TEXT BY WENDY ABRAMS PHOTOGRAPHY BY DAVID DUNCAN LIVINGSTON
Lawanna Cathleen Endonino is a young designer with a refined sensibility and the confidence of a seasoned pro. This Spanish, Italian Mediterranean villa in Carmel was her first solo act—a testament to her irreverent and playful eye. Some of the hip patterns and textures she chose could easily pop up at a chic design hotel or Italian castle, intersecting European respectability with the eccentric brushstrokes of an artist. The result is the ultimate showcase of her talent and the owner’s impressive art and antique collection. Rather than being intimidated by the specificity of owners, Ruth Baltes and Dr. Michael Stuntz, Lawanna threw herself into a career defining project.
RIGHT The green and white Greek key pattern chair creates a juxtaposition of pattern with the floral curtains. The fabric is from Summer Hill. OPPOSITE The bed in the master suite is from Ebanista and the fabric is Isabel Aqua from Summer Hill. The chair is a blue and cream damask from Summer Hill.
When thirty one year old Lawanna met Baltes and Stuntz, she was in the Walker Zanger showroom at the design center in San Francisco looking at tile for another client. “They started asking me questions and I was giving them the right answers. We instantly clicked,” Lawanna says. “I learned about their art collection and the house they were building and designing from the ground up.” It was called the Twelve Mission Bells House in Carmel. The only thing left of the 1927 house was the bells, a historic and endearing part of the region’s identity. The house was going to be the retreat and dreams house they deserved while managing stressful careers and the energy of their six year old son. Stuntz is a specialized cancer surgeon and Baltes, a retired critical care nurse, who now owns a boutique called “Lounge” in Carmel.”
The home would be filled with traditional paintings dating back to the Middle Ages with religious themes and dramatic statements. “I have a classical background and have been surrounded with antiques,” Lawanna says. In fact, she is forming a joint venture with Rue de Grenelle Antiques owner Claude Hubert in San Francisco. “I actually became interested in design when I lived in Provence after studying at the Sorbonne in Paris. I love the concept of home, families and helping people create memories in beautiful environments.” Her European training and style consciousness can be seen in patterns such as her beloved Greek Key prints and checks, paint color choices and unusual pairings of textures and patterns. She is developing a signature style, while flexible and bold, relying on her natural ability and a strong design network in San Francisco and Los Angeles.
In the Baltes/Stuntz house, Lawanna’s passion is seen in different rooms. According to Baltes, “She created conversations between rooms through color and texture while still giving each space its own flavor.” Rooms are almost international representations of ornate and sensuous period pieces evoking completely different sensations. For example, in the master bedroom, the doors were imported from Paris and the columns in the great room are from eighteenth century India. The clay roof tiles were imported from Venice taken from old homes and barns in the countryside. The kitchen has a country French meets Parisian feel while bathrooms are gothic and romantic. “Each room is a jewel,” says Baltes, “yet all assimilate into one beautiful vision. She created a beautiful palette through fabric, wood, paint and furniture.”
Lawanna’s comfort with established pieces worked to her advantage. She always had a classic background to draw from as her choices became more and more daring. “They were willing to take chances with me because they trusted me,” she says. “In the dinning room I mixed it up by using brown and white toile and damask. The table is from Italy with a monkey pattern and the window treatments are velvet with a rustic old feel, yet they are hip. Everything I brought they loved and it was definitely a new direction for them.” With mentors such as Marc Melvin and even her clients who taught her about time management and over the top customer service, Lawnna’s passion to deliver the fantasy home happened because of her ability to improvise, take responsibility and create something entirely fresh. “Lawanna went so far above and beyond what we could have pulled together,” says Baltes. Between the special fabrics shapes and wallpaper, she is a true designer and we could never have done anything like this without her.”