My Year with Robert Allen Launches with Interior Designer Steven Favreau. #MYWRA

My Year with Robert Allen Launches with Interior Designer Steven Favreau. #MYWRA

Steven Favreau's luxury lifestyle brand is renowned for its sophisticated touch of contemporary glamour. With offices in San Francisco and Boston, Favreau's breadth of dramatic interior design brings together the best of contemporary interior design with classic elements, courageously mixing current styles with fine antiques, vibrant colors, bold textures and whimsical, surprising or even irreverent elements. The result is luxury interior design that is at once stylish and respectful of the unique features of the architecture and the surrounding landscape in every way.

“The interior design of your home should be an exciting experience for you,” Favreau emphasizes. “Our clients are not afraid to share the journey of creating some of the most dynamic, stylish and livable residences on both coasts.” - Steven Favreau

Twice a semifinalist on HGTV’s hit home decorating interior design show, Design Star, as well as a contestant on HGTV’s White Room Challenge, Favreau isn't one to shy away from a camera or audience. Soon to be announced is Steven's yearlong brand ambassador collaboration with Robert Allen Design program titled "My Year with Robert Allen."

1. Describe your design aesthetic in 10 words or less.

Design rooted in the classics but reimagined for today's living.

2. You are known for your bold and colorful interiors. How do you know when to pull back and when to push the boundaries?

My design is always driven by the client brief, but I come at it with my perspective, aesthetic and experience. I like portions of my design to vibrate right on the edge of dissonance but never too far so as to throw the eye or take the room away from its overall harmony. At the end of the day, my gut tells me when to push and when to pull.

3. What are some of your favorite places to travel for inspiration?

Being bi-coastal, I'm often traveling between San Francisco and Boston. However, my favorite spots are New York, London, and Paris. When traveling, museum visits are always on the agenda as I'm an enormous fan of house museums and find inspiration with every visit. The Met in New York and the Gardner Museum in Boston are my personal favorites.

4. You have a bachelor’s degree in musical theater, and an associate’s degree in interior design. How has your theater background helped you to become a successful designer?

Funny enough, my musical theater training at the Boston Conservatory of Music comes in handy every day. Training as an actor gave me enormous confidence and presentation skills. It’s not enough to be a great designer; you have to be able to sell yourself and your design point of view. In regards to interiors, my studies in set design and construction help bring a heightened drama to all of my projects.

5. How do you choose which clients to work with?

I'd like to think my clients choose me but that would be naive. The journey of interior design should be a partnership between all parties. We take into a variety of considerations which are not limited to aesthetics, budget, and timeline before engaging.

6. Every well-designed room must have?

Balance. No matter what the room, style, location or price point, a well-designed, functional room is soothing to the eye and functions best when it is balanced. Balance does not necessarily mean symmetrical or obvious but it entails all the other tenants of good design like composition, scale, synergy; and even surprise and dissonance. Some of the most disparate pieces, placed properly in a room create great balance and harmony.

7. What is your go-to fabric from Robert Allen? How have you used it in your projects?

I have so many, but I would have to say that Robert Allen’s velvets are among my favorite. They are great quality, come in so many colors and textures and you can’t beat the price performance. Because they are also luxurious, I use them in all my projects when I need a soft, comfortable surface with a little sheen. They are so flexible given the different weights available that I use them on draperies, upholstery, pillows and bedding.

8. What is your favorite project that you have done with Robert Allen / Beacon Hill and why? Can you provide examples of this project?

I recently did a large home in one of the countries most affluent towns, Atherton, California. The home is 16,000 square feet and the client’s wanted it move in ready in 12 weeks. I knew I could depend on Robert Allen with their quick ship programs, custom furniture in 6-8 weeks and huge variety of quality fabrics. We got it done on time and the client arrived that night with their toothbrushes.

9. You are bi-costal based with offices in Boston and San Francisco. What are some of the design similarities you see on each cost and what are some of their greatest differences?

Regardless of the region, clients are always searching for quality products and unique design. When working in the luxury market, homeowners have a high level of sophistication which permeates into better design and creative opportunities. Having said that, San Francisco and Boston clientele can be very different. Boston can be rooted in tradition while San Francisco, the hub of innovation, is always looking for the newest thing. However, I have yet to experience an extreme difference between each market as the variety of design keeps me exhilarated.

10. What fabric trends are you looking forward to in 2017?

I’m looking forward to a lot of drenched color. Rich jewel tones that can set any mood you are looking for. Used sparingly or with a heavy hand, deep colorful fabrics elevate a room.