Meet Catherine Masi | Interior Design Stylist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Catherine Masi and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Catherine, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I began with accessory design 15 years ago, but this veering into interior design a few years back was the direct result of my experience of how much more harmonious my life felt when I styled in a more harmonious flow in my home. Everything felt elevated and when I began working with clients in their homes, I would receive similar feedback from them. My preferred approach is to reimagine the design, working with (and appreciating) what you already have and spin in a fresh layout so that the spirit of who you are sings throughout. I then began creating the Elevate Your Home design guides for those who wanted to DIY their space at their own pace with the frameworks I use for my 1:1 projects. Win-win!

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
The arc of my career has peaks and valleys! I began in social work and art education, which has informed much of my support for inclusive social justice even as I shifted into design. My work has always been more about purpose over paycheck and although my profession has changed, I continue to give a percentage of income to non-profits that help marginalized communities to thrive.

At the heart of everything for me is connection and creating and maintaining harmony…which segued nicely into interior design and styling. It’s both my life and design philosophy that a harmonious home creates a harmonious life outside its walls. In my experience, from childhood through adulthood, it has been a space of haven and refuge that has helped to center and balance me mentally and emotionally when met with onslaughts of challenges and struggles. In every instance, in every stage, when I’ve created a space of comfort with treasured objects designed in, I’ve felt both elevated with and appreciative of what I already have. This concept long ago, whether I realized it then or not, planted the seed for how I work with clients in their spaces and why I created the design guides…to connect people to the heart of who they are at home and carry that into who they are in the world around them. Connecting to our joys and loves is at the foundation everything. It’s a grand vision, but I stand by it. And witnessing the transformative nature of that in design has been a joy in and of itself.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Cruise the Pacific Coast Highway

Visit the Downtown LA Proper Hotel and restaurants (designed by the amazing Kelly Wearstler) and the cozy rendezvous that is The Tower Bar.

Museums: LACMA , The Broad, and Hauser & Wirth

Bookstore: Arcana Books on the Arts in the Helms Bakery District in Culver City (I’ve also heard good things about Sage Vegan Bistro, also in Culver City)

Take a roadtrip to dog-friendly Santa Barbara, stroll around the Funk Zone for coffee/restaurants/shops or stay the afternoon at the Rosewood Miramar (restaurants, bar, pool, beach, lounge in the main yard)

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
The greatest gift in my life is the community around me…I am of course so thankful for designers who have inspired my work (and who I aspire toward) both contemporary and those from eons ago whose work continues to uplift. My friends who gather in my home, reminding me of the power of a welcoming and nurturing space to connect and thrive, are among the greatest gifts in my life and in my career. And, not to be overlooked is how very much volunteering in my community has filled my heart and granted me ever evolving perspective shifts that have become reminders of the importance of supporting healthy communities and next-leveled the appreciation for the gift of home and the nurturance within.

Website: www.LightandMuse.com

Instagram: @CatherineMasi

Image Credits
Main feature image by Edward Clynes
All interiors are by Leela Cyd