My passion for design and my joy for creating were apparent from a very young age. My favorite toys were my wooden building blocks, my cherished possession were a set of sand toys in the shape of a castle and my first architectural design was a Lego house I built, all out of red bricks with white windows symmetrically arranged around the facade. I spent countless hours ruining playing cards, by folding the ace of spades or the two of hearts into furniture pieces for the kings and queens to lounge on. My career path was set and I happily and joyfully traveled along that road.
Born and raised in Germany, my first brush with building a house came when my parents, well yes, built our house. Since my dad was very hands on, he spend many hours helping around the construction site and I tagged along. Consequently, I learned to lay bricks, lay tile and I developed an aptitude for painting and color. My love for colors accompanies me until today. I can spend endless hours looking at the paint swatches at the local Lowe’s and mix and match samples just for fun.
Our travels often took us to Southern California and luck would have it, I earned a spot at UCLA and I proceeded to get my degree in Interior Design. Even before I finished college and I got my first design job as an assistant for a then big designer in Los Angeles. I spent endless hours traveling into every nook and cranny of West Los Angeles and beyond, getting to know every design, furniture and fabric shop along the way. However, I soon figured out that I love to built houses. I decided to go back to school to earn my architect certification. After 3 years, I passed my exam and I landed a job with a construction company. For the next 5 years, I learned the art of building a house, managing a job site and pulling permits all around town. This hands on experience serves me well today, as I have an in depth and on site understanding of how a house is built. This practical knowledge is infused into my design, as I create spaces that are usable, functional and beautiful to be in.
Today, I own and operate Stefani Conniff Design. I love the team work that goes into planning, designing and building a home. I spend many hours with my clients exploring their way of life so we can create a home that they are proud of and that reflects a part of who they are. My interior design, architectural design and building expertise combined with meticulous craftsmanship and creative input from my clients define my approach to realizing the homes I built. My European roots inspire me to look for sustainable, energy saving and practical design solutions that are geared to make the houses more efficient and less toxic to live in. Less is more and by reducing waste, consumption and opulence in our environment, we can do a lot to uphold the balance and harmony of our planet.
I define success when the house I create has become an extension of who my clients are.
