Philosophy

A Note from Roxanne

The design aesthetic I bring to every project finds its source in my education, travels and personal experiences. But more than any of those, I think it comes from long lunches I spent with my grandparents in their Laurel Canyon, mid-century modern home. My grandfather, Allan Adler was already well-established in his long and rewarding silversmithing career, and he relished any chance to talk about it. 

At the time, I thought he was simply talking about what he loved… his profession. It wasn’t until later that I realized it was that and so much more; he was also instilling his values in me. 

Today, those values have become the anchors on which Sunset & Magnolia’s designs take life.  

  1. Less is more! 
  2. Things don’t have to be perfect to be beautiful.
  3. Good designers know when to stop. (Well, the real way he said it was, “good designers know when to stop, they don’t goop it up.”)
  4. Elegance is beautiful and it’s practical.  
  5. Never save the silver for a special occasion.
  6. Design for longevity.  
  7. Find joy in simple, classical lines. 
  8. Handmade is elegant.  
  9. Create unique work to bring us to the table. (He did that quite literally with unique silver pieces on a table; I strive to do it more figuratively in all the rooms of the home.)
  10. The client is the boss. 

I continue to use these principles to help families design their intimate spaces. I also continue to believe that the sum total of the house–its spirituality, its nourishment, its atmosphere, sound, and fragrance—is what makes a house a home. It is what continues to enthrall me about every single project I do.