Our home studio (also called, “The Stew”) has been undergoing a lot of exciting changes recently. Here’s a look into our design process for the transformation – and scroll to the end to see some vastly different “Before” photos!

We owe so much of our studio’s magic to our interior designer, Pam of Pamela Horton Design. She’s collaborative, an expert treasure hunter, and a creative problem-solver – somehow managing to meet all our (sometimes conflicting!) needs for each space. She also happens to be my mom, so yes… I’m the luckiest.

Setting the Mood: Outdoor Patio and Lounge

The studio is accessed by a separate entrance at the back of our house. The umbrellas and potted plants help the outdoor patio feel enclosed and cozy.

The Lounge doubles as the guest room when we have overnight visitors, and we love how our sleeper sofa from American Leather is comfortable as both a sofa and a bed. The coffee table is a nod to the midcentury modern George Nelson Platform Bench.

The Lounge primarily functions as a place for artists’ assistants or management to work while Spencer and his clients are recording in the Studio. It’s also a place for snacks, drinks, and respite. This room has been a work-in-progress for a few years, always taking a back seat to the Studio. I think it’s starting to hold it’s own now, and we plan to add more layers with an artwork gallery beneath the window and sheer drapery over the sliding mirrors.

Beautifully carved organ, displaying vintage books and artwork we purchased from a local artisan in Cuba.

Recording Studio

Here is where the magic happens! Spencer has intentionally filled this room to the brim with beloved instruments, gear, and sources of inspiration that make his music so one-of-a-kind. With a tape machine, celeste, pedal steel guitar, vintage drum set, and more – there are very few studios in the world (if any?) that can offer the same unique blend of musical colors. Listen to the music that comes to life in this room here.

As for our recent furniture refresh – Spencer’s free, antique office chair kept squeaking during recording – making its way onto actual tracks – so it was high time we upgraded. Our interior designer, Pam Horton, suggested bringing in a few modern pieces to balance all the vintage gear and layered rugs. We chose a classic retro chair designed by Charles and Ray Eames, a favorite in recording studios around the world. It was inspiring to learn more about the designer couple, who championed the “sleek, sophisticated, and beautifully simple” (Herman Miller).

While testing it out at Design Within Reach, our daughters were climbing all over the other furniture, and we were wowed by the comfort and style of the Tugendhat chair – designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe in 1929. We purchased a pair for clients to sit while writing, listening, and recording together. Mies famously said, “God is in the details,” a reflection of his dedication to craftsmanship, precise proportions, and elegant restraint. I love these bits of history, and seeing how they weave into current projects.

Pairing vintage gear with a midcentury modern office chair, tied together by rich browns, warm pinks, and natural finishes.

Grammy shrine, guitars, pedal steel, and last but not least, the photographer and her assistant.

Before…

A little walk down memory lane! For about four years, we lived and worked in a teensy 400-sf apartment where we installed a Murphy bed in the bedroom/recording studio, painted the damaged hardwoods white, and did all sorts of DIY. Also, I put light-leak filters on all of my photos.