When it comes to creating the home of your dreams, “Be clear about your goals, budget and priorities,” advises nationally renowned interior designer and real estate developer Erinn Valencich, aka Erinn V., who recently made Santa Rosa Valley her hometown.
Applying this advice to her own life has catapulted Erinn into a league of her own, resulting in impressive success at a young age. Driven to succeed and clearly focused on her goals and priorities, Erinn graduated from high school early, skipped college and landed a great job as an assistant to Susie Coelho on HGTV. By the age of 24, her portfolio included major brands—eBay, Maxwell House, Oprah, Betty Crocker, “The Today Show,” “The View” and HGTV—and she began to branch out on her own, creating a design firm, a furniture brand, licensed product collections, and a software company.
“I knew from a young age that I wanted to have my own business,” Erinn shares, noting how her upbringing influenced her life path.
“My father was an architect, and my grandpa was a cabinetmaker—growing up, I remember custom designing a sofa for my Barbie out of scrap wood,” laughs Erinn, who today is the creator of seven licensed product collections, including a 90-piece custom furniture collection handcrafted in California named ERINN V. Her signature collaborations include a collection of hardware with Baldwin, Hollywood Hills by Erinn V.; the Linéa collection with Fine Art Handcrafted Lighting; rugs with Mehraban and Creative Touch; home accessories and furniture collections with Ambella Home and Universal Furniture, along with window coverings with Hartmann & Forbes.
“I love designing products. Creating a beautiful space that you feel good in is so important. It’s incredibly therapeutic to live around something beautiful,” says Erinn, noting that investing in one’s home pays infinite returns.
She advises homeowners and renters alike who worry about the cost of making home improvements to consider their priorities. Rather than taking a trip or going out to expensive dinners often, instead, invest in creating your ideal environment.
“Be honest with yourself about what your goals are—stop going on trips, buy a great rug instead; redirect your surplus funds to invest in your home. If you love where you live, it makes an immeasurable impact on your life.”
Creative Process
As an award-winning interior designer and real estate developer with numerous record-breaking sales under her belt, including one on the Sunset Strip featured in Architectural Digest, a Cadillac commercial, The New York Times and The Hollywood Reporter, Erinn thrives on immersing herself in the creative process.
Her work has been featured on magazine covers and in Elle Décor, Veranda, Traditional Home, Town & Country, House Beautiful, Robb Report, The Wall Street Journal, The Los Angeles Times, CA Home + Design and California Interiors, among others.
“I can create the complete vision,” says Erinn. “Design is thinking about the whole; what the space needs. I equate it to baking—where you look at a recipe and gather all of the ingredients to create the finished product. It’s a science and an art that considers function, size and style.”
Erinn’s contemporary modern style embodies the classic California lifestyle that underscores the importance of craftsmanship and celebrates luxe, livable furnishings. Inspiration, says Erinn, is a key element when working with clients to create a space they will love to live in.
The creative process begins by “walking through the home and talking to the client about what works and what can be improved,” says Erinn, referring to this stage as the “inspiration image phase,” where clients can gather design ideas from sites like Instagram and Pinterest.
“Height, light and views” are the core elements she tries to bring into every room. And while every client’s project is unique, there are several laws of design that apply to most projects.
“We’re going to go over budget,” she says, discussing a typical remodel or design project. “Get comfortable with knowing that stuff is going to arrive broken; things will take longer than you think. Once the project starts, we might find other problems.”
Prepare for uncertainties that may arise by focusing on one room or section of the home at a time, she says.
“Condense your budget to focus on one or two spaces at a time,” suggests Erinn. “Nail your kitchen. Don’t spread the budget around too thin all over the home. Instead, focus on one space and complete it, and leave some for another time when you have more funds.”
Additionally, consider moving during a remodel to streamline projects and mitigate stress.
“Get an Airbnb rather than live through the remodel,” advises Erinn.
DIY Masterclass
For those with a knack and interest in interior design, Erinn offers an online Interior Design Masterclass, where she shares her design strategies and techniques for crafting beautiful spaces.
Incorporating her 20+ years of professional experience and knowledge of construction and design, Erinn shares her expertise for anyone looking to freshen up a space, remodel or build a new home.
Made for homeowners, renters and designers on a budget, “Anyone can study and apply the lessons in these videos on how to find your own style, so you can create something you’ll be proud of! My Recipe for Design is a formula to create your vision and avoid regrets! Learn how to style bedrooms, living rooms and family rooms to produce comfortable spaces and create interiors you love without frustrations. In under 3 hours, this course will teach you how to easily transform your home,” says Erinn.
When she’s not making homes more beautiful, Erinn loves spending time with her horses and enjoying the local cuisine—“I’m such a foodie!” she confides—with her husband, family and friends in Santa Rosa Valley.
Visit ErinnVDesign.com, ErinnV.com, ErinnVDesignGroup.com and BaldwinHardware.com to learn more.
“My father was an architect, and my grandpa was a cabinetmaker—growing up I remember custom designing a sofa for my Barbie out of scrap wood.”
“I love designing products. Creating a beautiful space that you feel good in is so important. It’s incredibly therapeutic to live around something beautiful.”
