Sandra Cavallo - the woman, the myth, the legend. Sandra’s boundless creativity, expert precision, and eye for all things livable draw us back to her blog and Instagram feed over and over again. With a life spanning continents, careers, and design styles, Sandra’s thoughtful insights are unlike any we’ve heard before, and we can’t wait to share them with you.

Images via Sandra Cavallo

From adjusting the crooked frames at the pediatrician’s office to playing house with the discarded items in your neighbor’s attic, it’s clear that you were born to be a designer. What were some of your earliest influences?

Some of my earliest memories are designing Barbie’s house - she was my very first client!  After all, I had to design a nice place for her to live before I could actually play with her! I spent most of my time doing that, while friends complained that playing Barbie with me was no fun at all!

Another huge influence was the architecture that surrounded me in my hometown neighborhood, the Park Hill Avenue section of Yonkers. Built by wealthy New York City businessmen, these beautiful homes filled the area while their owners commuted by train into New York City. It featured incredible Victorian shingle-style homes, vistas of the Hudson River, and beautiful gardens.  Even as a small child, I sensed that my neighborhood was unique and special. When I was in college, my parents bought an old farmhouse from the 1720s in upstate New York, and I worked with my entire family to restore, remodel and redecorate it. That was deeply inspiring. My dad was a cabinetmaker from Germany and was trained in Munich, and he had an architect's mind for building and spatial design, and I am lucky to have inherited some of his skill.

My first attempt at truly taking on the building and spatial design came in our California house. It was remodeled by a young couple without kids, and we had 2 kindergartners at the time, so it needed to function for us. It was a small “L” shaped home, to which we were permitted by the state to add a whopping 300 square feet when remodeling. Initially, we hired an architect and draftsperson who did not listen to our needs, and we could not go forward with their concept. Afterward, I had a solution come to me in the middle of the night that allowed us to use the space we had, and it included a family room, an office for Phil, a closet for me, and a guest bedroom. 

Did you always know how you wanted to harness your creativity? How else has it manifested in your life, personally and professionally?

I have always been an artist first. I was the student that entered every art contest in school and knew early on that I would attend art school. SVA (NYC’s School of Visual Arts) was a great experience. I had contemplated a fashion design career, but I quickly realized that graphic design was more appealing to me. Personally and professionally, I understand that everything that I do is a chance to do something differently. I firmly believe that is how a creative mind works. While I was no longer designing graphics, I always took on creative projects, fundraisers for the kids’ schools, and large installations like Highfield Hall. This exposure has led to my current full-time career as an interior designer along with my second career running my blog and managing my social media presence.

I first became aware of Modern European design when we searched for apartments in Switzerland. We would walk up to a 17th Century building, and I’d wonder, “Geez, is this going to be too run down inside?” But each apartment was perfectly renovated and updated with modern kitchens, beautiful modern lighting, and great minimal living spaces.  I was intrigued and impressed that the Europeans respected the bones of the centuries-old structures yet had the ability to modernize it with light, airy spaces and sleek, elegant furniture that created clean, simple lines.

How did you know that Cape Cod was home?

As a child, my family vacationed in Truro, MA. I have fond memories of long beach days. As a young professional working in NYC, I vacationed out on the Vineyard for years. When I met Phil, he had a small house on the Cape, and we would visit often. It was a great respite, with so many fond memories of our newly formed relationship. Then the journey took us to Europe, and then to New Jersey, then to Northern California, but on every trip back East, we made time to visit our home on the Cape.

When Phil had the opportunity to move back to the East coast from California, we jumped on it! By then our kids were in grade school, and the tiny Cape house no longer worked for the many family and friends to come and visit. We needed more space. During that period of time, I discovered that I had a good eye for upcycling junk! I would shop the junk shops, yard sales, and flea markets on the weekends, and drag home furniture that I’d paint and bring back to life. This led to friends asking me to help them with their houses. We rented for a couple of years while we renovated the property. We feel connected to so much up here - the lifestyle, the water - it was important to us. 

You’ve been beautifying your Cape Cod home since 2004. How do you keep your interiors fresh year after year?

Every season inspires me. There are definitely all four seasons on Cape Cod. My inside refreshes always incorporate what’s blooming outside. My candle scents change seasonally, the textures and layers will change, just like the menu, and the music. I am inspired constantly by what’s going on outside.

Dismantling and rebuilding your home from scratch must have been a huge project to tackle. What advice would you give to someone who is beginning their renovation journey with a house that needs a lot of work?

Analyze your family, your needs, and your lifestyle.  Don’t fall into the trap of using rooms for what they were designed for. For example, our library was a dining room in the old cottage. Don’t fall into the other trap of using elements in traditional ways. For example, we used wood flooring for the face of our dining room fireplace, and I used engineered wood to create a headboard/accent wall in my bedroom because I loved the color of that wood flooring.

Before building your home and creating Old Silver Shed, you worked as an Art Director, designing products for companies from Nike to Disney. Can you tell us a little more about your career history and the path you followed to get where you are today? 

Right out of college, I was recruited to work for a children’s sleepwear company. That job lasted for 10 years, and as a young professional, I eventually began managing a huge art department. When that chapter closed, I worked as the Creative Director for a small niche printing company that worked with many apparel companies.  It was at that time that I met my husband to be, and we moved up to his home on the Cape.  We were a bit tired of the New York scene. I had an opportunity to work with a soft goods company in New Jersey developing Disney’s Standard Characters line. I even worked for them remotely when Phil was recruited for a job in Switzerland. After Switzerland, we bought a house in New Jersey, which was a replica of a bow house from the 1690s, and we had a container full of furniture from Italy that was all modern. Even so, I realized I could make it work, and ever since, I’ve always looked at any place I lived as a design challenge. I find myself doing that challenge again and again, even when I walk into a hotel room!

What is one thing you have learned from your past roles that you still carry with you today?

Everything you do is an opportunity to express your style and be creative. It’s the approach I take each day.

How has product designing impacted your interior design perspective? 

First and foremost, while I love things that are vintage and full of personality, what I really embrace is functionality. I try to make decisions that are practical, but if the two ideas can cross over, all the better!

We were so intrigued by your design philosophy all about the five senses. Can you tell us a little more about that?

Using the five senses has become a lifestyle approach for me personally and as an interior designer. During every home project I work on, I stop and think about the spirit of the home, the location, the nature that surrounds it, the unique qualities of the home, and the family who lives there. Every sense should be considered - this is especially true when I’m entertaining. The right music, the best candle scent, the arrangement of flowers, the food I’m preparing and how it is served, the proper seating (like seasonal additions of soft sheepskins), the lighting - all five senses are important to the overall gathering and making those who visit feel welcome and relaxed. Each one will trigger the memory of a great time long after my guests leave.

If I love something, I buy it. If I start to collect, I find a way to make my collection work in my home. A great example is my vintage trophy collection. Not only am I drawn to their history, but their shape and color. Each piece to me is a piece of art that I cannot leave in the store. Quickly enough, my eye became attuned to the search - they pop up everywhere! Vintage pieces often have their own stories and history behind them. You walk out with another level of connection to them.

When we think of you, we immediately remember seeing all of the precious moments spent with your family in your home, whether you’re cooking, cuddled up on the couch with Harry Potter playing, or making other memories. How did you learn to embrace and enjoy your home even before it was “finished”?

My kids love their home - they were involved every step of the way. Their history and memories are entrenched in our home, from carrying wood flooring in with us, painting walls, collecting the rocks for the pizza oven, or searching for beach stone for the library fireplace to finish the hearth. It gives them a sense of ownership and appreciation - we really all built this house from scratch.

Is there any advice you would give to homeowners who are in the process of making their house their home?

Include everyone in the family in the project, listen to their ideas, and find ways to reflect each of their personalities and interests.

RAPID FIRE

What’s your go-to white paint color?

Farrow & Ball’s Shadow White

Current color crush?

Farrow & Ball’s Inchyra Blue

Favorite design trend right now?

White Oak

Dream vacation?

A tour of European Cities

Podcast you’re listening to?

The Style File, Paloma Contreras

Favorite fictional home?

It’s Complicated, Nancy Meyers

Item you cannot leave home without?

My IZIPIZI reading glasses

Favorite meal?

Phil’s Tuscan Grilled Steak in the pizza oven, Swiss Chard and Potatoes (like my mom used to make) and a rustic Italian red

Best piece of advice you’ve ever received?

Don’t confuse the urgent with the important. Phil told me that and it’s served me well.

What are some of your favorite pieces right now?

Here are a few of my favorites - I’ve had my eye on all of these as well.

Sandra is such a fount of knowledge - we would love to read any book that she wrote. For more from Sandra, be sure to check out her website and follow her on Instagram. For more Q&As like this, be sure to check out all of our Industry Spotlights.