Alex Yeske shares her secrets to creating a thoughtful and timeless home
The California interior designer on mixing in vintage, gathering inspiration, and training your eye
In a time when cookie-cutter, builder grade homes are more pervasive than ever, how do we make our homes feel thoughtful and timeless?
Today’s guest is Alex Yeske, an LA-based interior designer whose expertise is just that. Alex’s path to interior design wasn’t a linear one: After a decade as a graphic designer and art director for brands like Madewell, Loeffler Randall, and Lou & Grey, she felt burnt out by fashion and retail. While working full-time, she took on an internship with Studio MRS that solidified her love of interiors. After honing her skills under Becky Nielsen, she set off on her own — today, she helms her own eponymous luxury interior design firm, Alex Yeske Interiors, where she helps clients bring their own visions of a thoughtful, curated space to life.
Alex’s interiors, which have been featured in the likes of Architectural Digest and Homes & Gardens, always feel artful, warm, and inviting. I’ve followed and admired her work for years, so it was such a treat to have her on the letter. Below, she shares her advice on gathering design inspiration, scoring that perfect antique market find, and training your eye over time. Thrilled to share our conversation and some photos of her gorgeous home with you!
Teresa Wu: What are your “three words”? How does LA / California inspire your aesthetic?
Alex Yeske: Warm, timeless and layered. Being in Los Angeles has definitely fed my love of rattan pieces as they are all over and I can’t resist a touch of rattan in my spaces. The color palette of the Californian landscape is so inspiring to me — obviously a lot of neutrals, but also pale, dusty blues and unique shades of green. I’m constantly taking photos of things I see as color palette inspiration. I also love getting inspired by architectural styles / periods that we don’t see as often on the east coast (where I’m from), like Spanish.
One of your special talents is layering in vintage pieces in an artful, fresh way. Can you share your advice on this?
I think it’s really important to truly love what you’re buying. I have found that certain things have become trendy to look for and I typically stay away from that, unless it’s something I authentically love.
Instagram unfortunately has made some timeless things feel really trendy, so I like to look for inspiration offline in books, magazines or out and about. I like to go into a flea market or antique store open minded vs. looking for something specific. That’s how you find the good stuff, by letting your eye wander and find pieces that really call out to you.
How do you think about mixing new and vintage? Is there a certain ratio; are there certain types of furniture or decor that you try to buy new vs. secondhand?
The mix is so important in making a room feel interesting and unique; it also helps stop it from feeling like it’s all from one store or time period. I don’t have a hard and fast rule, but I aim to have my spaces have around a 60/40 mix of new to vintage pieces. I typically source new upholstery and make custom pillows, but then nearly every other category is fair game for vintage. Art, case goods, accessories, rugs — I love all of it!
I think many of us have had that experience where we buy something vintage — and it simply doesn’t work when we get home! What do you look out for when you’re shopping?
I highly recommend keeping a note on your phone of pieces you’re looking for and any dimensions to keep in mind. That way when you see something you love, you can quickly measure and know it’ll work. Bad quality is pretty easy to spot — I try to avoid pieces with veneer for example. But so much can be refinished, reupholstered or rewired, so don’t let that stuff stop you from buying a piece you love!
What are the pieces most beloved to you in your home, and where did you find them?
So hard to choose!
I have a pair of midcentury Jerry Johnson sling chairs that belonged to my grandmother in our living room and I love them so much. They make this loud creaking sound whenever anyone sits in them and it transports me back to her house immediately.
The hutch that displays all of my books and treasured pieces is another favorite. I had a really specific vision for what I wanted in that spot and looked for about 6 months before I found this one at a local antique store. My dad helped me find antique hardware to put on where some was missing.
My latest favorite piece is the round iron table in our living room corner. I saw it online at a local auction, didn’t have a place for it, but I was so drawn to the detailing on the legs that I had to have it. It ended up being perfect in that corner and we have it piled with picture frames of family and friends.
What are your favorite places to source pieces, either in LA or online?
The Pasadena Antique Center and all the flea markets are my favorite LA spots. Sadly, so many local spots have been closing and there’s less accessibly priced antiques here it seems. I also love the Mart Collective.
Online, I love Antiques Boutique, which pulls in antiques from dealers all over the UK, and I search auctions on Live Auctioneers. My favorite local ones are Andrew Jones and Abell. I don’t have a favorite shop on Etsy, but I do a ton of sourcing on there! I usually am searching what I’m looking for vs. looking through specific shops.
What are a few sources of design inspiration for you? How do you translate that inspiration into IRL design choices?
I’m inspired by so many other designers and I love studying their work to pick up on little details. Some of my favorites are: Suzanne Rheinstein, McGrath II, Rose Tarlow, Gil Schafer, Steven Gambrel, Billy Cotton.
I have a large collection of design books, both old and new, and when I am starting a new project, I typically start with those. I’ll come across colors, fabrics, furniture styles, little details that inspire me and will save photos specifically for a project. Organizing my inspiration is a work in progress, but I try to make time for it frequently and upload my photos into very specific folders like “Lighting”, “Fabric”, “Hardware” and general folders like “Bedrooms”, “Living Rooms”, etc.
What’s a design element you feel is the “finishing touch” or thing that is needed to make a home feel complete?
Family photos, sentimental objects / art and plants. Signs of personality and life!
Alex Yeske’s styling essentials
Bamboo side tables. I love these in almost any room and you can find them in interesting sizes and shapes. Jefferson West is my favorite if you need a particular custom size.
A touch of iron and marble. My spaces often feature a lot of neutrals and browns and I love counterbalancing that with a dose of black iron or cool toned marbles like carrara or bardiglio.
Unique ceramics. Look for studio pottery pieces; they’re usually unique and one of a kind.
Accents of silver, pewter, chrome. I think a lot of us overdid it on brass the last five years and mixing in some silver pieces helps balance it out. I like to mix my metal finishes to keep space from feeling too matchy.
Coffee table books. Can never have enough! I buy a lot of vintage books at flea markets, estate sales and whenever I see someone post one that looks interesting. I also love the curation of Maison Plage.
Rattan trays. These work everywhere! Whenever I see one I like, I buy it.
Thank you so much, Alex! For more, find Alex on IG here. In addition to full-service design, she also offers hourly consults if you need a little help styling a space or bringing a room to life.
Tell us in the comments: What are your favorite styling pieces in your home? Some of mine include marble trays — so pretty, Japanese ceramics, and taper candle holders (a secondhand pair of these are my fave).
love!!
love all of the pics/her style! ....note: $50-$75 for a wicker/rattan tray is highway robbery, girl.