Anderson Somerselle
If you could have a second home anywhere, where would you live? I would have a second home in Peebles, Scotland. It's a tiny cute town about 45 mins outside of Edinburgh, and I LOVE it there.
What are three words to describe your style?
1. Sleek
2. Timeless
3. Minimal
Tell us about your childhood bedroom? I’ve had multiple childhood rooms because we moved around a lot when I was younger. But, my FAVORITE bedroom was at our house in the Cooper Mine neighborhood of Virgin Gorda. It was the first room I had all to myself, and I got to decorate it exactly the way I wanted. I had this cobalt blue bunk bed where I slept on the bottom, and my teddy bear collection lived on the top bunk meticulously arranged. I had this plain white dress and mirror set that I didn’t love, so I jazzed it up with silver Christmas tree garland (you know, inexpensive ones you get at a dollar store) and dinosaur stickers. I had my mother order me one of those complete bedding sets from the Sears catalog. It was superman on one and batman on the other. I LOVED it so much because the Navy Blue worked well on my Cobalt blue bed.
What’s the first investment piece you ever bought for your house? At the age of 33, I FINALLY bought my first big boy sofa that did come in a box. After my last cheap sofa broke at the pandemic's beginning, I was like, OK, time to be an adult and buy a REAL sofa - one they have to build, LOL! I had to wait FOREVER for it, but it's the BEST money I've EVER spent!
In the history of design, if you could hire any designer other than yourself, who would it be? I would hire Nate Burkus because it would be such a full circle moment for me, and I love his design aesthetic. I was learning about the business of Interior Design by watching Nate on the Oprah Winfrey Show. Years later I’ve had the privilege of working with his team. To have him work on my home would be the cherry on top of this great career journey I’m having.
No room is complete without: Flowers or a plants. I LOVE greenery.
People think of me as an extrovert, but I am really an introvert, LOL!
Things you omit from:
A flower arrangement: Gardenias, I’m not too fond of their smell for some reason.
An hors d’oeuvre platter: Deviled Eggs...
A bar cabinet: Water, LOL!
A song for:
Dinner at home: Ella Fitzgerald playing softly in the background also makes for
a great vibe.
Working at your desk: Anything Celine Dion or Jessica Simpson, everyone in our office hates me because that’s all I play, LOL!
Going for a run: Nicki Minaj or Todrick Hall. Their music gets me pumped up.
Biggest Vice? Sour Patch Kids, I can eat a two-pound bag in a day and a half. Don't judge me - It's a skill, HA! I currenly love their Raspberry Favored ones, OMG!
If you were on an Ambien high and internet shopping, what would you buy? BAGS of Sour patch kids, without question. But, also tons of Palma, a new Hand Sanitizer I recently discovered. It's made using avocado oil. So it moisturizes your hands instead of drying them or leaving them sticky. I would, FOR SURE, buy a bottle for everyone I know if I was on Ambien High.
Do your clothes reflect your design sensibility, if so, how? GOD NO! Like everyone else, I have found a newfound love for sweat pants and hoodies for the past two years. Because we don’t have a showroom that clients come to without an appointment, I get to wear sweats to the office when I don’t have a day of meetings. So, if what I wear 95% of the time reflected my design sensibility, it would reflect a college dorm room, HAHA!
Who is your star crush? I don’t have crushes on Celebrates. But, on Designers, I do! Patrick Mele would rank high on my list alongside Cory Jerkins. They are both just the sweetest guys!
If there were a fire, and you could only keep one design book, what would it be? Easy, Classic Greenwich House by Charles Hilton Architects! Charles and his team create homes for their clients that are simply breathtaking!
A Few Favorites
Movie: Cinderella, the Brandy and Whitney Huston version. The message in this movie Illuminates my soul. I’ve watched it 1,000s of times and know it word for word. People hate watching it with me because I talk & sing the WHOLE time.
Book: A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle
Scent: Anything Crisp & Fresh
The fabric you always come back to: Velvet. When in doubt wrap it in velvet!
Dream project: Oh my gosh, this one is hard to answer. One of the perks of working with some of the BEST Interior Designers in the country/world (yes, that includes you, Alexa 😍 ) is getting to be a small part of their dream projects. My dream is to continue that for a few more decades.
Meal: Cheeseburger with fries. My go-to!
Drink: Tequila & soda with a Lemon & a Lime.
Hotel: The Park hotel in Peebles, Scotland!
Travel Destination: I moved from Virgin Gorda, in the Caribbean, when I was 13 and haven’t been back since. So right now, that’s the travel destination on my list.
Artist:
Singer: Celine Dion
Actor: Dwayne Johnson (The Rock)
Visual: Tafui a visional Artist base in Canada.
Textiles: Zak Fox, I ADORE!
A cause near and dear to me: Seeing more people of color throughout the Interior Design Industry.
Thing to collect obsessively: Small intimate moments with friends.
Era in the history of design: 1945–1969 The Mid-Century Modern era! I’m also an Art Deco fan!
Museum: The Museum of National History
Paint Color that always looks great: Beige, it get’s a bad wrap, but it’s a GREAT base! #jusiceforbeige
Favorite person to follow on Instagram: I don’t have a favorite, because all the designers I follow on Instagram are so Fabulous!
Dogs, Cats, or No Pets? No Pets, I spend A LOT of time taking care of too many things with work. So, I selfishly like only being responsible for myself at the end of my LONG workdays.
