Women in Design: Berkley & Donna Vallone

THE CHAMELEONS: Donna & Berkley Vallone, Vallone Design, Scottsdale, AZ

Many designers have a signature “look,” but you’ve created such a wide range of designs. How are you able to switch gears so (seemingly) effortlessly?
Berkley: We really want each space to reflect our clients more than us. We want that space to have its own personality. We don’t want someone to walk in and say, “Oh, this is a Vallone design.”
Donna: But we do want people to think that it could be a Vallone Design because of its attention to detail. We’re always looking for new vendors and places to shop and markets to attend so we don’t get into a rut. There are so many firms that only use a handful of different vendors. We try to build in enough time to search far and wide for unique things.  

What are some of your go-to spots for special finds?
Berkley: The Paris flea market is a fantastic place to scout.
Donna: One of my first commercial projects was the Loch Lomond Golf Club in Scotland, and while I was there, I discovered Georgian Antiques (georgianantiques.net) in Edinburgh. Now we often turn to them when we’re in search of more traditional pieces. We love visiting London’s Portobello Road market on Saturday mornings. It goes for blocks and you can find everything from furniture to hardware to accessories.  

Have you seen a shift in what clients expect from a home in the West?
Berkley: When I started out 10 years ago, the Tuscan look was just kind of starting. There were lots of Venetian plaster walls, and dark, earthy color palettes. But recently, I’ve seen a huge swing to the opposite side of the spectrum; to light color palettes and finishes, and textures rather than heavy fabrics and patterns. And, when it comes to primary homes, I’ve also seen the great room fall out of fashion and formal rooms come back. There’s a movement toward smaller spaces, lower ceilings and smaller square footages.
Donna: The clients who hire us don’t hire us for a typical Southwestern look. We’re not that. My focus is always on the client’s personality and the place. That’s what drives the design.  

What’s the most unexpected place that you’ve found inspiration?
Donna: We once worked with a client who had a great design sense and one day she came in, pulled out a sock and said, “This is the color palette I want.” The purple, yellow and red in that sock provided the inspiration for the project.  

What books in your design library are especially well worn?
Berkley: I love Nancy Corzine’s new book “Glamour at Home.” She mixes pieces from her collection with older, traditional pieces in such a fabulous way that achieves this classy, feminine new-glamour look. French designer Jean-Loup Daraux has done two books (“En Passant Par La Demeure” and “By The Light of the Sea”) that have such wonderful architectural details. I find it very inspirational for details like cabinets, mouldings and plaster.
Donna: “Casa California” [by Elizabeth McMillian] is a great source of inspiration for Mediterranean-style architectural details. I use it for concepts for ironwork, tile details, doors and shutter styles.  

Tell us one of your secret design resources.
Berkley: Liz’s Antique Hardware (lahardware.com) in Los Angeles is a great resource. We recently found some salvaged antique brass doorknobs there that are stamped with the words “New York Public Schools” and used them as locker handles in a mud room. Everyone in the store is so helpful and full of ideas for how to give an old piece new life.
Donna: I love 1stdibs.com. It’s great that now, even though we’re in Phoenix, we can access antique stores all over the country.