non-toxic environment work together, design can help contribute to healthier, happier lives.
NKBA's praiseworthy pick recognizes Sarah Barnard as a leader in Kitchen and Bath design nationwide. Barnard's involvement with NKBA is longstanding, and she recently spoke at the KBIS Voices from the Industry event on "Creating Inclusive Environments." To learn more about how Barnard's team of wellness focused Los Angeles home designers can create a custom-tailored space to meet your specific needs, please book a consultation.
Sarah Barnard is a WELL and LEED accredited designer and creator of environments that support mental, physical and emotional wellbeing. She creates highly personalized, restorative spaces that are deeply connected to art and the preservation of the environment. An advocate for consciousness, inclusivity, and compassion in the creative process, Sarah’s work has been recognized by Architectural Digest, Elle Décor, Real Simple, HGTV and many other publications. In 2017 Sarah was recognized as a “Ones to Watch” Scholar by the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID).
Curating a Mindful Experience: Focusing on Art at Home
INTERIOR DESIGN BY SARAH BARNARD, ARTWORK BY RENAE BARNARD.
Selecting and arranging artwork in a home can be a gratifying process for all involved. While science is only beginning to explore the emotional effects and benefits of art, people have been driven to produce and seek artwork throughout human existence. In a study at the University College London, researchers found that looking at beautiful artwork activates pleasure centers in their brain and elicits a neurological response similar to falling in love.
SARAH BARNARD HELPED THIS CLIENT CURATE AND COLLECT AN EXTENSIVE COLLECTION OF FEMINIST ARTWORKS.
It only makes sense that we should turn to artwork to influence emotional experiences in home design. As an interior designer with a fine art background, I recognize art's incredible power to enhance wellbeing in design. Commissioning artworks or objects by local artisans can be an incredibly rewarding way to elevate a client's home, and invest in the local creative community.
A DIVERSE COLLECTION OF LOCAL AND INTERNATIONAL ARTISTS.
When selecting artwork for a family or group, it's key to ensure that everyone has a voice. Inviting individuals to have control over their domains and some level of veto power in shared spaces can aid in decision making in the home design process. Having a say over designated personal spaces guarantees that everyone is getting something they love, at least in one part of the home. In common areas, everyone should have a choice, and this is where having a designer with additional resources helps. I have developed relationships with many unique and talented artists throughout my career, which has helped me find and commission beautiful and obscure pieces.
INTERIOR DESIGN BY SARAH BARNARD, ARTWORK BY SUSAN HANNON.
When approaching all home design elements, it's essential to consider a room's use and intentions before purchasing or commissioning artwork. For family rooms that are often bustling, high traffic spaces, bold, energetic works of art can invigorate a room and inspire conversation. Large scale works can provide a welcome alternative to a television, and offer a focal point in spaces with many moving parts and multiple functions. Shared areas of congregation are ideal for bold abstract pieces or narrative works that inspire investigation and conversation.
INTERIOR DESIGN BY SARAH BARNARD, ARTWORK BY KEVIN MOORE.
In a recent home remodel for a family residence, Scalar Fieldby Kevin Moore hangs above a breakfast nook composed of a custom dining sofa and handmade walnut dining table. The warm colors and textures of the pieces play off each other, for an inviting eating space that encourages both quiet daydreaming and lively discussion. The piece's unique, geometric shape adds architectural interest to the corner, expanding the room and adding to the area's significance in the home. The nook encourages a mindful dining experience, inviting the owner and guests to pause and enjoy the beauty and serotonin-boosting effects of an in-house art display.
INTERIOR DESIGN BY SARAH BARNARD, ARTWORK BY REID WINFREY.
A small, sleek bar becomes increasingly expansive with a dreamy painting of a surfer by artist Reid Winfrey in a beachy bachelor pad. In areas without windows, artworks with natural themes or escapist qualities are often beautiful alternatives to a view. This piece reflects the homeowner's interests and passions, connecting them to natural locations and activities they love, and offering insight into their personality to guests. Creating intentionality in small areas of the house can significantly affect overall mood and pacing, offering small, meditative opportunities. Art can be a useful tool to train the mind to slow down and be appreciative of surroundings and experiences.
INTERIOR DESIGN BY SARAH BARNARD, ARTWORK BY RENAE BARNARD.
Collecting artwork invites a level of personal connection and customization that can create a deep emotional experience of the home. A large wall sculpture by Renae Barnard entitled Aggregate Libertycompliments custom furniture in a residential redesign. Colors and textures in the artwork and the living room mimic each other, softening the boundaries of the artwork and the residence for an immersive and transcendent experience. Quiet rooms for focus may benefit from works that feel calm and soothing. Natural colors and themes help decompress, and textile pieces, in particular, can bring an added layer of comfort and calm.
INTERIOR DESIGN BY SARAH BARNARD, ARTWORK BY RENAE BARNARD + RUBEN VINCENT.
For a home office redesign, our studio commissioned a sculptural piece by artist Renae Barnard for artwork that referenced the home's natural surroundings. As an alternative to the already prominent ocean view, our studio saught to connect to nearby natural elements that required more careful observation. Ultimately, the studio found inspiration in the finches visiting the olive trees on the homeowner's patio. Noticing them requires careful consideration of the surroundings, inviting the homeowner and guests to become increasingly mindful. The finches' flight to the skyrise penthouse in the clouds inspired the final form of the fiber sculpture Cumulous.
INTERIOR DESIGN BY SARAH BARNARD, ARTWORK BY KARRIE ROSS.
Fanciful imagery in muted earth tones creates an airy and uplifting mood for rest. Displaying artwork near a bed may contribute to peaceful habits before sleep, and provides mind-quieting observational opportunities. A watercolor and mixed media piece by artist Karrie Ross is an atmospheric addition to a residential bedroom redesign. The piece's overall effect is peaceful, guiding the viewer away from chaotic thoughts or visuals before bedtime. The details within the artwork hold the viewer's attention and offer avenues for thoughtful examination, pulling focus away from the stresses and memories of the day. Using the emotional experience of a work of art to guide a room's mood can provide ample opportunities to shape home design support and uplift its residents.
INTERIOR DESIGN BY SARAH BARNARD, ARTWORK BY BRIAN JOHNSON.
Commissioning or curating artwork is ultimately about inviting positive emotions and experiences into the home. A piece does not need to mirror a pre-existing aesthetic to be the perfect fit for a client's home if it inspires pleasure and supports wellbeing. Incorporating artwork into living spaces can be an enriching process, inviting time to reflect, think, and appreciate the beauty of daily life.
INTERIOR DESIGN BY SARAH BARNARD.
Sarah Barnard, WELL AP and LEED AP, designs healthy, happy, personalized spaces that connect deeply to nature and art. Barnard has been featured in publications internationally and was named a "Ones to Watch Scholar" by the American Society of Interior Designers. Empathy and mindfulness are the foundation of her practice creating healing, supportive environments that enhance life.
THIS IMAGE USED WITH PERMISSION PROVIDED BY GREGORY FIRLOTTE @ LA DESIGN MAGAZINE
This article was written by Sarah Barnard for Issue 2 of LA Design Magazine, Celebrating Design and the Arts. Published by the American Society of Interior Designers, Los Angeles, CA.