In conversation with Cereal magazine founder, Rosa Park
Meet Rosa Park, founder of Cereal Magazine. We caught up to learn about her design aesthetic and what Vinterior pieces she is coveting.
Where do you feel most at home?
In Bath, where I lived for 11 years before moving to LA last autumn. Feeling at home is not tied to a specific residence for me. Perhaps I’ve moved one too many times for that. But the city of Bath definitely provides a sense of grounding, familiarity and comfort — all of which I associate with the idea of home.
How do the styles of your Bath and LA home differ?
The environment affects my design preferences, so with my Bath and LA homes, each space is in dialogue with the original architecture and the city. My Bath flat is in an old Georgian building in the centre of town, so my interior choices are more classical — mostly vintage & antique English pieces, alongside select contemporary ones, from European brands that I love. Almost all of the art in this space are old school oils, with a few etchings by British artists. This home feels more grown-up, somehow, in its visual language. In LA, it’s a completely different vibe. I live in a Spanish Colonial built in the 20s, with a lovely front courtyard and back garden. Here, the focus is very much on feeling laid back, being in the sun, and letting the outside in. It’s more casual in style, with a mixture of furniture, objects and art from all over the world, from various time periods.
How do you describe your interior design style and how has this evolved over the years (if at all?)
Monastic. I’m actually quite fickle in my tastes and can become obsessed with a time period or a specific movement for a moment, before moving on to another. But when push comes to shove, I always come back to this — this pared-back, monastic aesthetic. A version of simplicity that feels soulful. Like so many of us, I live a fast-paced life, so being in an interior setting that gives me space, quite literally, allows me to breathe a little easier and think a little bit clearer. I yearn for this when I don’t have access to it.
Where do you go to find inspiration?
My bookshelves. My forever source of inspiration.
1 piece of advice when shopping for vintage furniture?
If you find a piece that you fall in love with, which is within your budget, pull the trigger. I have pieces that I slept on, that I still dream of finding again, one day. Vintage regrets!
How do you approach the design of a new space?
I think of how I would like to feel in each room, as I move through the space. Then every design decision that is made, follows that emotive intuition.
Favourite vintage find?
The answer to this question is likely to change every time someone asks, because it depends on my mood. Today, I’ll pick my Bhutanese wooden bowl that I purchased during my trip there in 2018. It’s the perfect vessel for displaying found beach pebbles.
Favourite city for design?
Antwerp.
What are you currently reading and do you have a favourite reading spot?
Currently reading Atomic Habits by James Clear, after a few friends highly recommended it. Without competition, my favourite place to read is in bed, in the final hours before sleep.