Unique by Design
By OCinSite At-Large | May 03, 2011 10:14 AM
Ohara Davies-Gaetano
By Somer Flaherty | Newport Beach Magazine, May 2011
You could say design is in the genes for Ohara Davies-Gaetano. The Newport Beach resident grew up in New York City surrounded by the arts—her father was a painter and her mother worked in textile design. However, it was during her travels throughout Central America and Europe that she developed what she calls an “appreciation for unique and unusual elements.” As the head designer of local residential design firm Bliss Design, Ohara says she takes inspiration for her projects from the nature of our coastal community.
Newport Beach Magazine: You grew up surrounded by the arts, but when did your focus shift to interior design?
Ohara Davies-Gaetano: I was hired as a retail design consultant back in 1999 to redesign a retail showroom in Atlanta. A few months into the project, a client came into the store and inquired about design services for her home, and from that day forward my focus has been residential interior design.
NBM: What is your favorite thing about Newport style?
ODG: I really appreciate that our clients truly love design and want their homes to reflect great design. This understanding of beauty, allows me to truly do a great job.
NBM: Many people struggle with a cluttered space, any suggestions for improvement?
ODG: When we grow tired of a space, it can be hard to realize how to improve it because we are so accustomed to seeing it day in and day out. Empty the room, move things around, re-think the layout and change the paint. Take away the small pieces that are cluttering the home and bring in new accessories and artwork but on a larger scale, creating more of a dramatic impact.
NBM: Tell us about designing a kids’ room.
ODG: A children’s room can prove to be the most challenging since kids’ tastes can vacillate from one day to the next. I always ask to sit down with the kids and ask them similar questions that I would of their parents. My goal with a kids’ room is to design it so that the space embraces their spirit, but can grow and evolve with them as their taste changes.
NBM: What’s a recent project you’ve worked on in Newport?
ODG: I just did an incredible bay front remodel. The design of the home was Balinese-inspired with traces of Morocco and Old World India. I wanted to make sure that the home felt true to its origin, not contrived in any way. In order to accomplish this the use of materials was crucial. I found old architectural elements like doors and archways that were used throughout and hand-painted tiles that we used to bring color into the bathrooms.
NBM: What is your favorite room to design?
ODG: An amazing dining room can be my favorite room in a home. The space should feel like a jewel box: intimate, alluring, romantic, comfortable, a space you want to lounge around in for hours. The walls need to have beautiful tone or texture, the chandelier needs to be incredible, candles are important for creating the allure, fresh flowers always, and comfortable seating that hugs you is crucial.
NBM: If you had to choose, what’s your biggest design pet peeve?
ODG: I am not a big fan of matchy-matchy. A home needs soul and in order to accomplish this, there needs to be a sense of understanding and appreciation for the use of different elements.
