Anne Sage is the patron saint of decorating with neutrals. It’s partly a necessity for the LA-based author/stylist, who spends her days among a rainbow of inspiration and craves a visual break when she comes home at night.

Though Anne is co-owner of the one of Los Angeles’s most in-demand photo studios, The Light Lab, we were drawn the the Atwater Village house she shares with her husband. Where Light Lab is vibrant and filled with trademark splashes of color and pattern, Anne’s home is a veritable study in neutrals. You’d be hard pressed to find a shade of white that’s not represented, and yet? It’s richly layered, eye-catching, and luxurious enough to be a big part of the draw to her well-loved Instagram and blog.

Read on for her smart take on the inspiration and execution that has her stunner of a home feeling so serene yet so alive.

 

 

 

Your kitchen defies the popular decorating trope “you need a pop of color.”

It’s true! After a day spent looking at so many beautiful things – in all colors! – every day, I need somewhere I can give my eyes and brain a break. At home, neutrals signal to me that it’s time to breathe.

 

But I’ve also heard you recommending #neutrallife to friends as well – why is it a decorating move that works for so many different styles? 

It is a lot easier for your style to evolve if you’ve first built a clean foundation of neutral pieces. That way things change, if you want to try out a trend, you’re able to do that in a small way, and your versatile foundation remains constant. It’s a palette that sets you up mixing it up, should you want to.

 

 

 

How do you keep neutrals from looking blah?

Living in Los Angeles has influenced the way I think about my decorating toolbox. Now, the sunshine, the light, that’s one of my key tools. I love throwing the windows open and decorating with warm neutrals that make the most out of natural light. I like it when everything is primed for bouncing light and that reflective sheen.

 

 

 

The ledge in your kitchen is home to a mix of artwork and actual kitchen necessities. Any guidelines for similar styling at home?

I think of my kitchen as a design statement as much as my living room or bedroom, so I think there’s always room for beautiful things. To me, there isn’t really a line between display objects that are beautiful and utilitarian objects that are beautiful. If I love looking at something and it makes me happy, that’s my barrier for letting it into my home. That can apply to art, to family heirlooms, and to my glassware.

 

 

 

Yes but surely not EVERY utilitarian object makes the cut to be on your ledge. How do you choose?

I love a mix of balanced materials. Glass, wood, stone, porcelain, fabric – they all have a place. When I’m styling for a brand shoot or just setting up my own home, I’m always thinking about how the different types of surfaces and textures are going to reflect or absorb light.

 

I’m also drawn to strong silhouettes – pieces that have a clear presence on a shelf or table. If I’m standing across the room, I want to see those defined shapes. Anything fussy or finicky? Not my style. I need my pieces to be clean-lined.

 

 

 

On that note, you’re a SNOWE fan, yes?

Obviously. As far as forms go, SNOWE offers some of the best brilliant foundational shapes. I don’t like the word “basics” –  I consider my SNOWE pieces timeless and utilitarian. It’s great because they can vear classic or modern, depending on how I’m styling them. Plus, each piece is so perfectly itself. You’ve got the platonic ideal of glassware, or white porcelain, of everything. Plus, the finishes are exquisite.

 

 

 

Speaking of finishes… you know we have new flatware finishes, a matte black options and a brushed gold, too.

Oh I’m obsessed with black flatware – I can’t wait to see it! I’m thrilled SNOWE’s launching a set because it can’t possibly be anything but perfect. It really is the most sophisticated of all the flatware colors out there. It really brings a modern sense of sophistication to every table you set it with. I’m working on a rustic shoot coming up and using my black flatware to add an updated edge. I can’t wait to get my hands on SNOWE’s take...