Designer Crush: Shure Design Studio
Author:Lindsey ShookFrom her extensive training in interior design to working with custom manufacturers and top design firms including Woodson & Rummerfield’s House of Design, Candace Shure had the pedigree to make it on her own. Now at the helm of Shure Design Studio, she and her team have already created a popular perspective with their youthful, yet sophisticated spaces spread throughout L.A.. Here, we ask her more about her background and where she likes to spend time in California.
-How did working for Woodson & Rummerfield’s House of Design shape who you are as a designer? It shaped me as a designer even more than design school did. Founders Ron Woodson and Jaime Rummerfield are incredibly generous with their insight and expertise, and provided me with a strong foundation of skills and a well of industry resources that I use daily. From training my eye to be able to distinguish when something is working in a space (and when something isn’t) to how to be diplomatic (but still effective) when issues with vendors or clients arise, they’ve imparted invaluable knowledge that allows me to do what I love successfully. We also always had a blast together, so I try to bring that same lightness and humor when working with my clients and team as well.
–We read you are most inspired by the Bauhaus movement. What about this design era captivates you and how do you apply the philosophy to your own work? I first fell in love with the streamlined simplicity of the Bauhaus aesthetic during my high school art history class and it still shapes my perspective when designing for my clients now. So much of what we see today in contemporary design that’s considered timeless is referential to the Bauhaus movement. I think that’s because as humans, we appreciate the “less is more” and “form follows function” characteristics innately because it just feels right. Some of my favorite artists like Vassily Kandinsky and Paul Klee were founders of the movement and their use of color and composition in their abstract art influences a lot of my design choices as well.
-How do you define your aesthetic? As an interior designer, my aesthetic can best be described as artful minimalism. I try to strike a thoughtful balance between simplicity and artistic expression in each space with curated art pieces, unique textures, and strategic pops of color. By blending minimalism with artistic elements, I like to create spaces that feel effortlessly refined, where every design choice serves a purpose and adds a touch of intrigue.
–Which other designers or creatives inspired your career the most? From a pure design standpoint, obviously, my former bosses (or my Mom and Dad, as I like to call them) Jaime and Ron have had a huge impact on my career, as well as designers like Kelly Wearstler for her boundary-pushing interiors (and fashion moments) and India Mahdavi for her iconic spaces that inspire me to think outside of my comfort zone. But from a business standpoint, I’m also always so inspired by the amazing female creative entrepreneurs I see in real life and online who are just swinging for the fences, making it up as they go, and juggling so much while chasing their dreams.
-Any brands or furniture/decorative artists you are obsessed with? I’m a sucker for show-stopping light fixtures, and they typically end up being the jumping-off point for a lot of the studio’s projects. I’ve followed Gabriel Hendifar of Apparatus Lighting since the beginning and am enamored with his ability to create a vibe. I also really love Eny Lee Parker and her lighting pieces + recent collection of furniture.
Lightning round!
-Favorite hotel in California and why? There are too many great ones to choose from because we’re so spoiled here! You can have drastically different experiences depending on what part of the state you’re in, but the Parker Hotel in Palm Springs and the Proper Hotel in Santa Monica are two of my favorites because they embody that effortlessly cool California attitude. (Even though my girlfriends and I are currently planning our return trip to the The Madonna Inn in San Louis Obispo, because we’re in love with its whimsical flair and unapologetic affinity for the color pink).
-Favorite building in DTLA? Hands down, the Bradbury Building. It’s truly magical and can feel transcendent the way light floods through the atrium in the center. I could stare at the delicate Victorian iron balustrades and marble details all day.
-If you weren’t a designer, you would be? A florist. I’m always moved by the gorgeous creations that so many talented florists create on Instagram. My favorite part of photographing my projects is going downtown to the Flower Market to find the most unique flowers and foliage to experiment with and create arrangements that complement the spaces we’re shooting.
