Celebrity Interior Designer Jake Arnold Shares His Best Design Advice

I’m hoping you can walk me through that creative and aesthetic journey and how long it took you to understand what you really liked, what your design sensibilities were, and how to ensure it was cohesive.

In the beginning, you say yes to everything. You bite your tongue, and you keep it moving. When I first started, I’d worked for other people. It was at a time where I think Instagram and social media was not as prevalent as it is today. I was able to hone in on what I was attracted to and what I liked.

Growing up in England, where it’s all rooted in tradition and everything has a purpose, meaning, and context, and then coming to Los Angeles, where you can build and do whatever you want— that’s why I was so drawn to coming here. You really could express creativity on a personal level.

Because of the context here, you can do what you want. The landscape allows you to have an English Tudor next to a Spanish revival house. It’s really all over the map.

I think, at the beginning, when I started, I was always drawn to darker, more layered cozy spaces because that’s what I grew up around. Everyone here at the time was doing beachy, and everything was blues—that kind of California beach vibe at the time. I was painting people’s rooms black. I think a huge part of it was risk-taking. But I was also very fortunate that I met people along the way who inspired me and expanded my horizons. 

Two of my first-ever clients—one being Julianne Hough and one being Katherine Powers—really evolved my style. I think it’s just important to, along the way, while you’re honing in your craft, to be very open to being inspired and allowing yourself to evolve through others.