Dunn-Edwards Portraits: How One Designer Painted Her Own Path to Success

Rachel Scheff is a high-demand, multi-hyphenate design visionary with a colorful story. Known for her work in interior design, production design, home staging, and furniture design, she is the principal of Rachel Scheff Design Studio in Los Angeles. Rachel is involved in nearly every aspect of the design process, from full-scale renovations and new construction to the creation of one-of-a-kind furnishings for luxury residential, commercial, and high-end hospitality projects. Her unconventional career path and unique approach serve as an inspirational reminder that there is no singular recipe for design success.

Rachel's work has a cinematic quality to it. "Growing up, I did a lot of creative writing. Now, as a production designer for commercials and music videos, I draw a lot of my inspiration from film. I approach design like a storyteller," she explains. One of the best examples of her storytelling approach can be seen in Pasadena Showcase House.

"I wanted it to feel experiential," Rachel says. "I didn't want it to be just a pretty house from a magazine. So I watched all kinds of historical shows and studied them. Creating scenes that speak to the vision and period of a space is one of my greatest passions."

Not all of Rachel's design stories are about the past. Because she works on both modern and historic properties, she doesn't design for a set aesthetic; instead, she lets the space and the client inspire her creative journey. "I love combining old world elements with modern elements and juxtaposing them to tell a story. But it's really more about my clients and their needs. I enjoy changing up different styles. I find that very stimulating," she explains.

Rachel's path to success reads like a movie. From an early age, she was immersed in the world of fashion and business culture. Her father started a fashion eyewear company when she was just two years old and she grew up learning about buying, selling, and trends. Destined to take over the family business, Rachel's path seemed pre-determined. "I thought it was what I was born to do, and I eventually went into that business. But over time, it wasn't fulfilling. I woke up one day feeling like everything had been chosen for me, like I had no control over my life," she explains.

Until that point, she had casually dabbled in interior design, but it always seemed just out of reach. But once she became a mother, her perspective shifted. "I realized that I didn't want to bring her into this life that I did not like," Rachel says. So she changed everything: she got a divorce, sold her business, and enrolled in College of the Canyons in Valencia to get her degree in design. Rachel recalls, "I basically pulled the carpet from beneath myself and said, 'I'm going for this and I'm not going to fail because there is no backup plan.' And it was freaky how things came together for me. It was like the universe was screaming, 'This is what you're supposed to do!'"

While in school, Rachel immersed herself in all things design. She got involved in the International Interior Design Association (IIDA) as a student member, and she entered the IIDA Haute Couture Student Design Competition. She and her team won it once. The second time, although they didn't win, they were featured on the cover of a publication from Pivot Interiors, a victory in its own right.

Through the IIDA Student Mentoring Program, she had the opportunity to shadow a lead designer at HOK (one of the top architecture and design firms in the world). That led her to the important realization that she didn't want to go in a corporate and commercial direction. "Even though they were amazing, it was really eye-opening for me. I knew that I wanted to go in a more flexible direction." So the next year, she signed up for student mentoring again and shadowed an interior designer, Antionette Galisky of Designarc International, who had worked all over the world. It was supposed to just be a day, but they connected on a personal and professional level. That designer ended up being Rachel's first client, hiring her to design a condo in West Hollywood.

That was a pivotal moment in Rachel's career development. Rachel explains, "As young designers, we look up to people who have these huge portfolios and wonder how they got there. It seems a bit daunting, but many times, it just takes one really good client who sees you and believes in your vision. And all of a sudden you realize ... Wow I am good, I can do this. And it gives you the confidence to build a successful practice."

During school, Rachel also worked part time as a Professional Color Advisor for Dunn-Edwards in the North Hollywood store and later in the Topanga Canyon store. She explains how being featured in the Dunn-Edwards Portraits Series now is a full circle moment for her, "I remember reading the specs+spaces blog at my desk! So you can imagine when I was approached to be in this series, it felt surreal. Because I very much remember being that student reading that blog, and thinking, 'Wow! One day I might be able to be that person.' And now here I am. I am that person!"

Near the end of her schooling, Rachel applied for and won a Gilman International Scholarship to study in Rome, Italy. That afforded her the opportunity to see the world, and design, through a different lens. She explains, "Literally the day after graduation, I was getting off a plane. Living in Italy was a dream. My classroom was the streets of Rome. For me, travel was a part of my education. That's because when you're a designer you often work with very wealthy people and they travel a lot. When you've traveled as well, it influences your work and gives you an authority that you wouldn't have otherwise."

Rachel's advice to students is to reach beyond school. "My success came from going the extra mile in every facet of what I did. I didn't just show up to school, go home, and have fun. I lived and breathed what I did," she says. In hindsight, it seems her strategy paid off. By immersing herself in so many different aspects of design, it led Rachel to an important realization that ultimately, she didn't want to contain herself to just one niche. "Once I stopped working in one niche, my career exploded," she explains.

Now, juggling the parallel worlds of interior design, production design, home staging, and furniture design gives Rachel the creative flexibility that she craved all along. She says, "A professor once told me, 'Design is a freeway. There's going to be lots of exits. There will be many paths to explore. If you don't like one of them, just get back on the freeway.' So that's what I did. And I discovered along the way that I don't need to have just one niche." This same professor, John Turturro, was the subject of an article Rachel penned for her college website. Sadly, John passed away earlier this year, but his wise words, design talent, and mentorship continue to inspire Rachel in her career.

For Rachel, it has been a challenging road filled with ups and downs: leaving the family business, changing careers, getting a divorce, and starting all over as a new mom. But her story proves that when you set your mind to something you're passionate about, anything is possible. "This is not an easy business. It's been a difficult path to get here. But when you manage to turn something that's not so great into something beautiful, that's what a designer does. Ultimately, design is a metamorphosis and it's about evolving."

When it comes to color, Rachel has a hard time picking favorites. "Choosing a color is like choosing a child! But I'm really feeling greens these days," she says. For her latest project, Rachel is in the process of designing a 1920s apartment in Highland Park and she recently chose Enchanting Ivy (DEA179) for its lower kitchen cabinets. It seems fitting. A Gatsby-esque deep green with blue tones, Enchanting Ivy evokes all of the opulence, playfulness, and sense of depth that Rachel brings to her work. It is a lush and verdant symbol of rebirth and growth—if we had to choose a color to represent her creative metamorphosis, this would be it.

To learn more about Rachel Scheff and her work, visit her website. You can also follow her on Instagram and LinkedIn.