She was a designer with definite flair who always welcomed fun. In remembering Suzanne Rheinstein, we share 10 hallmarks of her work. Her thinking was one of a kind, yet the rooms she touched were relatable and, above all, livable.
You look at the rooms of celebrated interior designer Suzanne Rheinstein and, it’s true, you see beautiful, beguiling spaces and ways of putting together furniture and belongings that are studied and elegant. But you also see rooms designed for joyful living. They’re heartily welcoming and unquestionably uncommon—a zesty color that enlivens a serene seating area, a pairing of things antiqued and fresh.
In a career that spanned decades, Rheinstein decorated some of the finest homes in America, creating rooms that weren’t just for looking at but for truly living in.
When the Los Angeles designer passed away this spring at 77, she left a legacy of inspirational decorating. She’s often cited as working in the vein of the iconic Parish-Hadley design firm but with a Southern spin—she was born in New Orleans and raised in Jackson, MS. (If you’d had the pleasure to snack on the warm cheese straws and candied bacon she served at parties, you might have hazarded a guess.) But it’s the joie de vivre and accessibility of her work that will be remembered. Her three books, including the recent A Welcoming Elegance, offer a master class in fancy livability.
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1. Wall Murals
“Have fun!” was a signature sign-off of Rheinstein. Although hand-painted murals like these trellised walls are an indulgence, a room that has the optimism of spring all year long is pure joy. Many wallpaper brands make panels that replicate painted scenics; install one and dream on. Nothing is as transporting as walking into your own idyll.
Related: Wall Murals Are the Throwback Wallpaper Trend Making a Comeback
4. Allover Pattern
The idea feels downright maximalist: Repeat the same pattern on the walls, window treatments, and furniture upholstery. It may sound like too much of a good thing, but all you have to do is look to a Rheinstein-designed room to see how a sea of similarity actually calms a space and feels cohesive, serene, and truly restful—a blanket of softness pulled right up to your eyes. The idea behind using allover pattern is simple: The less information there is for the eye to read, the less work the mind has to do. Sink in and relax.
6. Traditional with the Unexpected
Refined interiors risk being stiff. Rheinstein’s rooms aren’t. Why? It’s the touch of the unexpected— casual with formal or a bit of quirk in something traditional. In this lacquered sitting room, she picked a dashing apple green and carried the color onto the ceiling. In others, a simple sisal rug might undercut the formality of antique furnishings without losing their gravitas.
7. Versatile Banquettes
Banquettes fulfill many needs in decorating. They give meaning to a nothing space (such as the two that hug the wall and provide additional seating and style). With no arms to impede, the pieces can fit where sofas can’t, adding a lap of comfort and a trim profile. Placed back-to-back, they create an unexpectedly elegant seating arrangement.
9. Symmetry
To bring a sense of order and tranquility to a room, Rheinstein relied on balancing: pairs of sofas and lamps facing each other or a vignette of two items flanking a third. She loved to employ this classical move but never failed to find something to skew it slightly— a vase of tall branches placed off-center, above, for example.
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