Renowned Interior Designer and Realtor Barrie Livingstone’s design projects span the globe from Los Angeles to Dubai and Miami, to Malaysia, and now, Los Cabos, Mexico. Livingstone’s passion for art, design, architecture and the international lifestyle shape the curated collection at his newest design store, House of Barrie. Barrie’s current projects include developing TV programs, licensing deals with home furnishings manufacturers, house flips in Joshua Tree and the usual mix of fun for sale and lease real estate listings.
Designing was all Livingstone ever dreamed of. When he was ten years old, his mother returned to the house after she went shopping, and the entire living room had been moved around. He had rearranged the whole room and rehung all the artwork because it did not look right to him. Barrie says about his early passion for design, “I was obsessed with going to old Manor houses and palaces growing up in England. I would imagine how they lived back then. I wanted to act, be on stage and on TV.” He has studied real estate and interior design at High Point University, Harvard University Graduate School of Design, and The Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale. His comprehensive background allows for a unique and powerful skill set. He acts and plays out his client’s fantasies in their homes and gardens.
The age-old saying “it’s not what you know, it’s who you know” was relevant to Livingstone early in his career. He made connections through a lot of networking and now works on everything from residential houses to mansions to hotels. At the start of any project, he learns the brief. “People do not realize that when I’m designing their own home, they are a character. People never look at themselves that way, so it’s up to a designer to understand the fully developed character. I suppose that’s why I do well in Hollywood, because it’s almost like writing a movie script, the story of a life and its home,” Livingstone says. He describes his design style as “less is always more.” He prefers a neutral palate so that found objects and art can speak for themselves.
As both a realtor and an interior designer, Livingstone can have a unique perspective when designing and selling properties. His book Interior Design Tips every realtor should know but doesn’t is available on Amazon and gives a clear insight as to how he sees and looks at space. There are vital tips in the book that offer any homeowner insight into what people look for while they are shopping for a new home. “A home is the most expensive investment most of us ever make, so it would make perfect sense that that investment is looked after properly and presented in the best light, whether you’re going to live in it or get it ready to sell.”
Barrie Livingstone has been designing, traveling, and attending tradeshows since 1987. He strives for The Los Angeles-based House of Barrie store to be happy, inviting shop that is welcome for everyone. He hopes that people become inspired when they walk into the shop and find something they will fall in love with. Very few high-end interior design home decor gift shops are around these days. “We like to think House of Barry is a mini Bonnie’s home or Neiman Marcus home decor shop.” Having a shop is an extension of one’s style, and he is happy to share it with everyone else. Livingstone plans on having a few shops in the future in different locations where they are needed.
Barrie Livingstone is an interior designer, a realtor, an author, a tv persona, and now a store owner, but he considers one of his biggest achievements to be the relationship with his husband, “the backbone” of their business. His biggest piece of advice for any aspiring realtor/designer is “persistence, perseverance, and determination are all you will need. Coupled together with some mad socialization skills and networking magic. “
