Venice-based interior designer Stephanie Hauptli may have grown up in Zurich and Paris, but we’re going to claim her as an Angeleno. Before launching her own firm, Hauptli Haus, in 2015, Stephanie worked for Studio PCH and, perhaps most notably, on the design of the highly anticipated Nobu Ryokan Malibu. The designer, who is expecting her second child with husband, Andrew Obermeyer of OXArchitects, is currently working on the remodel of a New York City loft, a remodel in Los Feliz for a film director, and a yoga studio on La Brea and Melrose. She’s also about to launch a line of eco-friendly children’s clothing, Hauptli Haus Kids. “Our work and family flow in and out of each other,” she says. “And I wouldn’t want it any other way.”

How did you get started in the design business? I was constantly rearranging furniture and decorating my bedroom as I was growing up, and I would come home from a friend’s house and draft up their furniture layout. I was especially interested in how some spaces made you “feel good” and others didn’t. I knew it had to do with the interiors, but I didn’t know at the time how complex the answer to this question would be. Later, I worked as an assistant to an interior designer, at a design showroom, and for an architect all while getting my degree in Interior Architecture and Design. By the time I graduated, I had a good sense of the design industry and was lucky to land a few terrific opportunities with very talented offices, which have contributed to where and who I am today as a designer.

How would you describe your brand’s style? I would replace the word brand with process and set aside style to allow for discovery. There is an element of surprise in each project, and you don’t know what that is until you’ve lived the project and discovered it. We don’t impose a predefined style onto a project.

What would you say you’re most known for, and what should new clients know about you? My practice is fresh on the scene in L.A. I grew up in Switzerland and Paris, and I think that my European upbringing and background define, in part, what I am known for as a designer. New clients should keep an eye out, as I hope to keep growing as rapidly as we have so far!

What are some of your favorite Southern California sources for inspiration? Some of my favorite places to hang out include: Tongva Park, for a daytime stroll (it was designed by James Corner, the landscape architect behind the High Line in NYC); Rose Cafe in Venice for a good chai latte and laid back interior design; Gwen for outstanding cocktails and date-night (the Art Deco-inspired interior makes date-night feel nostalgic). Some of my favorite showrooms in town for furniture or design inspiration are Orange Furniture, GARDE, and Christopher Farr.

Tell us about a favorite kitchen or bathroom that you’ve recently designed. One of my favorites was a bathroom done in collaboration with OXArchitects and PD Construction for a ground-up residential project in Venice Beach. It’s a modern design, yet warm by use of materials. The book matched-stone wall behind the tub, which it lit by natural light from above, is dramatic and earthy. It’s one of my favorite aspects of the design and definitely a focal point in the bathroom. The leather pulls on the light wood cabinets, paired with the white stone floors and walls, add a soft and bright touch. The space feels equally masculine and feminine, which I find very attractive.