Architect and designer David Hicks once famously said that “the best rooms have something to say about the people who live in them.” In 2024, more aptly, those chosen to put these spaces together, and the credit they’re given, say something important about our priorities as a collective.
For a tête-à-tête about the state of design, and celebration of women leading the overhaul of established norms, CULTURED’s Editor-in-Chief Sarah Harrelson and Woven President Danielle Barr brought together a group of changemakers for a summer lunch in Los Angeles yesterday.
As the sun shone down over Beverly Hills, guests gathered at Harrelson’s home for the event. The lush backyard space was complemented by the purple bushels of flowers set along the table by Nuude Botanica. Under foot, the table and chairs were placed atop an antique Persian rug, circa 1910, from Woven. The company has been curating antique and vintage rugs for over 50 years, and launched its own in-house collection, Studio Woven, in 2016. Under the leadership of Barr and Sam Moradzadeh, galleries have opened in Los Angeles, New York, and London.
Lunch attendees included interior designers Brigette Romanek and Nicole Hollis, writer and former New Museum Deputy Director Karen Wong, landscape artist Lily Kwong, the Art Production Fund’s Casey Fremont, and designers Amy Kehoe and Anne Crawford. Toasts from Harrelson and Barr invited guests to recognize accomplishments in the industry, and what might be just across the horizon.
Before raising her glass, Barr had to sneak in a comment on Harrelson’s own art-filled abode, “I don’t know why she travels so much, because I don’t want to leave here. I’m hoping I can stay for dinner tonight!”
