The Insider: Amy Meier
Three years after opening her first brick-and-mortar location in Rancho Santa Fe, interior designer Amy Meier has moved to a nearby space that had long caught her eye. “It’s in a prominent spot in town and I daydreamed about the floor-to-ceiling bay windows,” she recalls. The chance to create a larger shop with more community interaction (it’s near the historic town green) was a dream come true. Meier renovated the former real estate office, adding white-oak floors, Roman clay walls and white-painted trim to showcase her exclusive pieces: one-off collaborations with artists from across the country, antiques and handmade home goods. At the back of the shop is her studio. Between projects that take her from Wyoming to Florida, she chatted with us about San Diego’s design scene.
Design must-sees: Madison Gallery, the Mingei, Lux Art Institute and the Museum of Contemporary Art.
What’s trending: People want a story, a history or an inspiring narrative. It allows them to connect better with the things they collect. Take the handblown hurricanes we’re importing from Italy: I went and saw them being made. Not a lot of stores source the things they’re selling. It’s about authenticity.
Ones to watch: San Diego painter James Kendall Higgins and Connecticut-based master gilder Carol Leskanic.
Looking ahead: Capturing the relaxed Southern California lifestyle is always a challenge. That said, I have clients asking for more formality and embracing more sophisticated and classic areas.
