Sarah Sherman Samuel Is Completely in Her Element

Sarah Sherman Samuel Is Completely in Her Element

2/21/2022

Sarah Sherman Samuel has a talent for making your jaw drop. When you arrive at her Grand Rapids, Michigan home, you are taken aback by the sleek black house set against a backdrop of dense trees. Inside, a massive circular skylight in the living room, lofty pinewood tongue-and-groove ceilings, and an eye-catching curved staircase leading up to a reading nook greet you. It's the kind of beautifully curated house featured on front covers, and yet, walking into the #samuelfamilyfixer—as Sarah has come to call the home—you immediately feel a sense of lived-in warmth. "I always want my designs to be comfortable, welcoming, restful, but interesting," which also holds true for the space she shares with her husband, Rupert, and their two children, Archie and Clover. A quick tour leads to discussing how her collaborative process with Lulu and Georgia has evolved with this latest line. It is the third Sarah Sherman Samuel x Lulu and Georgia collection, and most excitingly, features Sarah’s first-ever furniture capsule.
"I think that is what I love the most—that it feels like we've been growing together. It's like a perfect marriage. We're both growing alongside each other, which is really fun."

Sarah's gift as a designer is creating spaces and pieces that blend a bespoke quality with a sense of playfulness and adaptability. Her designs share an appreciation for history and a sense of place, editing traditional elements to feel modern and completely new—with a range that spans interiors, textiles, wallpapers, and now furniture. She has garnered accolades throughout the industry and a dedicated online following since launching her own studio in 2013. Lulu and Georgia's partnership with Sarah began a few years later. After meeting our founder and CEO, Sara Sugarman, on a panel for entrepreneurs, the two agreed to produce a line of wallpapers. Samuel notes that the shoot for that first launch took place in her backyard studio. "I was super pregnant at the time but also doing the styling, and it was all very hands-on… Sara was there the whole time too." The second collaboration naturally developed after the first as Sarah designed custom artwork specifically for a collection of rugs and pillows. "I think that is what I love the most—that it feels like we've been growing together. It's like a perfect marriage," Sarah declares, chuckling. "We're both growing alongside each other, which is really fun."

 

A white boucle bed has light blue bedding and sits against a wood paneled wall.
A low daybed with rippled wooden base and an ivory cushion sits in front of a built-in arched bookcase.
Interior designer Sarah Sherman Samuel stands in her design studio leaning against a round white table surrounded by wooden chairs with woven seats. She is surrounded by swatches and samples on the walls and table.

 

Our latest collaboration is the largest yet, encompassing living room, dining, and bedroom furniture, and rugs, pillows, and wallpapers. As an interior designer, Sarah has created custom and bespoke furniture and built-ins for clients over the years, but she lacked time to devote to a full line. She credits our partnership and a dedicated push from our team to get her excited that the time finally felt right. "I was always saving it. I felt like I was holding onto the furniture collection until I was ready, until I had the full time to develop each piece properly. By then, I already had many designs going—both in my head and on paper—so it came together quite organically." 

"I want my interiors to feel collected. The pieces have a lot of curves and a lot of special details like the fluting at the base of the Billow Chair, the legs on the Lena Sectional, the chiseled iron legs on the Rise Daybed. It's that addition of one element in an otherwise clean form throughout the collection."
A rust colored modern sofa sits in an open living room with a white square coffee table, sherpa accent chair, and two round rust and white patterned ottomans.

 

A distinct throughline ties the entire collection together, but as Sarah notes, "I purposely didn't want it to be matchy-matchy because I would never fill my house with matchy-matchy sets." Instead, bedroom pieces like the nightstand and dresser have the same frame and design notes but different finishes. "I want my interiors to feel collected. The pieces have a lot of curves and a lot of special details like the fluting at the base of the Billow Chair, the legs on the Lena Sectional, the chiseled iron legs on the Rise Daybed. It's that addition of one element in an otherwise clean form throughout the collection." 

Sarah's enthusiasm for the products themselves shines throughout. She talks about how much she's looking forward to incorporating the pieces within her design spaces, "I've already put them in my head, in like six houses!" The interior designer smiles brightly talking about seeing all her pieces together for the first time at our Los Angeles photoshoot. "I do not have the words for how happy of a moment it was. It's such a culmination of time and effort and collaboration. The first thing I saw when I walked onto the set was that bedroom scene, and seeing the bed made and beautiful with the side table next to it... I don't know—it's like a high."

A white desk with chunky, rounded legs has a curved wooden armless chair pulled up to it and stacks of books on it. A neutral rug with black spots lays on the floor.
A bathroom vanity has a marble countertop and backsplash and putty colored drawers. A small wooden Ripple vanity stool is pulled up to the middle of the vanity.
A light bedroom has a low upholstered headboard, cream colored bedding with a pile of round rust colored pillows and walls covered in ivory curtains. A rounded boucle chair sits next to the bed.

 

Creating this collection fulfills a process years-in-the-making for Sarah, and her anticipation is growing to see it incorporated into people's homes. She reveals three pieces, the Merrit Nightstand in her bedroom, the Irregular Checkerboard Rug in the living room, and the Ripple Chair in her guest bathroom already at home in her space. Like all her work, these styles wonderfully reflect the architecture, with curved details and imperfect geometrics echoing the forms found throughout. 

Next up, Sarah is working on a custom-built home in Grand Rapids that will showcase her talents—and products—all in one place. Additionally, she's working on several projects for clients, designing more pieces for upcoming Lulu and Georgia collections, and maintaining her social media presence while making time for fort-building and cookie-making with her family. 

Photography by Daniel Peter
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