Make Life Beautiful with Becki Owens

Becki Owens inspires us to live beautifully… 

Becki was surrounded by the design world from a young age with parents who loved to flip houses and a dad who owned a paint shop. After starting her family, Becki was drawn into interiors after helping friends with their spaces and sharing the process on Instagram.  

Today, Becki designs homes in and around Southern California and is known for her modern, coastal, and inviting designs. You may have seen Becki’s work featured on Instagram or in your favorite design publication, and we can’t wait to share her story with you today!

What was your very first job — ever?  

Working at my Dad’s paint store. I would mix the paint, sweep, clean the bathrooms, etc. Then when I got old enough to drive, I started delivering paint to people’s homes and job sites. It was so fun to work with him, and that’s where I first started to love working with interiors.

A beautiful shot from Becki’s portfolio

Tell us about your journey into the interior design industry; when did you realize that you could turn your love for design into a career? 

I’ve always had a love and interest in design, but I knew I wanted to be a mom, so I never intended to focus on a design career. It was really out of necessity that I started staging homes in CA when I was first married. Then, a few friends asked me to design their homes, and I was always reluctant, worried it would interfere with my being available for my children. I finally took on a bigger job, designing a beach house, and the whole process went really well. It was my first major project on my own as a designer, and I truly loved it. My youngest was in school all day, and I realized I could do both. My business just organically grew from there.  

From Becki’s portfolio

If you could go back in time and give your young designer self one piece of advice, what would it be? 

I would tell myself, trust your gut and have the courage to take a leap. Sometimes it’s hard to put yourself out there. We worry a lot about how something will be received. But at the end of the day, what makes your design good is that it reflects your own unique vision and style. So I would say go for it, and don’t be afraid and take a picture to document your work! 

Where do you find the most inspiration for your work?  

A lot of my inspiration comes from the places I love to spend time. I live by the beach, and I love the soft neutral colors of the sand, sky, all of my daily surroundings. My family also spends a lot of time in the mountains in Montana. I love the organic, rustic elements I see there. I find a lot of the elements I use in my design stem from the textures and colors I see in these special places.  

A beautiful project from Becki’s portfolio

What does your creative process look like?  

I like to start with one design element, like a rug, and build the design around that. For example, I just did a project where I knew I wanted to incorporate black open shelves, so we based the design on them. Then my team will map out a plan for the space, but we find we always need to be a little flexible. The design process is constantly evolving — from creating the design board to the day of installation. We find we always need to swap items out from our original plan, maybe a light, pieces of furniture, accessories, so my creative process is structured with flexibility.  

What was the most significant design or business challenge that you have encountered and grown from? 

Knowing when to say no. This has always been my biggest challenge. It’s hard to balance work and family, and family has always been my main priority. Knowing when to say no has become essential to my overall growth and success, but it’s always hard to make the call to turn down an opportunity.  

A beautiful shot from Becki’s instagram

What has been your biggest achievement? When was the last time you thought, “wow, I can’t believe I just accomplished that!”  

Honesty, I feel like some of those wow moments are just starting to happen, but looking back, it felt pretty incredible when people started to noticed my designs and share them. It has always felt like the biggest compliment to see my work published or shared on social platforms throughout the design community.

Which upcoming project or endeavor are you most excited for?

We have an upcoming project in the mountains with a property that has amazing views. I’m really excited about how the home’s design will take advantage of the beautiful location and the change of seasons. The design incorporates a lot of attention to detail, with rich layers, that will make this home truly incredible. I can’t wait to see it all come together. 

A beautiful project from Becki’s portfolio

To learn more about Becki Owens and her outstanding work, visit her website beckiowens.com , and keep up with her on Instagram @beckiowens