Alyssa Coscarelli's Expressive Home Perfectly Blends the Old and the New.
Kate Connors
Freelance writer, brand consultant, and content creator Alyssa Coscarelli has been a must-follow for years. While she is known for her creative approach to fashion, she’s spent the last year in Los Angeles designing a space that’s just as inventive.
We got a chance to speak to Alyssa about some of the special second-hand pieces she is drawn to, her realistic sensibility about design inspiration, and why she always loves to mix the old and the new.
You’ve been setting up your space over the last few months — did any of your design priorities change with the onset of the pandemic? We’re all at home so much more now…
It’s been a great creative outlet during this slower-paced time, and as I near the “end” of the bulk of the furnishing, I’m almost bummed not to have this project to spend much of my free time on anymore!
Spending so much time at home definitely got me thinking about which spaces I could work from home in, which spaces I could lounge in, where to keep an open space for working out… How each area plays a part in this new lifestyle and my daily routine. There’s no shortage of cozy blankets, plush rugs, comfy places to sit...
How would you describe your interior style? Has it evolved over the years? Do you think it tracks with your taste in fashion, or is it a little bit separate from that world?
Honestly, I hate having to put it into words because it’s so many things! I’d say it’s a mix of midcentury, 70s, postmodern and a bit of minimalism. It’s always evolving — constantly! — just like my clothing style is, just like I always am. My interior style definitely reflects some aspects of what I’m into in fashion at any given time.
Where do you find inspiration for your home? Books? Stores? Instagram accounts?
Yes, all of the above, but I also just jump on what truly excites me, and always ask myself if I really love each item along the way. Then, somehow, that becomes an aesthetic that’s all my own, that you can’t really box into any particular name or style, and I love that about the process.
I feel that my spaces never end up looking like the inspiration images I save, and I’m okay with it because I love watching it take shape as its own “thing” entirely — something totally “me.”
Do you tend to change and experiment with your furniture/decor or do you stop once you consider a space “done”? What’s the latest piece you’ve added to the space?
I agree with those who say that interiors are like living, breathing beings that are constantly changing and evolving along with you. I’ve learned that it’s never really “done.” There’s still so much I want to do with this space, in fact at the time of shooting this I had new cushions on the way for the vintage dining chairs. Don’t underestimate the power of reupholstering!
Did you furnish the home from scratch, or did you bring in pieces you loved from previous spaces? What’s the piece you’ve had the longest?
I started mostly from scratch with this place in an effort to cut back the cost of moving across the country, and with my knowledge that new spaces (especially in a new city) often have a completely different vibe and therefore might require a new direction furniture-wise. But, I couldn’t give up my Luigi Massoni Dilly Dally (the orange vanity in my room) — it’s such a special piece and I was lucky to find it on the Real Real in furnishing my last place.
I’ve also had the framed line drawing near my bed for 3 apartments now. Some of my vintage lamps also made the cut. I originally brought my bedframe to LA, but it didn’t work well once I got it in the space; the Floyd ended up being the perfect replacement for the calming, airy vibe I wanted in the bedroom.
Do any of your pieces have a fun story behind them?
I think every single piece in here has some kind of story behind it, but the Togo couches are always kind of a funny one because, to make a long story short, I got them through a stranger that I was connected with on WhatsApp, and they came from Germany and took months to arrive and it could have easily been a scam but I’m just so glad it wasn’t... ha.
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