A BEAUTIFUL SOUL - Westlake Malibu Lifestyle

Transcription

COVERSTORY/July 2015
LONNI
PAUL
A BEAUTIFUL SOUL
STORY BY DIANA ADDISON LYLE
PHOTOGRAPHY BY CURTIS DAHL
Lonni Paul’s multi-faceted career is a distinct inspiration
to moms all over the world who wonder if they can wear
many hats. She began her career right after college as a
full-time international model who traveled the world
while making the most of the genuinely important factors
that can be gleaned from world travel: acquiring empathy
and an understanding of other people whose lives are
different from one’s own. Lonni reveled, too, in the
beauty and architecture of the countries she visited and
her experience working alongside brilliant designers like
Giorgio Armani and Prada in Milan, Paris and New York,
significantly ignited her creative talents and passion.
Location: Epona Farms owned by Michael Fowler. Hair/Makeup: Kathleen Hagan
46 Westlake Malibu Lifestyle JULY 2015
www.wmlifestyle.com
COVERSTORY/Lonni Paul
Location: Epona Farms owned by Michael
Fowler. Hair/Makeup: Kathleen Hagan
She graduated from the acclaimed UCLA Architecture and Interior Design Program
and enjoys a distinctive career in design that includes being featured as a top
designer on many television channels including HGTV’s Design Star; E! Networks
hit ‘The Giuliana & Bill Show’ for 3 seasons; the ‘Nate Berkus’ show, and she’s a
contributor on the ‘Today’ show. Known for her clean, refined modern lines that are
accompanied by understated elegance, Lonni has worked with exacting clients from
CEOs to celebrities in Malibu, Beverly Hills, Bel Air, Aspen, Chicago, the Hamptons
and Provence, France. Lonni’s work has also been published in acclaimed design
publications. PetitNest is her breakthrough children’s furniture company which is a
classical, modern collection of nursery furniture - poised to create a style revolution.
But Lonni the human-being who conducts herself with integrity is what most
impacted us over the months that we
worked with her. This beautiful, gentle
soul displayed so many valuable characteristics: she listens acutely to others;
exercises empathy and compassion to
everyone she meets; delivers on promises and commitments – and is always
striving to raise her game. Devoid of arrogance, there is nothing contrived about
this naturally-beautiful woman. Her core
values are rock solid and her journey is
an inspiration.
Q: You were a Model for the first part of
your career - and a successful one. What
was that experience like - traveling to
Paris, Milan, Munich and of course, working in New York? What were some of the
highlights of your modeling career - and
were there any lowlights?
LONNI: Being raised in small town USA I
grew up with a strong drive to see the world
and experience things that were unavailable
to me in that environment. I started modeling full-time right after college. I’ve always
had an adventurous spirit and modeling afforded me the opportunity to travel all over
the world, live in other countries, and meet
people with backgrounds very different
from my own. Experiencing firsthand how
other people lived opened up my world and
my mind. The beauty and architecture of
the countries I visited and lived in heightened my awareness and fueled my love of
design. I loved meeting and working with
top fashion designers. Being exposed to
their vision and being part of a creative team
was fascinating to me. I’d say the highlights
of modeling were definitely traveling the
world and the incredible education that
came with it. The lowlights would be the
amount of time spent on airplanes!
Q: You studied Interior Design at the
UCLA Architecture and Interior De-
sign Program and you were a finalist on
HGTV’s Design Star, spent 3 seasons
on E! channels Giuliana and Bill show;
you were a contributor for the ‘Today
Show’; Design Expert for News and
Radio programs and traveled across the
country and around the world working
on high-end interior design projects.
How invigorating and challenging has
that been?
LONNI: Working with a lot of celebrities like Susan and Robert Downey Jr and
currently working with Felicity Huffman
and William H Macy on the rebuild of
her childhood home in Aspen are just
some of the projects I have enjoyed immensely.
I love a challenge and I love to try new
things. I was asked to be on HGTV’s
Design Star and thought it might be fun.
It was more difficult and different than
I had expected but I feel that I came out
of it a stronger designer, not afraid to
try out-of-the-box ideas. Working on
I’ve always had an adventurous spirit
and modeling afforded me the opportunity
to travel all over the world, live in other
countries, and meet people with backgrounds
very different from my own.
www.wmlifestyle.com
JULY 2015
www.wmlifestyle.com Westlake Malibu Lifestyle 49
the Giuliana and Bill show has been so
much fun. They are so genuine and have
been so generous and supportive of me.
I defintiely count them as dear friends.
I love working as a design expert and
television has been fun and given me lots
of exposure so I’m grateful for that but
nothing is as exciting as the one-on-one
with the clients, redesigning their home
or building a house from the ground
up. I started by building spec homes
so I have a lot of experince with building. Being on board from the beginning
stages, working with the architect and
contractor to realize the client’s vision - is
definitely something I love to do.
Q: That creative gift that you have:
When did you recognize it as pivotal to
who you are, and how important is it
for you to express that creativity in your
career?
LONNI: I think I’ve always had a keen
eye for design but when I was a kid it
manifested itself through fashion. I loved
clothes and especailly shoes as far back as
I can remember! (I’m still a shoe freak!)
Fashion design and interior design go
hand-in-hand in my opinion. Beautiful fabrics, clean lines and eye-catching
patterns apply to both. I was sewing my
own clothes and entering fashion shows
with them as young as 9. I’ve been lucky
enough to have worked with some some
incredibly talented photographers and
designers. Giorgio Armani was one of
my favorites. He is the ulimate perfectionist. He cares about every detail. I
relate to him in that way and admire him
for it. I also relate to the elegance, clean
lines and structured styling of his clothes.
I approach my designs in the same way.
It’s important to me that furniture I
design, whether it’s for a multi-milliondollar project or for my children’s line,
PetitNest, is of superior quality and that
it has a timeless appeal.
Q: You designed Giuliana and Bill
Rancic’s house. Is the style you chose
for them typical of your design style?
Do you have a particular favorite design style?
LONNI: I love so many different styles
of design. My personal style is elegant
clean lines, classical with a bit of a modern aesthetic. When I work with my
clients it’s very important to me to understand the way they live. I really listen to
them because they are placing so much
trust in me. I strive to create a home for
them that they will love for years. A
traditional-style home is what appealed
to Giuliana and Bill. I worked hard to
give them the very best version of their
vison but with a bit of my personal twist.
Working on their show for three seasons
and having their home revealed on the
show as well as published in ‘Tradtional
Home’ magazine gave me lots of visibility. I’m hired a lot now for that look and
style. People also hire me for completely
different styles of course but I do see a
trend towards traditional.
Q: You often mention your upbringing
and your parents as the bedrock of your
stability. You credit them with giving
you a strong sense of core values. We’d
love to learn more about that.
LONNI: I was very lucky to be raised by
loving parents. Throughout my life and
especially when I left home for Europe
and the modeling world, their influence
and the values they taught me, enabled
me to withstand adversity and gave me
confidence to stand against the pressure
to act in ways that might go against my
upbringing. I knew who I was and what
I stood for no matter the situation. My
father was and is still a role model to me.
Honesty was always expected and highly
valued in our home. I cherish that to this
day and I would say my biggest pet peeve
is being lied to. My sisters and I were
taught that it was very important how we
treated others, that all people are worthwhile and deserve to be treated with
kindness and respect. I watched my father with people and he always wanted to
know about their lives, to learn what was
important to them. His sincereity was so
apparent because he has a genuine love
for people. His values mirrored those in
my own heart and I have modeled my life
based on his example. I always look for
the good in people and try to see things
from their perspecitve. There are two
sides to every story. It’s taught me to
be non judgemental and open to other
points of view.
Q: You have 3 beautiful children – including your twin son and daughter.
How has motherhood transformed
you? Is it everything you expected or
are some of the joys and responsibilities
quite different from what you expected?
LONNI: My children are the loves of
my life, I’m very close with them. My
son Mick and my twins Jett and Sophie
who are 9 have definitely defined me as
a person. Having kids shifted my priorites. My life revolves around my kids
and making their lives better. Before I
had kids my goals were to travel, see the
When I work with my clients it’s very
important to me to understand the way they
live. I really listen to them because they are
placing so much trust in me. I strive to create a
home for them that they will love for years.
www.wmlifestyle.com
world, learn about the things I was interested in. After having children my priorities became to see the world through their
eyes and to help them to be the best they
can be as people. After years of traveling
the world I had to transform my career
and recreate my life to be more settled for
them. I found that I was able to be equally
as fulfilled and successful in another career that gave me more time to spend with
my kids. Motherhood is challenging and
rewarding at the same time. The challenge
is that being a working parent carries a
lot of guilt with it and the reward is they
love you in spite of your mistakes! I ask
myself, what do I want to teach them? It’s
important to me to be an example of the
kind of woman I want my daughter to be.
It’s important to teach my sons what matters in life. Family matters; I want them
to be fearless and to have confidence in
themselves; to know that they can do or
become anything they set their minds to.
It’s a huge responsiblitly being a parent.
Mistakes are inevitable but I truly believe
doing your best is all you can ask of yourself. Motherhood has taught me that it’s
ok to mess up; nobody is perfect. It’s ok
to fall down as long as you get back up and
never give up.
Q: What do you most want to help
guide your children through in life - the
pitfalls they should, perhaps, watch out
for, and the adventures and opportunities they should embrace?
LONNI: I want my childrent to embrace
life, to trust their instincts and to not be
afraid to fail. I want them to understand
that you can have empathy for others but
don’t have to take respnsbility for their
failures. I want them to be compassionate
and kind and true to themselves. Guiding
them to be their best selves is my goal. I
want them to value education and fight
for what’s right. Pitfalls? There are many
in life . You may want to win the race but
if you don’t, be happy for the person who
did win. I truly believe that having tenacity is more importnat that being perfect.
I want my childrent to embrace
life, to trust their instincts and to
not be afraid to fail. I want them
to understand that you can have
empathy for others but don’t have to
take respnsbility for their failures.
I want them to be compassionate
and kind and true to themselves.
www.wmlifestyle.com
Q: How do you successfully juggle being a Mum and
having a successful career?
LONNI: HA! Great question, complicated answer. I don’t
know that I do. Success is defined in many ways. My definition of success is knowing at the end of the day that I’ve
done the best I can. I’m not always the perfect mom but
I do show up and I am present. I try to maintain balance
in our lives. While I am proud of my career and of being
a good mom, I am always torn that I’m not doing enough.
It’s important to be open and honest by letting the people I
love and the people I work for know that I’m genuinely
doing my best.
Q: Your Dad continues to be an outstanding example to
you of a man who conducts himself with integrity - no
matter the person, place or circumstance. What have
been the resiliently-unfailing aspects about your Dad’s
character that you know are so important?
LONNI: Being unfailingly loyal to those you love, having
integrity in all areas of your life, being honest no matter
what the consequence may be. Those are the traits that
make good character, traits that make a good husband,
wife, friend, parent or business partner.
Q: What are some of the world issues that tug at your heart?
LONNI: There are so many issues in the world today. It’s
broad and complicated. I’m definitely moved by the plight
of women and children around the world. Families are
being torn apart by war and poverty alike. The effects on
future generations are staggering. We all know about the
struggles of women in the middle east, our inner cities and
even to a lesser degree, corporate boardrooms. Women are
undervalued and underpaid. My goal would be to set an
example to my daughter and other women to not be afraid
to step up and take our place in the world, to demand to be
heard. Women need equal educational opportunities worldwide to raise their standard of living. I feel grateful every
There are so many issues in
the world today. It’s broad and
complicated. I’m definitely moved
by the plight of women and children
around the world. Families are
being torn apart by war and
poverty alike. The effects on future
generations are staggering.
www.wmlifestyle.com
Horse: Silvester
day to live in a country where women are
more valued than in some other countries. How I help is by being a member
of a nonprofit group that raises money
for CHLA, a hospital where families can
take their children for treatment regardless of their income.
Q: If you could make one significant
change in people’s hearts...what would
that change be?
LONNI: Acceptance. I would love for
people to be more supportive of one another - especially women. Women need
to stop competing with other women.
We need to become more of a team, a
support system that bands together. We
are lucky to live in a country where people can have differences and not be jailed
or killed for it. But as individuals we
need to be more tolerant and accepting of
others who don’t share our point of view.
gering and I love it! The challenge as
parents and people in general is to create
a boundry around it and to not let it run
our lives. I don’t allow phones or Ipads
at the dinner table because I want to have
family time with my kids. I want them
to learn human interaction and social
skills. Work is important but not more
important than personal interaction with
people and family. I’d like to see people
become less involved in smart phones
and computers and more involved with
the people around them.
Q: Favorite movies of all time?
LONNI: Grease because I love to sing all
the songs. Forrest Gump because it’s funny
and heartwarming and provacative at the
same time. The Way We Were because it’s
about the deep love between two people
and how hard they tried to make it work but ultimaltely they realized that you can’t
spend your life with someone whose beliefs
are too far removed from your own. In
other words - love does NOT conquer all
(and Robert Redford is in it). The Sound
of Music because it’s about adversity and
how you can take control of adverstiy if you
work together. Out of Africa because it’s a
beautiful love story set in a beautiful place
with a haunting ending and again, Robert
Redford is in it. Something’s Gotta Give for
the acting performances and for how a person can find their true self when they find
true love. I also love the set designs.
LONNI: Dark Chocolate Butters from
Sees and sushi.
LONNI: That’s easy - chocolate!
Q: Favorite downtime activity?
LONNI: The internet and global communication is definitely a societal change
that I’m grateful for. The access to
knoweldge and a kaleidoscope view of
the world though social media is stag-
Q: Characteristics you greatly admire
in others?
LONNI: Honesty, integrity, humor, intelligence and generosity of self.
Q: Your hopes?
LONNI: That my kids will be happy and
fullfilled human beings. That Lonni Paul
Design continues to grow while remaining creatively fullfilling, challenging,
relevent and fun - all topped off with a
box of chocolates because, in the words
of Forrest Gump, “you never know what
you’re gonna get”!
Q: Favorite indulgence?
Q: Favorite food?
Q: What changes have you seen in society in your lifetime that you are grateful
have happened....and what changes in
your lifetime would you still like to see
happen?
LONNI: Hanging out with my kids and
going to movies; eating in great restaurants;
traveling; spending time in bookstores.
Lonnipauldesign.com
I don’t allow phones
or Ipads at the dinner
table because I want to
have family time with
my kids. I want them to
learn human interaction
and social skills. Work
is important but not
more important than
personal interaction
with people and family.
Location: Tilley Andalusians
at Fieldstone
Fowler.
Hair/Makeup: Kathleen Hagan
Farm owned by Nadine Tilley
www.wmlifestyle.com
JULY 2015
www.wmlifestyle.com Westlake Malibu Lifestyle 57

A BEAUTIFUL SOUL - Westlake Malibu Lifestyle

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