Love is grand, but showing your love doesn’t have to be overtly ambitious.  It’s the little things that count and small gestures can go a long way.  Whether you share those moments with your significant other or bestie, Valentine’s is a day to spread a little love. It could be as simple as a quick love note or baking some cookies.  Afterall, nothing says love like “I’m thinking of you.”

After recently opening our own brick and mortar retail shop here in Encinitas, we feel it’s important to support our local artists. The San Diego seams are busting with talented and phenomenal entrepreneurs.  Below are some of our local favs, including goodies from our shop that may inspire you to spread the love this Valentine’s Day!

Rais Case – We love this company and everything they stand for! This Vida Bag is a great “look ma, no hands” gift as it can easily convert from cross body to fanny pack.  It’s perfect for carrying all those love notes.

1. Chelsea Pots – We are head-over-bowls in love with this potter! Check out more of her custom designs or pick up one of these tea bowls for the coffee or tea drinker in your life.

2. Often Wander – We adore this local artist in Ocean Beach. These tassel babies are perfect for the bohemian you love.

3. Proximity Book – A great addition to any beach bungalow or coffee table! Pick up a copy for the avid surfer in your life in our shop - you can also shop this book in our shop!

4. Cuttlefish Wall Hanging – Even walls need some amore.  These Cuttlefish Wall Hangings are one of a kind and the perfect gift for the beach babe.

5. Kim Egel – Make Stevie Nicks shed a gypsy tear. The Agate necklace is a great gift for the healer and protector in your universe.

6. Design 4 Corners – Your hostess with the mostest will obsess over these Shell Coasters.  Because damn you, water rings.

7. Four Moons Spa – Everyone deserves a little R&R! Four Moons is a North County gem, and with so many treatment options, this is the perfect gift for that lover lover who needs some me time.

8. Lofty Coffee Co. Gift Card – If you know us, you know we have an affinity for Lofty Coffee. Shop their unique coffee blends or if you can’t decide, grab a gift card!

9. Design 4 Corners – Statement keychains.  Yes, they’re a thing. Grab a statement keychain for that special someone that’s just always on the go!

Happy Valentines Day Loves! Now go shop your little hearts out!

Love, The Sisters

There’s that sweet spot in time when the heavens part, mercury is not in retrograde and the stars seem to align in sublime orientation that beholden the path for the perfect interior designer.

We’re kidding…well, kind of. 

Finding the right interior designer can be one of the best decisions you ever make when it comes to your home, but it’s not a cosmic challenge.  It does, however, take some research to find the perfect designer to carry out your overall vision and setting reasonable expectations, especially when it comes to cost.  Just like you wouldn’t have your podiatrist do your facelift, you wouldn’t trust just any designer to makeover your home.  Here are our best tips when considering an interior designer.

TIPS:

BE PREPARED

If you’ve never worked with an interior designer understand that they don’t come cheap.  But it’s all about the return on your investment and hiring the right interior designer can save you time and money in the end. Be ready to be decisive and try to define your style as much as possible.  At the very least know what you love and what you don’t. We’re pretty sure that’s how Pinterest came to be.  It’s important to realize that for any and all projects, there are hundreds of details at stake, so it’s only fair that the designer is privy to what you are expecting.

ASK FOR A REFERRAL AND PLAN TO INTERVIEW

It helps to get a recommendation from someone you trust who has had a positive experience. And don’t hesitate to interview a few people or at the very least have a list of questions prepared for the designer. The relationship between a designer and client is an intimate one that requires a lot of clear communication so make sure you’re comfortable with your designer-to-be.  Trust is essential.

KNOW YOUR BUDGET

Interior designers have access to the universe of all that is low-end, mid range and the high-end.  If you don’t give them a number to work with, they will most likely aim for the high-end of your design wish list to complete your vision. It’s imperative for your own sanity and bank account that your designer understands what you’re willing to spend money on and where you’re willing to compromise. Designers are highly skilled and can get creative with your budget, mixing high-end with low-end. You can also consider an all in budget, budgets for each individual space, or a flexible budget that has allowances for all the moving parts. It’s worth the time to heavily consider your appropriate budget as most trustworthy designers will provide pricing on everything before anything is purchased to keep the project on track.

COMMUNICATION IS THE SECRET SAUCE

Like with any relationship, communication is pivotal to success. Be upfront about money, style and expectations in the very beginning and maintain those conversations throughout the process. Interior designers are not mind readers.  If you’re not happy with something, tell them. If you need more information, tell them. If you want to be more involved, tell them. Good communication or the lack thereof can make or break a project.

If you are considering an interior designer, you’re already on the right path.  Our tips will help you narrow down your options and get you to swipe right on the top-notch match for you.  Happy hiring!

Love, The Sisters

There’s a reason we say “Happy New Year” and not “Happy Another Year.”  New- it’s such a beautiful word. The word itself carries the blessings of starting fresh.  A house clearing is a divine way to clean our slate, purify our space, and free ourselves from the negative.

What is this sorcery I speak of?  Think of your home as your computer.  After awhile your computer begins to become slow because you have too many open folders on your desktop, old programs you haven’t used in years, or photos upon photos upon photos taking up space. When you’ve had enough, you reboot, clear your “cookies,” or drop it off to the experts to clean out your hard drive.  Suddenly your computer is working with grace and the frustration is gone. Think of a house clearing like the geek squad coming in and cleaning up shop. It’s as simple as that.

If a house clearing is still over your head, ask yourself the following.  Is your home inspiring you?  Is it invoking productivity and creativity?  Is it a safe place? A place of love and nourishment?  If you can’t answer these questions with a “hell yeah,” then it’s time to get your woo woo on with your very own house clearing.  Don’t worry, the Sisters have your back.

What You Need:

• A heat safe bowl: Pyrex or cast iron pot (our preference)

• Isopropyl rubbing alcohol

• Epsom salts

• Long stemmed match or taper

How To Do It:

• Place ¼ cup of Epsom salt in your heat safe bowl

• Gently pour your isopropyl rubbing alcohol onto the salt.  You want your salt to be damp, not soaking wet.  If you add too much alcohol, add more salt to even out the ratio.  You are looking for a 2:1 ratio of Epsom salt to alcohol.

• Make sure everyone at home is part of this house clearing ceremony.  There should be a clear intention to free any stagnant energy.  Ask for assistance from your guides, angels, ancestors, or God.

• Open all your windows.  All that bad energy needs an exit route.

• Light your long stemmed match or taper.  Touch the flame to the salt/alcohol mixture.  It will instantly ignite and burn blue with a little bit of a yellow flame.  There will be no smoke or smell.  If your salt/ alcohol mixture does not ignite, add a bit more alcohol.

• When the salt is lit, imagine the blue flame eating up all the dense, stale, and negative energy.  Affirm that it is leaving your home.  The flame will burn as long as it needs to.

• When the flame extinguishes itself, say a prayer of thanks to your deity of choice or spirit protector for helping you clear the energy from your home.  Ask that the energy be sent back as a source of love and forgiveness.

The results of this house clearing ceremony are immediate and powerful.  Sounds are sharper and clearer and the energy feels lighter.  Your sleep may be more restful.  You may feel more creative or productive.  You may even feel more connected to those in your home, loved ones you have lost, or the spirits around you.  You don’t have to wait for a new year to do a house clearing.  If you’re planning on moving, experiencing difficulty with family, changing careers, or when you feel stuck and stagnant, break out that heat safe bowl and get ready to start anew.

Love, The Sisters

E.T. wanted to phone home for a reason- anything to get him out of the cookie cutter, model home. Master planned communities with their superfluous amenities like safe and sound neighborhoods, amazing schools, and scenic parks are feasts for families, especially here in San Diego. Unfortunately, they also lack optimal space planning, attention to detail, and character. Each house is a copy-paste of the house next to it.

Enter Modern Farmhouse, the design trend that marries old and new, bringing warmth into dead space. Modern Farmhouse is aesthetically defined by ship lap, clean lines, a mix of rustic and industrial touches, aged brick, and soft and worn fabrics with texture that screams cozy.

For this family of 5, the carbon copy of the house next door wasn’t going to cut it.  They called on us to make this house a home and nothing says custom like gutting a new home and starting anew with a fresh, blank canvas.  (Don’t worry- all appliances were donated).  The “like a glove” barstools, rustic and worn in enough to make anyone want to take roots in the kitchen, nestle among high-end cabinetry.  We added a mud room, catch-all and command wall at the garage entry to accommodate this avant-garde family.  The staircase was re-designed, blending tile and aged wood.  The bathrooms put the luxury in functional, draped in clean lines and simple design with a slight industrial whisper.  This home was completely customized to align with the family’s needs and requests. 

From cookie cutter to sacred space, this beautiful Modern Farmhouse now hugs a happy family of five.  And E.T.

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Love, the Sisters

As I sit here in our new office and home boutique here in the coastal city of Encinitas, curled up in a sweater and sipping a hot latte, it’s hard to imagine that less than six months ago I was packing up my villa in Bali. The villa was the genesis of my family, where my children were born and raised, where my love for design became institutionally rooted. The villa was more than a structure. It was the foundation. But life is about big moves.

Since our inception, Susanna and I worked hard at creating a presence in both California and Bali. We created a company that slowly evolved over the years weathering through the economic crisis in America in 2008, supporting each other, as I became a mother and Susanna an auntie. We carried this company of ours on our backs through so many amazing adventures and wild and scary times (and might I add, from opposite ends of the globe). I think it was our deep seeded passion and stronghold for our purpose that drove us to keep moving forward.

Looking back on 2017, we didn’t just move forward; we moved up. To see our work spread through the pages of Elle Decoration, the cover of an Indonesian Home magazine, and spliced through Conde Naste Traveller is beyond words. We completed two massive villas in Bali (The Mandala House-@themandalahouse- and Villa Coco) and a huge 5,000+ square foot Modern Farmhouse here in San Diego.

Our brick and mortar boutique in Encinitas served as the icing on our proverbial cake in 2017. These projects nearly knocked the wind out of us and required a level of commitment that challenged our drive to continue, but the lessons learned will serve us forever. It’s a testament to our hard work, creative vision and pure passion for the aesthetic. And before we gear up for what 2018 has to offer we want to take a moment and just remember what this past year has taught us; it’s always worth it.

 As the creative guru and entrepreneur, Dave Brown, says, you have to “love your work, work your love.”  And that’s just what we’re doing.

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All this time we never stopped believing that this would all lead to something great. To say that it hasn’t been easy would be an understatement. We’re so proud of this work and so grateful that we can share it with all of you.

From our family to yours, may 2018 be bold and filled with love and beauty.

Love, The Sisters

Earlier this year we moved into our bungalow-style studio located near the beach in Encinitas, CA and it’s where we work when we’re in San Diego.

We keep the vibe relaxed and cozy, a typical day starts with lighting some candles, turning on the music and brewing a pot of coffee.

With it’s natural light and ocean view our bungalow is the perfect space to work on projects and gather inspiration!

No matter the size of the stripe, whether it’s traditional or unconventional, the stripe will always draw your eye. It’s the most powerful yet neutral and easy pattern to work with.

A bold and strong stripe is best when used in smaller spaces or where folks won’t be lingering; like the foyer, hallway or powder room. When using them on furniture or with your accessories like pillows the fool-proof method is mixing them with a floral and a solid. It will never fail you!

Stripes are the most classic, never-ending trend out there!

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They have been around since the beginning of time and will never go out of style. When in doubt, use a stripe! It will be the biggest and boldest statement in your space. Trust us on this one! We pulled together our favorite uses of the stripe.

Tell us what you think!

You may already know about these fabulous bloggers…but these days we find ourselves frequenting them on the regular for design inspiration.  If you haven’t stumbled across these creative do-er’s then get your lil butts to their design mecca’s and check them out.

• Brittney Makes:  For project tutorials, and color overload!

• New Darlings:  For a freakishly adorable husband and wife duo with mad mid century modern style, and MAJOR hair envy.  (Christina, your hair is to dye for!!!!)

• House of Hipsters:  For “down to earth, I can actually achieve this look” design inspiration! Love it!

• My Scandinavian Home:  For everything you wish your home was.

No matter the size of the stripe, whether it’s traditional or unconventional, the stripe will always draw your eye. It’s the most powerful yet neutral and easy pattern to work with.

A bold and strong stripe is best when used in smaller spaces or where folks won’t be lingering; like the foyer, hallway or powder room.

When using them on furniture or with your accessories like pillows the fool-proof method is mixing them with a floral and a solid. It will never fail you!

Stripes are the most classic, never-ending trend out there!

They have been around since the beginning of time and will never go out of style. When in doubt, use a stripe! It will be the biggest and boldest statement in your space. As luxury Interior Designers, trust us on this one!

We pulled together our favorite uses of the stripe. Tell us what you think!

Etsy – 1, 2, 3 .

West Elm – 1, 2, 3.

Target – 1, 2, 3.

Hello and welcome to the blog of Elaina Samaniego Myers and Susanna Samaniego.

Together we are 4Corners International Design Concepts, a sister duo that splits time between North County San Diego and Bali Indonesia.

We create award winning designs from beach bungalows in the far east to million dollar estates on the west coast. Here are some of the spaces we’ve created and you can check out more of our projects here.