What makes a space feel like it could only belong to one person, or one place? Join three celebrated Sonoma County Interior Designers for a conversation about art, interiors, and the stories they tell together. Whether the client is a family, a winery, or a brand, the best interiors aren’t decorated; they’re edited. Every client arrives with a story; some know it, some don’t. The designer draws out history, values, and identity, then decides what belongs on the page. The designer is the editor of the client’s story. From a monumental canvas in a living room to vintage pieces that gives a room its sense of place, the panel explores how art informs and anchors a narrative and how to design around a story rather than a trend.
PANELISTS
Stewart Edward Allen | Stewart Edward Allen Design
Stewart Edward Allen is the founder and principal of Stewart Edward Allen Design, a Healdsburg-based interior design firm established in 2009. His work is rooted in collaboration, creating highly personal interiors that balance sophistication, comfort, and a strong sense of place. Stewart brings together architecture, art, nature, custom furnishings, and unexpected details to create spaces that feel collected rather than designed.
His work has been featured in Luxe Magazine, Carmel Magazine, and the Press Democrat.
He approaches every project with curiosity, humor, and the belief that the best interiors tell the story of the people who live in them.
Allie Janes | Allie Janes Design
With a Bachelor of Architecture, international taste, and wine country roots, Allie Janes translates her decade-long career in San Francisco residential design + construction management to a Sonoma County vernacular. Known for her methodical approach and architectural eye, Allie’s work is defined by a signature palette of softened daylight, functional ease, outdoor living, and expressions of material and craft.
Allie Janes Design’s network of local professionals, businesses, and fabricators root her clients and projects in the local economy, celebrating connectivity and community in this place we call home.
Stephanie Meyer | AVCO Design
Stephanie Meyer believes rooms should read like a portrait of the people who live in them. As Principal Designer & Owner of AVCO Design, she guides residential and commercial projects from the first drawing set through the final day of construction, a full-spectrum practice grounded in fifteen years of interior architecture.
Before founding AVCO Design, Stephanie spent a decade with international firm VOA Associates (now Stantec), where she led interiors efforts on projects including the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art and LEGOLAND Hotels, work that taught her how art, story, and architecture hold a space together. Living across three continents shaped her eye for simple sophistication and her conviction that the best rooms are timeless, functional, and deeply personal.
She opened AVCO Design’s doors in Sonoma County after the Tubbs Fire to help her neighbors rebuild, and has been creating spaces for gathering, rest, and connection ever since, from family homes to showrooms and tasting rooms. Stephanie holds an M.A. in Interior Design from SCAD, a B.A. in Interior Design from Florida State University, and holds active NCIDQ and LEED ID+C certifications. She lives in Sebastopol with her husband and two young sons.
MODERATOR
Jonathan Pearlman | ELEVATIONarchitects
Jonathan Pearlman is the Design Principal of ELEVATIONarchitects, a firm committed to a modern and personal approach to designing living and workspaces. In all of our projects, we strive to create an authentic “sense of place”, a warm and rich environment that reflects personal and community values and experiences. Our designs are responsive to local context, culture and environment as well as our client’s economic imperatives. We believe that creating buildings and spaces is an interactive process that aligns spirit and life goals.
ELEVATIONarchitects possesses the experience, ability and commitment to provide well thought out and innovative solutions while offering hands-on attention to our projects. We specialize in custom single-family homes, multi-family apartment and condominium buildings and small commercial buildings. We have a strong background in working with historical structures as well as a grounding in green and sustainable approaches. ELEVATIONarchitects helps you to solve problems and realize your dreams.