Barbara Barry lives unabashedly for beauty, both inner and outer. My personal and professional lives are grounded in the relationship between beauty and the observation of beauty, following my belief that the simple discovery of their connection is transforming.
Her highest inspiration comes from nature; it influences all her work. The understatement of an all-green garden, the simplicity of fresh-cut flowers and the composition of a spiraling shell show that less is more. Barbara’s work is about the experience of being human, intimately connected to nature.
Underneath all, design lies in the solid belief that beauty is a positive force.
Born in northern and living in southern California, has influenced her work. The pale blue-grays of the San Francisco fog, the saturated celadons of Los Angeles’s agaves, and the myriad of greens out every window have formed a signature palette.
Her mother, the other key influence in her life and work, was an oil painter and an inventor. She was full of original ideas and taught her to believe in herself. One of her greatest lessons she embodied and passed down was that style had nothing to do with money and everything to do with how you felt about yourself…in a word – confidence.
Never having worked for anyone else, and largely self-taught, she is fortunate to have had such trusting and loyal clients and I remains graceful that they decided to take a chance. Looking back over a 30-year career, she recognizes that confidence and the belief in her own ideas have been crucial. In addition to many wonderful clients, she states that she’s been equally fortunate to form partnerships with the world’s top manufacturers.
She also thanks the staff of 12 that works with her in her Los Angeles studio. Their talent and dedication allow her to create products for which she feels proud.
She is passionate for design in all it forms, and her website is intended to be a window into her own process, as well as look-book into some of the wonderful work and product they’ve created.
