Search
Close this search box.
Search
EmilyRuddo_Brentwood_LivingRoom_H_classic design

Classical Design with Southern California Kick

By

Share

Like many designers, Emily Ruddo straddles two worlds—born to one, a resident of another, she is pulled between “the pink sunsets of L.A. and the green grassy fields back in Maryland.” Ruddo credits the aesthetic tension of blending classic design elements with polished patterns for her signature style—“a fresh take on tradition.”

This collision of “East Coast elegance and California’s vibrant mix of color” has made Emily Ruddo Design a coveted option for clients all across Los Angeles, where the face of the practice applies a tastemaker’s touch to the chicest of punched-up spaces spanning from Laguna Beach to Brentwood, West Hollywood to Sherman Oaks. And, in Hancock Park, a project particularly akin to her style.

“I love to incorporate vintage pieces in a design to create timeless style that feels as if it was collected over time,” Ruddo says. “Even if the item is new, I often like to model it after antiques. Light and bright fabrics with new and vintage pieces mixed together and then layered in with traditional elements is my design ethos.”

The E-Design arm of her practice allows Ruddo to work in multiple aesthetic spheres with a variety of clients, but being a Southern California-based designer, she relies on at least one repeat element in these parts: durability. “The strong sun and active lifestyle require durable fabrics and furnishings,” says Ruddo. Interestingly, she shares,

“Most of my clients have one parent who is from the East Coast and one from either California or somewhere in the West, so finding the balance between the West Coast casual style and the more traditional nature of the East Coast style is something I am confronted with consistently.”

Describing her “dream project” as one “with an unlimited budget” that includes interiors, exteriors as well as the garden,” Ruddo explores this trifecta through her firm, which in addition to offering Interior Design and E-Design services, is prolific in event styling.

“I have always loved to entertain and was raised in a family where traditions were honored, so it’s just a way of life for me,” says Ruddo, who parlayed styling flowers for a client’s home into flower arranging for parties and events. Plus, she confesses, “I have a bit of an obsession with tabletop items and flowers, so creating colorful and layered tablescapes is a passion of mine.

Hunting down unique items like a special fabric for the tablecloth is a lot of fun. Quietly creating flower arrangements and trying out new ways of blending different types together is so relaxing for me. It doesn’t feel like work at all.”

To love what one does is a particular treat when one is, in fact, doing it all—or a lot of a little bit of everything. Ruddo is dedicating the remainder of this year to finishing a project already a few years in progress.

She has plans to complete a second-story renovation of a family home and is preparing for another flourishing entertaining season. But like the worlds and work she toggles, Ruddo finds extravagance in a much simpler space. “Just wandering around a new city without a schedule or plan is a wonderful luxury,” she says.

emilyruddo.com

RELATED TAGS

Modern Marvel: Explore the Exquisite Design of 1156 Sixth Street

1156 Sixth Street in East Manhattan Beach boasts 8 bedrooms and 8.5 bathrooms across 8,100 square feet of meticulously crafted space. This residence offers unparalleled spaciousness and elegance designed by award-winning architect Anthony Laney, and seamlessly blends indoor and outdoor living, creating an expansive entertaining space perfect for gatherings.
  • March 20, 2024
  • Constance Dunn

Discover the Legacy of 2700 Highland Ave in Manhattan Beach

2700 Highland Avevenue, a heritage Manhattan Beach property owned by an icon of California's Golden Age, offers an impressive multi-resident compound in the Sand Section—along with uplifting ocean views, a pool and plenty of fresh-air spaces.
  • February 21, 2024
  • Constance Dunn

The Witkoff Group Unveils The Park Santa Monica: A Seven-Story Oasis of Luxury

Beyond a mere residence, The Park Santa Monica is a dynamic seven-story building, designed by Koning Eizenberg Architecture for The Witkoff Group, redefines luxury living by seamlessly blending beauty, wellness, and community. With 249 thoughtfully crafted apartments featuring top-tier amenities, from white oak flooring to solar panels, The Park Santa Monica sets itself apart.
  • January 10, 2024
  • Abigail Stone

Timeless Fusion: The Cotswolds Home by Architect Richard Found

Architect Richard Found's contextual country home in the Cotswolds encapsulates the essence of minimalist design within an 18th-century edifice. Located in the picturesque Cotswolds, this project by Found Associates breathes new life into a derelict gamekeeper's cottage, blending modernist architecture with the vernacular stone construction of the region.
  • January 10, 2024
  • Jenn Thornton

Weave House by The BAD Studio: An Ode to Indian Ikat Patterns

Weave House by The BAD Studio seamlessly blends contemporary design with traditional Indian craftsmanship, creating a harmonious living space inspired by the region's rich textile heritage, the house features an embossed brick and diamond façade reminiscent of Indian ikat patterns. The architecture coexists with the surrounding landscape, offering an organic lifestyle and smooth transitions between indoor and outdoor spaces.
  • November 1, 2023
  • Jenn Thornton
Sign Up for DIGS Newsletters