Genevieve Trousdale has brought Southern charm to the West Coast. Her meticulous work ethic and thoughtful approach to her client’s wants and needs have allowed her to design exquisite yet comfortable interiors all over the world. By traveling to different countries, Genevieve sources one of a kind pieces that feature prominently in her projects. Her unique style has led her to work alongside AD 100 icons, design palaces and luxury estates, and create beauty within Parisian flats. On top of all of this, Genevieve has been featured on Architectural Digest PRO for her creating her own platform, Circaphiles, which is set to launch this September. The invitation-only membership site will be a place where professional interior designers and verified design students can find, rate and share brands, artisans and service providers. Introducing this week’s trailblazer Designer Friday, Genevieve Trousdale.
Andrew Joseph: What’s the weirdest thing a client has ever asked you?
Genevieve Trousdale: My client in Santa Barbara wanted me to give her antique wooden horse (tabletop) statue a makeover. That included a castration!! I not only stripped the horse of its gender but also its color. I transformed him from a boring dark brown to a lively beige, black and brown gesso mixture & added leather reigns & saddle with a red blanket. I turned to my long time jack of all trades furniture refinisher – he can make chocolate from paper! He made the leather strapping, bucket and even saved the “remains” to give back to the client.
Andrew: What’s something you always travel with?
Genevieve: An open-mind!
Andrew: If you weren’t a designer, you’d be a ….?
Genevieve: Traveling hotel critic. I just love the luxury experience of any hotel. I always try most of their services during my stay to get the full experience of being on vacation. Living in LA, I often post up at the Fairmont, the Peninsula or Shutters for an afternoon with my laptop working so that I can feel those vacation vibes.
Andrew: What would you like remembered about you?
Genevieve: I would have lived a full life if my memory was filled with recognizing others for their talents, leaving a mark in the interior design industry and hosting epic dinner parties.
Andrew: What might the design world look like in 10 years?
Genevieve: While we have many online shopping opportunities, 3D product views and store tours better illustrate value and serve when you or your client cannot see something in person. The high-touch, in-person experience shopping on foot at a flea market or in a luxury showroom will never lose its luster though. I think designers, worldwide, will also be spontaneously communicating online in an effort to diversify their designs and more easily execute international projects.
About The Designer | Steeped in Southern tradition and influenced by sophisticated French style, Genevieve Trousdale’s finely-honed design sense was originally influenced by two generations of discerning familial role models with exquisite, yet comfortable taste. On assignment designing homes and estates throughout Europe, the Middle East and America, Genevieve developed inspired and inventive ideas for each client’s passions and desire for the very best.
Highly regarded for sophisticated design, meticulous attention to detail, creative sourcing of one-of-a-kind pieces, and the ability to manage thousands of special details at once – Genevieve has earned the respect and admiration of the most thoughtful and discriminating clients, worldwide.
Ms. Trousdale, a Louisiana-born designer, boasts a stunning repertoire of world-class projects including American ski chalets, a Parisian flat and a luxurious royal palace. Working alongside top AD 100 icons, Genevieve is one of the nation’s most accomplished designers.
Andrew Joseph is a regular contributing editor for ASPIRE DESIGN AND HOME magazine. See more of his work here.
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