Meet the Woman Taking the Design World by Storm

Amber Interiors was named the Best Interior Design Blog in the 2017 Domino Design Blog Awards.

Five minutes into a conversation with Amber Lewis, and you’ll start to feel like lifelong friends. The jokes are aplenty and laughs unrestrained. Lewis’ bubbly and cheerful personality is undeniably present in her style.

The talented interior designer who has more or less mastered (in our humble opinion) the “California eclectic” aesthetic, boasts no shortage of inspiring ideas pertaining to the realm of home decor. Design-enthusiasts and Pinterest-perusers alike will have surely come across a space designed by Lewis. Her signature style is an iconic and versatile one—it can seamlessly translate from space to space, constantly reinventing itself without compromising the existing decorative integrity or taste of the dwellers.

It all began in February of 2012—“I was reading fashion blogs, rather than

” recalls Lewis. Around the same time, Lewis and her husband purchased their first home. From there, she began documenting the renovation, eventually noticing that readers were interested in her designs, constantly inquiring of the ways they would be able to make similar changes in their own homes. Needless to say, it was here when Amber Interiors was born.

Her passion for design was cultivated at the age of 19, when Lewis worked for a home decor shop, designing everything from the window displays to the tabletops in the store. Shoppers would ask Lewis to come into their homes to complete mini design projects, inspired by the work she was doing at the shop.

A long-time neighbor then approached Lewis, offering a position within her interior design firm. For the next five or so years, Lewis worked for the firm—launching her blog at the tail end of her tenure there and eventually leaving to focus full-time on her new endeavor.

Lewis can’t recall a specific moment in which her career “took off” per se; rather she attributes it to years of hard, consistent work. “It all came in one swoop. We went from working on a single project to working on 15,” says Lewis. “My motto is to keep topping myself. I hope I still have that moment in the future.”

Today, Lewis’ team has grown to a new level. They currently have 20 existing projects around the globe, a brick-and-mortar shop, and a 15-person team that manages it all. The primary scope of business is centered around ground-up construction and renovations. With projects scheduled out at least six to eight months in advance, travel is inevitable as is a jam-packed calendar. All good problems though: “Being busy because of your creations is the greatest problem one can have,” says Lewis.

Lewis’s signature style stems from her life in California, spent growing up by the beach. While she doesn’t quite identify with the stereotypical beachy vibe, Lewis has been known to turn to the alternate natural landscapes of the state.

“It’s great to be a creative entrepreneur because you have the opportunity and ability to change,” says Lewis. “I’m perpetually inspired by numerous things such as travel, my daughter, and the things I come across, especially in my store.”

Shoppe by

is based in Calabasa and comes fully-stocked with everything you need to create Lewis’s sought-after aesthetic. Featuring furniture and a line of fabric, developed by the designer herself, it has truly helped take her creative endeavours to the next level. The business, which is run by Lewis and her husband, is growing rapidly—a second location is set to open in the Pacific Palisades.

“People want to hold soft goods and see furniture in person,” says Lewis. “I think that e-commerce is an accoutrement but that an actual physical store is an important component.”

Lewis’s broad array of design projects range from ultra contemporary interiors to turn of the century colonials, affirming her ability to transition between different styles, all the while upholding her personal aesthetic.

Amidst her busy schedule, Lewis has one more project on the docket: her own home. “We bought a property that is small, so we will be knocking it down to make way for something bigger,” she says. “The exterior will be all black, along with the windows, while the inside will be whitewashed with lots of textures, layers of color, and no shortage of built-ins.” Think: a contemporary ranch with an older, rustic feel.

As far as dream projects go, Lewis’s ideal one would be to renovate a room in Jennifer Lawrence’s home—namely, the powder room, to start. J.Law, if you’re reading this, do us all a favor, and agree? We desperately want to see this happen.

Take a peek at a few of our favorite Cali-cool interiors:

Inside an Artist’s Funky, New Age California HomeThis Cali Home Is the Definition of Bohemian ModernThis Designer Built Her Dream Home From Scratch, and It’s Perfect

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