Designer Friday: Laura Muller of Four Point Design Build

Los Angeles native Laura Muller, who runs interior design and construction firm Four Points Design with her partner Cliff, is a master of cool, Californian design. Previously the president of ASID Los Angeles, Muller is a West Coast wonder woman, proving herself a force to be reckoned with as a highly-awarded designer for projects on both coasts and everywhere in between. Not settling for one or the other, the Muller’s split their time between design and construction, giving clients exactly what they need- even if a few walls need to be taken down in the process. Meet the genuine, smiling face behind Four Point Design this week as I chat with Laura Muller and discover her love for Holiday Baking Championship and hatred for mauve. Plus, take a look at a Four Point designed Calabasas estate. In the city of Angels, every home should be as angelic as its locale. This bedroom in an expansive Calabasas mansion the Mullers designed has a master bedroom with clean linen, crisp white walls, and a modern wooden platform bed frame.


Andrew Joseph – What’s your wakeup ritual?
Laura Muller – 5:00 AM coffee and one hour of absolute uninterrupted quiet – it’s my morning prayer and social media time.

Andrew – What’s your go to bed ritual?
Laura – Hot shower. Stretch. Definitely, ALWAYS, my skin moisturizing ritual. Review schedule for next day, make notes (because if I don’t I won’t sleep trying to remember them) Meditate, pray and sleep. Okay, perhaps Netflix with the hubby if I can get to bed early enough!

Andrew – How do you maintain a work/life balance?
Laura – Discipline. It took more than a few years to develop healthy work/life habits, but I have trained myself to wear many different hats. The key? Getting the transition time between roles to almost zero. It takes intention, strategy and responsive prioritizing. I make sure to maintain realistic objectives that I can promise and deliver, and always schedule daily contingency time for the uh-ohs and whoopsies. The goal is to hit those daily deadlines by end of each scheduled day, then turn off our business email and phone by 7:00 PM latest! Saturday is only available for work on rare occasion and pre-scheduled appointments, and Sunday is NO WORK family day. Without question, I stick to this schedule. It’s my promise to myself, my family, and my clients so I can be at my best for everyone.

Andrew – What’s your favorite time of day?
Laura – It’s a tie: Sunrise, and those quiet vivid moments just before the sun sets. Both inspire me daily.

Andrew – What is one thing no one knows about you?
Laura – I’m a pro-bono AND musical theater junkie, Ex-professional singer, and I have been known to listen to Christmas music WELL before Thanksgiving.

Andrew – Dream country to work in? Or dream project to take on.
Laura – France or Switzerland to design a luxury boutique hotel in the French or Swiss countryside.

Andrew – Style (or design) icon?
Laura – Ralph Lauren

Andrew – What are three things you can’t live without?
Laura – God, Family, Coffee.
Out on the patio, Laura’s love for California’s natural creations inspire a freshly-tiled patio with urns that coordinate with the home’s back doors.


Andrew – What’s one ingredient you put in everything?
Laura – Love.

Andrew – What’s your current TV obsession?
Laura – Don’t laugh… Holiday Baking Challenge.

Andrew – Favorite app?
Laura – Instagram.

Andrew – Most adventurous thing you’ve done in your life?
Laura – Traveled to Europe alone. Life-changing!

Andrew – Favorite bad movie?
Laura – THE STUFF. A classic. So bad but so good!

Andrew – How would you define your work in three words?
Laura – Thoughtful, Contemporary, Collaborative.

Andrew – Favorite piece of clothing you own?
Laura – Besides my vintage jeans, a very large, cream and grey plaid cashmere shawl that has accompanied me on ALL my travels…I never travel without it, it’s like a good luck charm!

Andrew – Must have clothing item everyone should have?
Laura – Great fitting jeans.

Andrew – What would you like to be remembered for?
Laura – I would like people to remember my kindness and strength; my strength of character and the generosity of my kindness in the face of adversity. I would like people to say that I loved my family and God…and I served them both well.

Andrew – How do you define beauty?
Laura – Beauty is defined by the kindness of one’s heart.

Andrew – Best way to take a rest/decompress?
Laura – Puako Bay, Hawaii

Andrew – Favorite city to recharge?
Laura – New York City

Andrew – Least favorite color?
Laura – Mauve

Andrew – A dessert you don’t like?
Laura – Fruit Cake (and is it really even a dessert?)

Andrew – A skill you’re working on mastering?
Laura – I will ALWAYS be mastering time management! Every time I think I have it all together, life throws a curve ball and it’s back to the time management drawing board. I guess risk, growth and entrepreneurship will always go together…so that means I will always be working on it.

Andrew – Best compliment you’ve ever received?
Laura – That I’m an “honest, reliable, thoughtful, and inspiring leader”.

Andrew – Favorite scent?
Laura – Night blooming jasmine and the smell of fresh baked cookies.

Andrew – If you made a documentary, what would it be about?
Laura – The real truth about the design and construction process, and what to REALLY expect!Like something out of a minimalist dream, the Calabasas project’s kitchen is muted in color, but with subtly textured wallpaper and a uniquely angled shelf, the room is rich in style.


Andrew – Last piece of content you consumed that made you cry?
Laura – Watching the news updates of the recent California fires…so sad yet so very inspiring.

Andrew – Who is your ideal client?
Laura – A creative and courageous client with a (large) realistic budget that truly understands and respects the value of our services, talents and means and methods.

Andrew – Are there qualities in potential clients that you identify that make you know you have to run away?
Laura – We won’t ever work with anyone that believes that any form of deception is okay; that we are only hired to “assist” them in the design-build process; and that the only way to complete a successful project is by micro-managing our team. We usually can figure this out during the interview process and run if we need to.

Andrew – What are you most excited about at this time in your life?
Laura – Our new line of Clean Fresh ModernTM furniture and linen that is currently in development!

Andrew – Who is a contemporary inspiration in your field?
Laura – Ken Fulk and Ralph Lauren are incredible Contemporary design giants that continue to inspire and challenge my creative spirit.All-white surroundings and an open glass steam shower in the master bathroom contribute to the home’s spotless vibe. Muller’s inclination toward the clean and simple fits the meditative mood of the home.


About Laura Muller | Laura Muller is a native Angeleno, an award winning interior designer, author, and a graduate of UCLA’s prestigious Interior Architecture and Design (ARC_ID) Master’s Professional Designation Program. She has been designing, developing and building diverse residential and commercial projects in Southern California for over thirty‐five years.

With a strong and lengthy background in community outreach and service, Laura consistently spearheads large charity “passion projects” with organizations such as ASID, Ronald McDonald House, Step Up on Second, World Vision, East LA Community Corporation and others. Laura’s key passion is to reduce youth homelessness by raising awareness about mental illness, and building community connections that inspire hope, and firmly believes that “together we CAN build a better tomorrow for all those in need”.

As an active advocate for the interior design profession, Laura served as the 2016 President of the Los Angeles Chapter of the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) and is the recipient of the 2014 Adele Faulkner Award for Outstanding Community Service. In 2013, Laura received the prestigious Special Commendation from the City of Los Angeles which saluted her “inspiring work as an essential leader of the restoration and enhancement of Los Angeles’ urban centers by introducing trend‐setting interior design possibilities of center‐city loft living”. Laura’s interior design‐build work has graced the pages of print and online magazines nationwide, and she enjoys sharing her candid expertise on design, construction, business, and trends as a speaker and contributor. Laura was recently named to the prestigious DXV Design Panel for 2018-2020 and has been named by Modenus Design Directory, No. 14 on the Top 100 list of Influencers and Innovators of Design.

Laura’s signature design philosophy is one that embraces the opportunity to strongly partner with her clients to deliver luxurious, elegant, organized, and deeply personal spaces. With great attention to detail, quality, aesthetic, function and purpose, she creates homes that her clients feel deeply connected to. Laura stamps all of her design build work with her personal integrity, infectious one‐of‐a‐kind enthusiasm, and unmistakable focus on the client’s vision.

Laura describes FOUR POINT’s signature CLEAN.FRESH.MODERN. design style as a thoughtful, curated and edited weaving of minimal, contemporary and traditional styles. Laura places great emphasis on customizing her design work to meet her clients’ personal needs, taste, timeline, and budget. She utilizes creativity, experience and technical skill to guide her client’s vision while gracefully articulating her signature contemporary livable style throughout her work in both residential and commercial interiors, redefining the term timeless and classic.

Laura’s clean, organized, open, unfussy design style is charismatic, restrained, smart, and wonderfully joyful.


About Andrew Joseph | Andrew Joseph’s passion for design and rich journalistic history led to the launch of his boutique PR firm in 2012. Prior to enjoying the successes of Andrew Joseph PR, Andrew honed his editorial skills at Vanity Fair and Allure. This experience, as well as the strong network of contacts developed over the years in public relations, brings a valuable edge to his new role as contributing editor. Let the musing begin.

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