The New Naturalist: Art of the Rewilded Interior
In high-end design, where discerning collectors and estate owners seek to turn residences into restorative sanctuaries, Sarah Barnard has emerged as the premier voice for Naturalist Glamour. Her studio accepts only a handful of private residential commissions each year and is renowned for an art-forward approach that treats the home as a living extension of the landscape, serving clients across California's diverse topographies.
For those looking to infuse a project with her signature aesthetic, Barnard’s boutique, Kale Tree, serves as a digital gateway to her most iconic materials. The sparkle of nature is translated into a curated archive of wallpapers, textiles, and rugs that let enthusiasts and designers source her unique world from anywhere.
The Vision of Naturalist Glamour
Barnard, a Los Angeles-based interior designer and artist, operates at the intersection of environmental preservation and fine art. Her aesthetic is one of refined elegance, capturing the intricate geometry of a petal or the light-catching luster of vegan bamboo silk in a polished, high-end style.
Her color stories are chromatic snapshots of the shifting light and biodiversity of the natural world. Forest and flora are represented by deep, immersive tones like Midnight Forest. Atmospheric shades like Dusty Dawn, Evening Mauve, and Pebble mirror fleeting moments of Pacific light. Foundational neutrals like Boletus (a warm mushroom-taupe) and Sycamore (inspired by the deep green tones of native foliage) provide architectural anchors that let her more vibrant prints shine.
Narrative Textiles and Fine Art Walls
The heart of the Kale Tree collection lies in storytelling through materiality. Narrative textiles are printed on heavy-gauge Belgian linens and organic cotton sateens, featuring designs that celebrate the often-overlooked inhabitants of the California landscape.
Crow: An abstracted design inspired by the clever birds of Pacific Palisades. This pattern captures the layered depth of feathers and the social complexity of the birds that gather in coastal trees, offering a sense of movement and quiet mystery to a well-considered interior.
Hermit Thrush: A pensive design inspired by the elusive master of the Southern California oak woodlands. It celebrates the quiet reward of a sighting, following the bird as it moves through dappled canopy light.
The wallpapers function as expansive artistic statements, designed to transform vertical surfaces into immersive botanical experiences.
Mallow: A pattern celebrating the California native, a flowering shrub prized for its soft, sculptural foliage and the elegant curve of its delicate blossoms.
Matilija Poppy: This favorite California native flower is reimagined with an emphasis on its lacy, sun-bleached petals and a vibrant, gilded center that radiates with a soft, textural glow.
Textural Foundations
Barnard’s artisan rugs translate organic forms into tactile luxury. A primary example is the Moth Rug, which captures the intricate, light-reflecting wing patterns of a moth in a sculptural floor covering. It brings symmetry and fragile beauty to the floor, serving as a soft, artistic anchor for a room.
The rugs are available in two distinct finishes: vegan bamboo silk for a high-glamour, light-reflective surface, or premium New Zealand wool for a matte and luxurious feel.
The Ultimate Luxury: The Bespoke Studio
For the collector who requires a truly perfect fit, Kale Tree Studio offers couture-level refinement. Every textile and wallpaper can be custom-colored to align with a client’s specific palette or re-scaled to grand architectural proportions.
The studio can be commissioned to create entirely new motifs based on the specific wildlife and flora of a client’s own estate, designed so the home becomes a direct, unique reflection of the land it inhabits.
True luxury is found where high craft meets a deep, personal resonance with the world around us. Whether sourcing a single statement textile or collaborating on a site-specific pattern, Kale Tree presents a vision for a life lived in beautiful, stylish harmony with nature.
