Mick Fox and Dino Raimondi, co-founders of full-service interior design studio Fig+Nash in Palm Springs and Palm Desert, let us in on the basics of accessorizing—from symmetry and balance to experimenting with height and scale—and tell us about their journey and retail business with a newly opened second outpost in Palm Desert.
Tell us about Fig+Nash and why you opened?
DR: “When we opened our first location in Palm Springs in 2016, we wanted a brick- and-mortar presence to showcase boutique brands that we loved as well as the larger more established yet highly artisanal brands that we tend to specify in our design projects. Many of the smaller boutique lines had never been available in the area, we were able to introduce them to this very receptive demographic. We also used that space as our interior design studio, and over time both the retail and interior design business grew exponentially, so we decided to open a second, larger retail space/design studio on El Paseo in Palm Desert which is our new design stage. We plan to change out window vignettes seasonally offering fresh glimpses at new pieces, colors, textures and ways to combine aesthetics—making style statements our retail customers can take home.”
Design rules for accessorizing?
Tell a story
Tell a story with your accessories. Something as simple as placing an orchid, a candle, and a small figurine together on an end table can tell a story about a vacation to a faraway destination.
Experiment With Textures
Play with different textures and stagger the height of items grouped together.
Go Green
Use plants and live greenery where possible. They add color, texture, visual interest and are healthy additions especially to an indoor environment.
Maintain Balance
To accessorize a bookcase, think symmetry and balance and allow for negative space.
Your top sources?
Favorite in-store picks?
The Lito Paperweight from L’Objet.
“It’s exotic and timeless and blue,” says Fox. “It’s the perfect statement piece for the right person.”
White Marble Buddha
“It can read contemporary, traditional, or Far Eastern,” says Fox. “In other words, it can work with so many different aesthetics. It also has a very calming effect.”
“It’s entirely modern, and became instantly iconic as soon as French luxury brand Christofle introduced it,” explains Fox. “The egg-shaped storage capsule is made of mirror-polished steel with a walnut interior, shaking up the art of entertaining with this new concept that reflects the current zeitgeist.”
