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Chris Barrett Finds Her True Calling Off Stage in Home Design

A former actress, Chris Barrett found her true calling in home design where with the right touch, she can make you look good for the camera.

JIM POWERS Current Digital, Home & Design, Real Estate

Chris Barrett moved her interior design business to the desert in 2021, and will showcase her work during Desert Oasis Show House, March 31 through April 10, in Indian Wells.
PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY DE WAAL & ASSOCIATES

Chris Barrett didn’t anticipate ever meeting actors John Stamos, Sean Hayes, or Charlize Theron. In fact, she didn’t even think about being an interior designer.

“When I was in my 20s, I was an actor, and I then I had kids and I decided I needed something that was a little more stable,” says Barrett, who moved her design business in 2021 from Los Angeles to her home at Marrakesh Country Club in Palm Desert.

“Interior design is not stable either. You never know when your next job is coming from. But if I were a great actress, I would probably be doing that so it’s good thing I switched.”

Barrett met Stamos while assisting the director of the late 1980s TV sitcom, Full House, while attending design school. He remains one of her clients, and similar word-of-mouth connections led her to Hayes, Theron, and author Judith Krantz.

Chris Barrett

“I think a breakthrough was Charlize,” Barrett says. “I worked on a couple of houses for her and it was great. I was working with her contractor at the time and he told me he had met this actress. She had just bought the house. It was a complete redo.”

What she found with celebrities as with all of her clients is to make the most of her time with them to ascertain their wants and desires. “With a celebrity you get whatever time. So you take as much as you can take in, and hope that they're giving you everything, and usually they do,” she says.

Barrett will showcase her work at Desert Oasis Show House, March 31 through April 10, in Indian Wells.  The 4,000+ square foot show house is located within the El Dorado Estates and was designed by architect John Walling in 1978 as an ode to midcentury design. Barrett has designed the primary bedroom suite and the exterior furnishings.

Desert Oasis Show House includes a Tiki cocktail party on April 2, house tours, and a dedicated show, “Rethinking the Backyard”, that includes Barrett as one of the speakers.

Barrett chats further with Palm Springs Life about her move to the desert and design tips.

What was the appeal to moving to the desert?

I woke up one day and I said, "I don't want to live in L.A. anymore." I grew up in L.aA. I've lived there my entire life. And I just decided, "I just don't want to be here anymore." And nothing bad was happening in my life. But I called my broker and told her I wanted to list it. She said, "Okay. " And we put on the market, I sold it on practically the day it was on the market. And I knew I would be coming out here, because I had been to Marrakesh.  It must be 15 years ago. And I had walked into one of the units and, thought "God I love this so much." So when I knew I was going to come out to the desert, I was 99 percent sure I would buy here. But I looked everywhere. I didn't see anything with such architecture that appealed to me so much. This is a special place. It's like living in a pink bubble.

If you are going to refresh your house, where do you start?

Have a look at your most public space first, and try to look at it as if it's not yours and see what other people see. If you imagine it completely empty, what would you take back, and that you just have to have? Say it's a living room. Well, you assume you should have something to sit on. Do you love those things? If you do, use them, maybe you could reupholster them, if you want a new, fresher look. For me, I like to find a couple of key pieces that say something. Like this table is a vintage table. Took me a long time to find this. I want another table. I can't find anything to go with it, but I will someday. And to me just layer as you go, the cleaner it is, the easier it is to feel things and experience special pieces, like this vintage lamp, love that.

What checklist do you suggest people make before they even begin a project?

I always ask what pieces, if any, they want to reuse. Are they open to recovering? Do they have special art? Do they want to collect art? Do they use an art consultant? I work with a really great art consultant. Her name's Tiffany Lendrum. She's just great. What colors do you like? How do you entertain? It's really just logic, and a lot of people don't think those little things matter but it all adds up to your lifestyle.

What trends have you seen emerging from the pandemic?

A lot of our clients are wanting to add pizza ovens outside. They've been home so much, and they really want that outdoor kitchen. So we've been doing a lot of outdoor kitchen planning, and it's a lot of outdoor living because people are really using their houses. I got lucky. I'm in a house that's pretty large for me, but I did have an office. I'm lucky to have the space. Many people had to figure out how to make a space for an office. I've made an office out of a closet. You can make anything work if you put your mind to it.

You would expect most homes out here to reflect a light and airy mood. Can dark colors work here?

I like black tile a lot. There's something about it that really pleases me. Like in my last house, I painted a big black wall. I've used black tile for back splashes and kitchen, and it's really striking, and it's not Gothic or anything. It's very sophisticated. I think the pallet to like blacks and beiges and lighter woods, and it just feels really good.

Your home has 10-foot ceilings and you can tell that impacts the design. What about homes with less than 10 feet?

So for me, one, the most important thing about interior design is the architecture. If you're decorating something that doesn't have good bones, it's lipstick on a pig. So for a low ceiling, you can do really flat molding in the ceiling. You can create coffers in the ceiling, even if it's just three quarters of an inch thick slats going this way and that. You can do a very low profile light fixture. You can create texture on a ceiling. I guess I've only done it in a restaurant, but wallpaper on the ceiling. I wouldn't say that this room is not conducive to wallpaper, it would just be too much, but small areas you can do some wallpaper, maybe grass cloth on the ceiling. There's all sorts of things you could do, but it's important to think about the ceiling.

Would you say your approach to your job is the same as it was when you first started, or has it changed?

It's probably about the same. The most important thing is communication. You have to understand your clients and make sure you're communicating with them, so they understand you. I think I'm better at communicating now, than I was when I first started. People give you money. They want to know what's going on. For me I was thinking, "Give me money and then, OK, I'm going to go do it now." And then, "Hello, what's happening?" So I've gotten better at communicating.

• READ NEXT: Help Your Interiors Come Alive With Help from Coachella Valley Stores.

Interior Designer Chris Barrett's LA Home

Floor to ceiling windows bring the outside in!

By

Ashley Chalmers

Ashley Chalmers

Ashley Chalmers is a lifestyle expert and writer with over a decade of experience traveling the world and translating her adventures into decor. She specializes in writing about farmhouse decor, small space organizing, and urban living. Ashley is also the co-founder of The Lazy Travelers blog.

Learn more about The Spruce's Editorial Process

Updated on 07/15/21

Designer Digs is a series featuring the living spaces of our favorite interior designers and home decor influencers, where they give us the full lowdown on how they live. It’s all the things we love about browsing virtual real estate listings, with the added benefit of hearing exactly what it is that makes these dream homes so special.

Owner

Chris Barrett

California-based Interior Designer (and A-list celeb favorite) Chris Barrett of Chris Barrett Design.

Meet the Expert

Chris Barrett is an interior designer and the founder of Chris Barrett Design. She's also served as president of the Institute of Classical Architecture and Classical America, Southern California Chapter.

Chris describes her design aesthetic as "fresh, understated elegance," inspired by the beauty of California. She loves to play with natural Mediterranean light, spaces that morph easily between indoor and outdoor living, and "refined palettes electrified by the occasional jolt of strong color. "

“I don’t do heavy” is her design mantra.

Location

Peter Vitale

Del Rey, Los Angeles, CA

“I fell in love as soon as I walked in the door. It could have been located anywhere and I would have wanted it. Turns out I love the area!”

Size of the Property

Peter Vitale

At 1,200 square feet, the space is perfectly sized for one. “I live alone, so it’s fine for me.”

Attached to the house is a lanai that’s enclosed on three sides, creating extra living space. It's been artfully decorated in bright colors, with furniture made for fun and comfort. “It’s perfect for reading in any weather.”

Style

Peter Vitale

The home is mid-century modern, with warm, wooden accents and a bright and open feel. This is thanks, in part, to the high ceilings and large windows throughout.

“It’s very comfortable, open and easy! The architecture is everything. When you sit in the living room you feel as though you are outside. ”

Outside Space

Peter Vitale

When it came to landscaping, Chris worked with a local team from LA-based Modern Floristry. "I chose topiary balls, large and small, to use. [They] took my vision and ran with it."

Natural Stone Elements in the Bathroom

A wall of Silver Travertine lines the sink wall in the bathroom. “My favorite feature. So beautiful.”

Kitchen Design Makes the Most of the Space

Peter Vitale

The small kitchen is purposefully built for maximum efficiency, and no space is left unused or unusable. “Purcell Murray really came through for me with the appliances. I love them all!”

The kitchen also features open shelving, ideal for "easy access and art display.”

Beautiful Oak Flooring

Peter Vitale

The home features original oak floors throughout. “If I were to put in new floors, I may have chosen something different. Still oak, but not so smooth.”

"I would have chosen an oak that was a little bit more grayed down in color. That said, the floors lend a beautiful warmth to the space," said Chris.

Large Windows Connect With the Outdoor Space

Peter Vitale

The living room and dining area feature a wall of floor-to-ceiling, aluminum sliding windows that are integral to the open-air look. Being in the room feels like "bringing the outdoors in."

“The wall of glass is what sold me on this house.”

Multi-Purpose Rooms

Peter Vitale

For now, the small space is designed so that each area serves a purpose.

When she first moved in, Chris considered converting the garage into a full office, complete with a kitchenette and bathroom. "In the end, I didn’t want to give up a place for the car.“

"I’ve carved out an office in the dining area," she explained.

Boston Consulting Group Office Redesign by Charlie Greene

Jan11970

Contemporary Interior Design

Replacing massive swing doors with glass doors to provide panoramic views of the Chicago Loop and Lake Michigan from the 46th floor reception desk of the BCG building in Chicago. Photo taken by Chris Barrett.

Before reimagining the Boston Consulting Group's Chicago office, Charlie Greene Studio turned to the city for inspiration. For example, the elimination of walls in the reception area highlighted the iconic cityscapes, while the lush oak table looks like it's heaving - a nod to the ever-present lake breezes. Sunrise over Lake Michigan inspired the interior with a palette of turquoise, terracotta and lavender. nine0003

“We were referring to Chicago in a slightly more abstract and poetic way,” says founder and creative director Jason Hall, who collaborated with design director Jan McCord, architect Mark Woodcock and designer Rachel Hillmann on the project.

A long, low-slung leather sofa creates a laid-back and relaxed atmosphere in the reception area of ​​BCG's Chicago office. “We wanted it to be warm and huggable,” says Hall. Photography by Chris Barrett.

Designers have made a difference in the staff lounge on the 48th floor, where graphic black and white wall covering provides the basis for stylish, rounded-edge furniture that encourages employees to linger and interact. “It feels like it has been collected over time,” says Hall. nine0003

Although still out of use due to the pandemic, Hall and his team have been flooded with requests for photos of the space, which turn out to make stunning custom Zoom backdrops - the ultimate 21st century compliment.

Paying homage to Chicago's motto, urban cities in the gorto, or city in the garden, green plants are placed on powder-coated terracotta metal trellis from ALX Raw Inc, creating a private hallway for the women's restroom. Photography by Chris Barrett. The colors of the sky at sunset inspired the newly created River Lounge, which features turquoise carpet tiles from Shaw Contract, a Haworth sofa upholstered in Maharam mohair and a lavender-colored wall cabinet custom-made by Icon Modern. Photography by Chris Barrett. A kitchen accented with Calacatta Viola marble by Artistic Tile, the kitchen's palette of turquoise, terracotta and lavender was inspired by sunrise, and lighting by Vibia reflects the phases of the moon. Photography by Chris Barrett. Named after a beloved former employee, Helen's Lounge features graphic wall coverings by Makelike Studio for Bradley, felt ceiling screens by Turf Design, and an eclectic collection of home furnishings. designed to inspire creativity. Photography by Chris Barrett. A bright blue Arflex chair stands out against a graphic wall covering in the 48th floor employee lounge. Buffet from Dooq. Photography by Chris Barrett. Shaw Contract's graphic rug inspired the color palette for the employee lounge, a lively space with a heady mix of furniture that looks like it's been put together over time. A leather canal sofa by Bla Station and a rocking chair by Moroso offer a relaxing space designed to nurture creativity. Photography by Chris Barrett. Black single globe wall sconces from Entler illuminate a tiled backsplash in a café adorned with custom woodwork by Parenti & Raffaelli. Photography by Chris Barrett. nine0000 Destiny will have a realistic game world - Games

#MMO #Action #RPG #Console #Arcade #Race

28. 08.13, 22:45

Source:

gamecenternews.com

2235 2

Destiny Lead Artist Chris Barrett spoke about how realistic the new blockbuster's environments will be in an interview with Edge. Unlike Halo, in the new game, the main design focus is not on the alien worlds, but on the planets of the solar system, especially the Earth.

Barrett believes that the visual part of Destiny should be intuitive to the player and seamlessly fit into the main story. Therefore, all the artists at Bungie under his command are busy recreating various details and objects on a particular planet. But as gamers at E3 may have noticed, there will be plenty of sandy landscapes that are common in sparsely populated areas or guarded bases. nine0003

Barrett said that Halo has always been about gameplay. Creating the environment did not require increased attention to any detail. But with Destiny, things are different. To create a new title that aims at the main console hits, the details of the landscape, the design of buildings and the reaction of the player to their appearance are very important. Barrett has been inspired by science fiction films such as Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Star Trek, Dune and Star Wars.

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