At Home with Raili Clasen of RailiCA Design

As long as I’ve known Raili…she’s been a mover. A mover in the sense that she has a knack for remodeling a home, settling in, making it just right, and then moving! Just when you think she and Ryan have settled in to some cool new spot…they’re off! And each time, a different style, and cooler than the last. I/we have the same bug, although I haven’t done it as often, we are probably close behind! So I get it…

Your new home is amazing. I remember when you bought this…you intended on flipping it. What made you decide to move in?

As we were under construction, we began naturally treating this like our home and picturing us living in it. Lido marina village was also coming alive so we were constantly imagining ourselves back on this island.

How long did the remodel take from concept to finish?

Well, I broke all the rules not getting the proper permits and getting red-tagged so our 6 month remodel took almost a year.

What room in your home do you gravitate toward as a family-kitchen, family room or dining room?

Definitely the living room. This house is so small, we can only all fit in this one space.

How much does your stylish hubby, Ryan Clasen, weigh in? And what does he feel most strongly about when you are designing a family home? Is he more into the architectural design or interior design.

He gets the garage and master closet. He trusts me but I cannot touch those 2 areas.

Your kitchen is amazing. What are some of your favorite meals to make with/for your family—or do you prefer to order in or go out?

Ha! Cc you know I can't cook. We are VIP customers of Postmates.

We love how you curate things you collect, like the thermos’.  What are some of your favorites to collect—or do you gravitate towards what your family has interest in?

I'm super into handmade ceramics and I'm not into the famous potters. I love going to west side market and buy from these cute artisans that are just starting out.

The painting by the stairway wall is genius. Can you tell us about it and how long it took to paint?

We knew we wanted more of an installation than just a piece of framed art so Ryan and I kept talking about trying this, trying that. Then he was on instagram and saw this cute tiny little print-count your blessings he liked for his office, and I was like, "That's it. I'm calling this guy right now." he painted it in one day and we love it!!

We love how you consistently use graphics/ words in your design. What are some of your favorite ways you utilize this design element?

I love a graphic entry that welcomes people into the home but also makes them laugh or blush. On our lido project, we didn't have an entry so we had hello painted on the walkway to the front door.

Tell us about the wallpaper in your dining room and family room-it is so unusual!

These are both watercolor, abstract art paper. I love how they get so blown up and make the room feel underwater.

Do you ever get tired of these great artistic pieces of art/murals/ pops of color? They are quite the statements!

I'm not sure. We move before I get sick of them.

You have said lighting is one of your favorite accessories to use and we love how you hung the lights in your bathroom…as well as the mirrors. Do you need to talk clients into ideas like this, or are they pretty trusting?

It depends. I will always say that trusting the design process is not for the faint of heart, but the ones that do get the best results hands down.

Who are some of your favorite artists that you use…for your own home and clients?

Pierce Meehan, Kerri Rosenthal, and Andy Davis for the surf lovers.

You have just started production on a line of tables. Can you tell us about them?

I love the raw look of a wood table made from doug fir. I found my dream table at a vintage store and they said it was from Belgium and over 50 years old, but it was over $10,000 so we made a few protos similar to that design, and expanded to side tables too. Since I love to add type, we have the option of branding your name in the side.

Congratulations on most recently being featured in the March Sunset Magazine! When is the tv show coming up-you certainly would be the perfect candidate!

Haha-no CC I don't think so.

*Note: CC thinks so…

RailiCA Interior Design
www.railicadesign.com
949.922.9684
@raili_ca_design