It’s one thing to design a beautiful space. It’s quite another to design space that’s uniquely you.
In our latest Pasadena Showcase House of Design project, we’ve transformed a modest upstairs hall closet into “The Enchanted Nook.” This fully curated space reminded us of a powerful truth: the most memorable, elevated interiors aren’t just designed. They’re personalized. They tell a story. They carry a point of view. They feel like someone lives there—not just physically, but emotionally.
And that’s what turns a space from impressive into unforgettable.
When Design Feels Flat
A room can check every box—perfect scale, cohesive palette, beautiful materials—and still feel generic.
Why? Because it’s missing identity.
Without personalization, even the most high-end interiors can feel like a showroom. Polished, yes. But not intimate. Not meaningful. Not yours.
Luxury, at its core, isn’t about having more. It’s about having something no one else has.
A beautiful dining room mural, personalized by adding the homeowner’s house direclty into the scene. Mural by Hattas Studios.
The Power of Personalization
The most compelling interiors reflect the people who live in them. Their history. Their taste. Their memories. Their imagination.
When you begin to design from that place, everything changes.
A room becomes:
A reflection of your travels
A celebration of meaningful moments
A visual expression of your personality
A sanctuary that feels deeply aligned with who you are
This is where customization becomes essential, not optional.
This historic home was sold with all of it’s original furniture and heirlooms. The new homeowners paid homage to the home’s history, painting an orchard mural to represent the original orchards on the land; and by including over 30 hidden easter eggs in the scene, representing artifacts found in the home. Mural by Hattas Studios.
Why Custom Art Changes Everything
If you want to instantly elevate a space and make it feel personal, custom art and hand-painted murals are among the most powerful tools available.
Why? Because they are created for you—not selected from a shelf.
When you collaborate with an artist, you’re not just choosing decor. You’re shaping a vision.
This homeowner wanted a statement-piece painting of her three beloved dogs. These lucky royals grace her walls with smiling faces and their names on their tags. Painting by Hattas Studios.
You decide:
The exact color palette
The mood and atmosphere
The subject matter and symbolism
The scale and placement within your space
You don’t need to know how to draw or paint. It’s the role of the artist to translate your ideas into something tangible, beautiful and lasting.
Your role is simply to bring your perspective.
We restored a ballroom ceilng mural, that had been severely damaged over 150 years. The client requested we replace the original with her beloved cat—making the space truly her own. Ceiling mural restoration and cat portrait by Hattas Studios.
Your Story, Painted Into the Space
Imagine walking into a room and seeing:
A sweeping landscape inspired by your favorite vacation destination
Oversized florals drawn from your wedding bouquet, wrapping the walls
A portrait of someone you love, subtly integrated into the design
A mural that reflects your childhood memories, your culture, or your passions
This ceiling at Holy Innocents Church was a dedication to their 100 year anniversary. The gilded stars on the ceiling represent the star chart from the night the church was founded 100 years ago. Mural by Hattas Studios.
These aren’t just design elements. They’re extensions of your story.
And when a space tells your story, it resonates on a completely different level. Not just with you, but with everyone who enters it.
An original painting for a client’s home. The background features her church. And the foreground includes an historic family relaxing, representing her own family. Oil painting by Hattas Studios.
A New Standard of Luxury
In today’s design world, true luxury is shifting away from what’s widely available, toward what’s deeply personal.
Customization allows you to create:
One-of-a-kind murals
Bespoke paintings
Hand-applied faux finishes
Custom-designed wallpaper tailored to your vision
These elements introduce depth, artistry, and individuality, layering your space with intention and meaning.
And importantly, they create something that cannot be replicated.
This new mother imagined a soft, monochrome nursery with her favorite safari animals, including her own beloved cat painted in the tree. Mural by Hattas Studios.
Designing with Your Voice
Everyone has a voice. Everyone has a perspective.
You don’t need to be an artist to express it—you simply need to be willing to bring it into your space.
When you commission a custom piece, you’re doing more than decorating a room. You’re putting your voice into the world.
You’re creating a home that reflects who you are.
A space that feels like a true sanctuary.
An environment that is not only beautiful, but powerful, original and entirely your own.
This homeowner in the Hollywood Hills wanted to incorporate several meaningful symbols in her original work of art, that welcomes guests as they arrive to her home. Mural by Hattas Studios.
Bringing It Back to The Enchanted Nook
In our Pasadena Showcase space, personalization was everything.
Since we weren’t working closely with a client for this project, we decided to make the original homeowner our imaginary client.
Twin Oaks Estate was originally owned by Clara Baldwin, famed socialite in the early 1900s. We imagined Clara as a young girl arriving in California in a covered wagon during the gold rush. We pictured her loving fairy tales, and going on adventures with her dog.
We wanted to create a space just for her to tuck away, and get lost in her own imagination. We filled the walls with a mural of her favorite fairytales, including Cinderella, Rapunzel and The Little Mermaid. And we even added Clara herself in the mural. She’s sitting on the grass with her dog in front of her big blue house, reading her oversized book of fairytales.
Painting “The Enchanted Nook” mural at Pasadena Showcase. Eight classic fairytales are in the mural, including an original fairlytale of Clara Baldwin as a young girl, sitting in front of her house with her fairy tale book and dog. Room design and mural by Hattas Studios.
We didn’t stop the personalizations there. We also incorporated the complete color palette of the house direclty into the mural. Dunn Edwards offered 38 colors from which the designers could paint their walls. We actually chose all 38 colors, for a sophisticated look that looks great no matter where you see it in the house.
By designing artwork to fit the space perfectly in scale and color, and by including the client’s passions and even herself directly into the artwork, we elevated a pretty room into an immersive experiential rooted in emotion, memory and storytelling. Every detail was intentionally crafted to evoke a sense of wonder and nostalgia that can not be mass produced. It’s one of a kind.
Because at the end of the day, the goal isn’t just to design a space that people admire. It’s to design a space they feel.
Ready to get personal?
If you’re an interior designer or homeowner looking to elevate your next project, consider this your invitation:
Don’t just design a space that looks complete. Design a space that feels like you.