Whether By Land or By Sea, the Renowned L.A. Designer Keeps the Spirit of Travel Alive Through his Diverse Body of Work

Travel remains challenging right now as we all continue to grapple with the spread of COVID-19, but in the meantime, we’ve got a suggestion: Escape into the portfolio of Mark Weaver. The principal and founder of the namesake L.A-based firm Mark Weaver & Associates, Mark’s nearly 50-year career has spanned projects from SoCal to the East Coast and beyond, including restorations of historic estates in Nantucket and Santa Barbara, a townhouse in London, and the renovations and interiors of a 16th century palazzo in Piacenza, Italy. He’s not limited by land, either, he’s also designed for air and sea—responsible for the look of private jets and enviable residences aboard luxury ships. 

“Working on private yachts or ships is a lot of fun, yet not unlike working on a residence,” the designer shares. “For the ship, The World, the largest private residential cruise ship on the planet, I’ve done five residences now. It’s a large ship that travels all year long, and all the units on it are privately owned. So essentially you buy your own apartment on the ship.” (Unfortunately, and for obvious reasons, The World is currently docked. But we can dream.)

Travel is something that Mark actively misses. “To be able to travel for your work, or to take your clients shopping in Paris or Rome is just very exciting,” he says. In the meantime, in addition to working on his firm’s on-going projects, he’s actively working on his own recently purchased home. He’s renovating a 1974 contemporary that’s set to start construction in November—though the path that led to its purchase is a heartbreaking tale. Mark lost his Montecito home three years ago in the 2017 mudslides; so essentially, he’s starting completely anew as he brings this home to life.  

Through experiencing such a devastating loss, he makes sure to pay-it-forward and offers some words of wisdom: Photograph everything you own. Go through your home and snap every wall of every room; open each drawer and closet and capture what’s inside. This sort of visual record translates easily into an accurate and irrefutable insurance claim, should the need ever arise. And with the recent 4.2 earthquake in the San Fernando Valley and the quickly-spreading Apple fire in Cherry Valley making headlines, it’s smart to be prepared.

Mark, who also regularly lectures as part of UCLA’s interior design program, concluded the interview on a positive note by citing the next wave of free-thinkers. “Through these periods come periods of tremendous growth and innovation,” he says. “One of the great things about this country is that we’re innovators. There’s going to be some aches and pains in the next few years, but there’s always a new way and a new generation of innovators coming. I’m very confident about the future.”

Watch the full chat on our IG TV Instagram Live Series, and follow Mark Weaver & Associates at @markweaverandassociates

Written by Kelly Phillips Badal. Kelly is an L.A-based editor and writer specializing in interior design, whose work frequently appears in California Homes, LUXE Interiors + Design and Sunset. She's the former editor in chief of Interiors California.