Turning for Home: Fashion Designer Becomes Interior Designer

After 20 years in the fashion industry, this designer is returning to her roots.

While it may seem like Sarah Storms is changing her career from fashion to interior design, she’s really just repurposing the expertise and experience she gleaned from her previous career. After getting an interior design degree as an undergraduate, Sarah spent 20 years working in the fashion industry, most recently at Ralph Lauren.

“I’ve been able to use all of that experience because of how attuned my eye has become working with color and yarn,” she says. “I lovingly say that I got my MBA at Ralph Lauren.”

cat sits on sofa in newly designed living room with blue and white color scheme and masterful mix of patterns — Purr-fectly Comfortable. Even the family cat knows that this bright and breezy room is also warm and cozy.

From Fashion to Passion

There’s quite a bit of overlap between the two industries, and Sarah’s skills in fashion set her up for success to return to her passion. “I’m really a magician when it comes to layering prints, patterns and color, and understanding how to have layers within a design without it feeling overwhelming,” she says.

Sarah’s talent for expertly layering patterns is on clear display in the living room of this 100-year-old Colonial home in New Jersey. “Within this space, the only thing that my clients wanted to keep that was originally theirs was the rug,” she says.

close up of living room showing rug and layered patterns of blue couch, blue and white side chair and throw pillows — Blue Thread. Sarah chose a custom Chesterfield couch and finished it with Kravet Performance fabric. “The fabric I selected for it is a blue that is in both the rug and the drapery, but there’s a little bit of a nub, or a texture, to it so it doesn’t just feel really flat. It just feels a little bit more elevated than had you done a plain linen weave,” she says.

Sarah started with a drapery fabric called Wild Thing from British textile house Lewis and Wood and added elements she envisioned in the room. “There are a lot of prints, but nothing is duplicated,” she explains.

patterned curtains and coastal sea urchin style lamp in Sarah Storms designed living room — Martha’s Vineyard memories. After Sarah selected textiles and patterns, she added finishing touches. “We layered in some showstopper pieces like the live-edge, teak-root table and the sea-urchin lamps,” she says. “The family visits coastal islands in Massachusetts every summer, so they wanted notes of that influence as well.”

Classic elements, like the Chesterfield couch, shine with a more modern upholstery choice while whimsical details, like the sea urchin lamps and brass sconces, tie the space together with color and vibrancy. “I wanted the room to feel as if it had been in the family’s home forever,” Sarah says. The result appears both traditional and fun, the kind of space you’d want to live in.

Want to see more of Sarah’s work? Follow her on Instagram @styledbystorms and at her website styledbystorms.com. Of course, don’t forget to follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest to get your daily dose of cottage inspiration!