Daily Inspiration: Meet Patrick Ediger

Today we’d like to introduce you to Patrick Ediger.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started? 
My passion for design began at a young age, springing from my education in theatre arts and blossoming into a nearly 20-year career in the Los Angeles interior design community.

I grew up in a small town in rural Western Nebraska, where my passion for design emerged early. As a kindergartner, I was rearranging my parents’ furniture, and by grade school, I was sketching dream homes for classmates and trading them for their chocolate milk at lunch—likely the first sign I was destined to become a creative entrepreneur. My creative impulse often led me to adorn school assignments with architectural drawings and doodles, often being reprimanded by my teachers for “not following the instructions of the assignment.”

My educational path was equally diverse. During my college years, I studied music, vocal performance, and theater arts, earning a degree in Theatre Arts with an emphasis on Directing and Production Design at Nebraska Wesleyan University. My fascination with the world of stage theatre and design led me to a transformative semester of study abroad at the Royal Shakespeare Academy in England.

After college, with skills honed working in summer stock theater doing scenic design and painting, I opened my first atelier, mastering trompe-l’œil and decorative plaster techniques. During this time, I worked for several interior designers who significantly influenced my professional trajectory, collaborations which provided invaluable industry insights and would ultimately inspire me to pursue a career in interior design.

In 2004, I took a bold leap, relocating to Los Angeles, where I initially worked as an assistant to a talent manager while immersing myself in the city’s multifaceted design landscape. This role offered me a unique perspective on the entertainment industry, which intersected intriguingly with my growing interest in design. The vibrant and eclectic aesthetic of Los Angeles provided endless inspiration and significantly shaped my design sensibilities.

My professional journey took a new direction as I (finally) embraced interior design, lending my full range of skills to an emerging design firm right in the heart of West Hollywood. During my tenure, I rose from a Design Assistant to eventually becoming a Senior Designer, servicing many celebrity and high-profile clients in a dynamic environment that fueled my growth.

In 2010, I co-founded French American Wallpaper with my business partner Romain Bouticourt, introducing a fresh perspective to the design world with wall coverings that uniquely blended traditional and contemporary styles, and we quickly gained local recognition and industry acclaim.

At last, in 2013, I established my own eponymous firm, Patrick Ediger Interior Design. Drawing inspiration from Southern California’s iconic style and architecture, Patrick Ediger Interior Design has become synonymous with livable sophistication, timeless beauty, and environmental consciousness. My expert vision and guidance have made me a trusted designer for professionals from every creative industry— authors and TV showrunners to top executives and talent. From crafted spaces for pop icon Christina Aguilera to supermodel Cheryl Tiegs and even NBA legend Phil Jackson, my designs have left a lasting mark on the homes of many uniquely creative individuals.

When not immersed in my passionate work bridging sustainability and luxury design, or exploring the cultural haven that is Los Angeles, I enjoy time with my partners and our dogs, live theater and music, adventures in nature, entertaining family and friends, and traveling near and far.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It’s truly been a winding path with several ups and downs along the way, and I am certainly not what one might consider an overnight success. In fact, it’s taken me the better part of 2 decades to really feel like I’ve found my footing in this industry. Interior design is not only incredibly competitive, but it also demands a high level of precision and business acumen – which is something I had to learn in the School of Hard Knocks. The pressure to meet tight deadlines and deliver perfection to discerning clients can be overwhelming at times. Despite these challenges, each project has been an enormous learning opportunity, shaping me into the designer I am today. This journey has taught me resilience and the importance of staying true to my vision, even when faced with tough challenges – and that authenticity and steadfastness to my values have been the true keys to unlocking my success. Looking back, I appreciate every experience that has contributed to my growth.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar with what you do, what can you tell them about what you do?
My journey into sustainable interior design has evolved very organically, shaped by a confluence of events over the past several years. It was born out of influence, demand, and necessity—not from a sudden decision to create sustainably designed homes, but from my awakening and recognition of the negative impacts to our world and pollution resulting from the design, furniture, and home building industries.

As interior designers, we manage millions of dollars each year in finish materials and furnishings, and our choices directly affect both the environment within our client’s home—air quality, comfort, and more—as well as the environment at large. We carry an immense amount of influence as the gatekeepers of nearly every element that ends up in our projects. Because of this, I believe we have an obligation to design and build in the most sustainable way possible.

The challenge of sustainable design, on the other hand, is enormous, entangled in complex supply chains and the ambiguity of sustainable standards, making each decision a meticulous balancing act. It requires a deep and rigorous understanding of each and every design element we source for our clients’ homes.

I’ve spent the past few years developing a method for designing more sustainable homes, working with my clients to help them with better material selection and overall waste reduction. It’s a system that tracks and rates every item we put into our projects and shows clients directly the impact their choices have both inside their home and to the environment.

By integrating sustainable methods and materials into each project, my firm is not only meeting the growing demand for sustainable practices but also redefining luxury living in ways that respect both aesthetics and the future of humanity. My hope is that this work is a testament to a new standard in luxury—one that considers environmental impact as essential as innovation and style.

Have you learned any interesting or important lessons due to the Covid-19 Crisis?
The pandemic was the final driving force in my shift to embracing sustainable design practices. Our industry was simultaneously hit with enormous disruptions and demand pressures. As the world opened from lockdowns, the demand for home improvement hit a fever pitch in 2021. At the same time, we experienced seemingly unending supply chain and labor shortages causing huge delays in production.

I had to fully pivot from using furniture vendors from the East Coast and overseas to relying on local artisans in order to satisfy clients and complete projects on time. In the process, I started working with some incredible local furniture makers, many of whom use sustainable materials and fabrication practices.

It was this experience that allowed me to see how much I could source right in my own backyard, and that repositioned local sourcing as one of the the primary pillars in my design process.

Image Credits
Jessie Caballero
Meghan Beierle-O’Brien