If you’re looking for a sign to forget *resale value* and create a space that’s for you: This is your sign.
“This” being Raisa Sandstrom’s home. “Raisa’s initial plans for her kitchen were entirely in shades of neutral,” Margot wrote when we first featured the designer’s fixer-upper kitchen in Northampton, MA. “‘I was thinking of resale value and permanence, and trying to be safe,’ she says. Then she shared the plans with her boss…who ‘urged me to create something that’s me.’” The result is a kitchen brimming with pattern, texture, a mix of high (locally made cabinets) and low (assorted Facebook Marketplace finds; maple floorboards Raisa and her husband, Andrew, rescued from a condemned house), and plenty of punchiness.
Says Raisa, the rising design star behind Raison Design, of where she is now: “I currently work full-time for sirTANK design outside of Boston. I studied photography and digital media in college and received my BFA from the University of Massachuetts Amherst. In the little spare time I have, I love working on my own home, helping friends with their projects, doing things outside with my husband and dogs, and talking design with my mom.”
Today Raisa shares her of-the-moment shortlist: Twin Peaks core, an album on repeat, and a fun pair of shoes. Read on….
Above: Raisa’s kitchen. See more in Kitchen of the Week: 8 Ideas to Steal from A Young Designer’s Romantic Kitchen.
You’re invited to dinner. What’s your go-to gift?
Flowers with a vintage vase. Depending on the season, it’s so nice to give cuttings from in and around our property. I tend to buy a lot of vases at thrift stores for this reason.
What’s on your bedside table?
Photo of my late sister, some lip balm my grandmother bought me, and my earbuds.
What’s your desert island design/art/architecture-related book?
Every Room Should Sing by Beata Heuman. She’s got a real knack for making spaces feel both relaxed and sophisticated. The way she plays with color, pattern, and texture is always surprising and inspiring.
What podcast or playlist do you put on when you need inspiration?
Head Over Heels by Cocteau Twins.
Above: In Raisa’s kitchen: mirror as backsplash.
What’s a film or TV show whose aesthetic has stuck with you?
David Lynch passed away today, so spiritually, I’m in Twin Peaks. The Roadhouse and, of course, the Black Lodge were imagery that made me feel vulnerable, uncomfortable, and scared, but somehow also strangely comfy? I love it. RIP.
What has been your best house upgrade?
Oh, the kitchen! It’s the centerpiece of our house, the jewel. It’s been over a year, and even now I struggle to fully grasp the amount of storage we gained. Walking into it still feels like stepping into a familiar but disorienting dream: magical and transportive.
A simple or budget-friendly design move you wish you’d known sooner?
Lighting is really important in making a space cozy. The right bulbs can totally transform a room. LEDs are not quite there yet, so I still go for the warm glow of incandescents. If you have to use LED, look for a high CRI. Aim for the 90s–that’s how you get those colors to pop. And definitely keep the color temperature low, like 2700K or below. The lower the number, the warmer the light, and the cozier it will feel.
My favorite paint color for the bedroom is…
Right now I’m drawn to deep dark reds, purples and chocolate browns: London Brown from Edward Bulmer, Preference Red from Farrow & Ball, and Brinjal from Farrow & Ball.
My go-to kitchen utensil is…
The wine opener! I love the Anna G one from Alessi.
Three words that describe my design style:
Loud, fluid, cringe (in a good way).
What item from your closet do you have on repeat?
My hot pink croc Bass Weejuns.
Favorite design shop to visit (online or in person)?
I don’t shop at design shops. I’m a big thrifter, so I have a lot of local secondhand shops that I frequent. Some shops I enjoy browsing online are Yowie, Not a Humble Home, Pierce & Ward, Lichen, and Monte Visión, to name a few.
Above: Reading nook beneath Raisa’s handmade box valances.
What is the last thing you purchased for your house?
Roller shades for our den windows. I’m not sure I like them yet. 🙂 I made some box valances using green Kente cloth that I got at Brimfield this past September to go with them.
I don’t leave the house without…
My Boston Celtics beanie these cold days—they need it. I love Jaylen Brown.
Thanks so much, Raisa! Follow her work @raison_design on Instagram.
