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In a sun-washed, Spanish-style California home, Homepolish designer Haley Weidenbaum collaborated with Sheeva Sairafi, founder of Local + Lejos, to craft a home decorated with a world of artisanal goods.

story by  HOMEPOLISH

FROM A VERY YOUNG AGE, 

Sheeva Sairafi felt drawn to other cultures and the unique wares produced by them. She recalls going to Iran as a child as being mesmerized by the colors of the Persian carpets and the twinkling of handcrafted gold jewelry. Her curiosity only grew as she traveled to South America and learned about weaving alpaca wool. It only followed that after she completed her MBA, Sheeva took her passion for global artisanal goods and founded Local + Lejos.

WITH THE SLOGAN “DESIGN WITH INTENTION,”

the company is an online marketplace that seeks to empower its artisan partners, allowing them to preserve their cultural traditions while crafting sustainable futures for themselves. From ceramics fired in rugged Oaxaca to textiles woven in India, it’s a curated tour around the globe. So you can only imagine Sheeva’s Spanish-style California home.

PARTNERING 

with Homepolish’s Haley Weidenbaum, Sheeva was able to turn her home into a showcase for many of these beautiful items. As Haley says, “Sometimes even the most design-driven artist types (just like Sheeva) need a bit of direction when it comes to pulling the space together.” With some rearrangement and scaling work, the special artisanal items were able to pop. A handwoven throw from Cambodia casually lies on the bed, matching the Guatemalan rug and block-printed Indian pillows. Rwandan sisal baskets hang on the walls and lie on the floor in both the office and living room. Sustainability is also a mainstay of the company vision, so upcycling and repurposing were a must whether it wasbuilding gilded wall shelves or repainting an old bar cart. Now, as Haley says, “Each room tells a story and that makes the home all the more inviting.”

“Haley is a magician. I knew that there were good bones and structure to my place, but she helped me really understand the space and set it up in a way that I never would have imagined.” – SHEEVA SAIRAFI, FOUNDER OF LOCAL + LEJOS