In the BOH series What I Love, we’re asking designers to build us a mood board of what’s inspiring them right now.
Francesca Grace has earned a reputation for crafting timeless interiors with a modern edge. The Los Angeles–based designer and founder of furniture brand Somme boasts celebrity clients like Sabrina Carpenter, Alicia Keys, Justin Bieber and Kyle Richards. “I like layering things that feel like they shouldn’t belong together until suddenly they do,” she tells Business of Home.
True to form, her current flat lay features an array of idiosyncratic items—a flower-shaped lamp, a Western-themed butter dish—by her favorite artists and makers. “There’s a through line of craftsmanship and character running through every piece,” Grace explains. “These are objects made by artisans who care deeply about their work, and that intentionality is what unifies them even when the styles feel eclectic.”
Organic materials and finishes ground the scheme in versatile earth tones, while the occasional zip of a playful pattern or whimsical silhouette—including a striped sofa with an undulating backrest—energizes the scheme. “It has the feeling of a well-traveled home where every object has a story,” she says of the mood board. “Nothing is too precious, but everything is considered.”
Here, the designer breaks down the details, from a tapestry-inspired wall mural to peacock-clad upholstery.
1. TAPESTRY LANDSCAPE WALL MURAL IN BEIGE BY BELARTE STUDIO
“The toile-like forest scene brings an incredible sense of depth and history to a room—it reads almost like a painting rather than wallpaper. It’s the kind of pattern that makes a space feel collected and lived-in from day one.”
2. WILTING FLOWER TABLE LAMP BY COLLECTION APART
“The hand-forged iron base has this organic, almost wild quality. It adds real sculptural presence to a room without needing to try.”
3. VINTAGE SOLID BRASS SHELL TOILET-ROLL HOLDER BY BALAJI PRODUCTS AT ETSY
“The bathroom is one of the easiest rooms to inject real personality into, and a piece like this does it without any effort. The shell form is classical, but the brass finish keeps it from feeling too precious.”
4. BARTHOLOMEW’S SPARKLY LAMP PRINT BY CAROLINE PINNEY AT TAPPAN
“The layering of objects and figures creates this sense that the composition is always slightly shifting depending on where your eye lands. It holds its own against a busy room rather than getting lost in it.”
5. ALTER PENDANT IN BRASS AND CERIOPS BY CLAUDE
“The gathered, draped form in that deep burgundy creates a moodiness I love. It feels closer to textile art than a light fixture. Dramatic overhead lighting is one of the most transformative things you can do to a room, and this one commits fully.”
6. DUCK POND COASTERS BY SLOW ROADS
“The hand-painted quality and earthy, muted tones give these a folk-art sensibility that feels really current right now. They’re the kind of small object that tells you a lot about someone’s taste when you notice them.”
7. MIRA CHAIR BY ANIMATE OBJECTS AT THE OBLIST
“The chrome botanical frame sits right at the intersection of surrealism and fine craft. It’s the piece in a room that stops a conversation and starts a new one.”
8. COWGIRL BUTTER DISH BY LUCY MCCALL
“There’s something really special about functional objects that are also genuinely artistic. The illustrative quality of the painting on it gives it this charming, narrative quality.”
9. CHARLOTTE TAPESTRY BOLSTER BY TWENTY THIRD BY DEANNE
“The tapestry weave here adds a tactile richness that a standard throw pillow just can’t replicate. The floral motif also has that slightly faded, antique quality that instantly makes a room feel more storied.”
10. WOOD CABIN CANDLE BY KEAP
“The scent profile is earthy and grounding without being heavy. Scent is so underrated as a design tool, and this one does serious work.”
11. TUBÉREUSE ASTRALE EXTRAIT DE PARFUM BY MAISON CRIVELLI
“Tuberose is such a complex, almost contradictory note, simultaneously floral and slightly dark, which is exactly the kind of layering I’m drawn to in interiors too.”
12. FLORAL PEACOCK UPHOLSTERY FABRIC IN DARK BROWN BY LUXURY SOFABRIC AT ETSY
“The density of the pattern and the richness of the colorway can anchor an entire room’s palette. It has that old-world quality that reads as eclectic rather than stuffy, depending on what you pair it with.”
13. THE PENELOPE SOFA BY SOMME
“Our first piece of furniture made by Somme is still one of our favorites for all our staging and design projects. It’s proof that a sofa can be the most expressive piece in a room without sacrificing function.”
