Instagram Stories: @SarahShermanSamuel

Photos courtesy of Sarah Sherman Samuel. 

There's a bit of an in-joke among multidisciplinary design folks about having one's finger in too many proverbial pies, so much so that a typical answer to the simple question "what do you do?" might result in a run down of freelance gigs, creative collaborations, product lines launched, and a soliloquy on artisan spoon making. No one has a "job," per se, they've all got a lot of "projects." The most talented of the bunch are nailing it across the board. From an outside view, they're sprinkling magic fairy dust on an endless stream of intriguing upstarts. In reality? They're hustling the hardest. And of course, honing their skill for beautifying everything around them. You may have guessed by now that designer-stylist-maker-mom and inspiring Instagram star Sarah Sherman Samuel, is one of these people. 

Whether decorating her breezy Los Angeles abode, collaborating on pop-up shops and collections of paper goods, or dreaming up new pieces for her line of warmly minimal home accessories, Sherman Samuel is doing it right, and documenting it all for a hundred thousand followers on her Instagram feed. It's time you get to know the woman behind the dream career—and the iPhone lens. 

The photogenic

home

"I’d say [my home] is a relaxed but edited mix of modern and boho that feels very California. When decorating, I usually make the big design decisions, like major furniture purchases and other big items like rugs, quickly and upfront. Then I prefer to take my time rounding it out with accessories and support pieces that help make the space special and give it a collected feel. (I didn’t hang art in the family room for over a year!) For me, the most rewarding part of the process is when you begin to see yourself in the space, when you look around and are surrounded by pieces that carry you and your family’s story. Then it’s home."

The Road to 100K

"I used Instagram early on, before it became a tool for so many businesses and everyone started curating their feed. Not that I was one of the first—not even close—but it was less of a 'thing' back then. I just try and share images I love, beautiful moments in a sometimes crazy day, and things that inspire me. I do, however, often like to look at my gallery as a whole. It makes me happy when the photos tell a cohesive story, when the color palette and composition is balanced overall. It is like an artful puzzle."

The California Love

"I grew up in Michigan and moved to Miami straight out of college for my first real design job at an advertising firm. After realizing that the company and the city wasn’t quite right for me, I started my search for something else. I packed up my car and moved out [to L.A.] before I had even landed a job, but knew there would be more creative opportunities here and I was right. I have to say I didn’t love the city right away, but once I got settled in, landed my first dream job as a surface and product designer, found my tribe, and started taking advantage of the outdoors it just kept getting better and better."

The Next Big ThingS

"At the end of 2015 we bought a fixer A-frame in Palm Springs (#samuelAframe), and I can’t wait to get started on the big project of making it, first, habitable and second, into our own oasis in the desert. I’m also working on a wallpaper line which has been a dream of mine for so long, and should launch the second half of the year! Last year was our first year riding the roller coaster of new parents and we didn’t travel as much as usual, so this year I am also looking forward to picking that back up again as a family of three."