Holistic Interior Design Podcast

Sonya Sparks of Sparks Gallery returns for a live design audit of her historic Gaslamp Quarter gallery: exposed red brick, black steel beams, 1920s fixtures, and a front window that vanishes in daytime glare. We work through what to do when the city's historic rules take most of the usual fixes off the table.

In this episode:

• Why the front window gets missed during the day, and what still works when exterior vinyl, sandwich boards and sidewalk activity aren't allowed
• Turning the gallery's existing semi-sheer shades into a permanent soft "wall" that frames rotating art from both the street and the room
• When a window installation earns its spot, and when it confuses visitors and doesn't sell to an art-appreciator audience
• Placing a reception desk so guests feel welcomed rather than watched, and why background music matters in a quiet room
• Sourcing with a story: the 1940s jewelry cases that moved around San Diego for decades before landing in the gallery
• Why stepping away from your own space is sometimes the clearest audit there is

Sonya Sparks owns Sparks Gallery, showing contemporary Southern California art in a historic building on Sixth Avenue in downtown San Diego's Gaslamp Quarter.

Mentioned / links:

• Sparks Gallery: https://sparksgallery.com (photos of the facade and interior are in the Events section)
• Sparks Gallery on Instagram: @sparksgallery
• Sparks Gallery on Facebook: https://facebook.com/sparksgallery
• Sonya Sparks on LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/sonyasparks
• Take the Art Collector Quiz: https://sparksgallery.com/quiz
• Visit: Sparks Gallery, 530 Sixth Ave, San Diego, CA 92101 (Gaslamp Quarter)
• Episode 183: Sonya on art leasing for hospitality and the collector personality quiz
• Episode 133: Creating Space for Local Artists with Sonya Sparks

See the visuals: Photos of the facade, front window and vintage display cases from this episode are in the Behind the Veil newsletter → https://tiger-veil.kit.com

Offerings: Book a free Vision Call · Email me · Instagram: @tigerveil

Your body reads the room before your mind does.

The card I pulled for this one was the Eight of Wands: action, movement, everything happening at once. That feels right. The full moon lands in Taurus on Sunday, October 25, just as we slip into Scorpio season, with Venus still retrograde until November 13. Taurus is the sign of the senses, of touch and scent and being held by the earth. So this week we're not renovating anything. We're making one small corner of your home that brings you back to your body.

Before you press play: this episode ends with a ritual, and the guide that goes with it is only in Behind the Veil, my Thursday newsletter. Join here so it's waiting in your inbox.

If you've ever walked into your own living room and felt your shoulders climb, if there's a chair in your home nobody wants to sit in, or if your mind runs faster than your house can catch it, this one is for you.

Here's what I know: design is medicine, and your nervous system is the first guest in every room.

We talk about the one question to ask your home before you change a thing, the order your body takes in a space (and why sound comes first), what an all-air overthinker like me needs from a room, why a too-loud restaurant quietly sends people home early, and the asteroid Hygiea and the everyday rituals she rules. Then we build your reset corner together, sense by sense, with a full moon release woven in.

Light a candle. Let's begin.

Mentioned in this episode:

• Today's card: the Eight of Wands, from the Rider-Waite-Smith deck
• Full moon in Taurus: Sunday, October 25, 2026 (Pacific)
• Venus retrograde until November 13, 2026, and the start of Scorpio season
• The asteroid Hygiea, in Virgo

Stay close:

• Join Behind the Veil for each episode's ritual guide, every Thursday
• Book a free Vision Call or explore Offerings
• Follow along on Instagram at @tigerveil
• Email me

A Tiger Veil podcast, hosted by Rachel Larraine Crawford.

✦ Design is a spell. Intention is everything.

Your sofa should not be choosing your art.

I've been away for a little while. I moved houses, I'm starting fresh, and the card I pulled to open this episode was the Tower, the one that says take it all down to the foundation. Venus, the planet of beauty, art and what we value, is retrograde until November 13 too. So this isn't a season to shop. It's a season to look again at what's already on your walls.

Before you press play: this episode ends with a ritual, and the guide that goes with it is only in Behind the Veil, my Thursday newsletter. Join here so it's waiting in your inbox.

If you've ever bought a piece because it was the right shade of blue, if your walls feel full but don't say anything, or if there's art in your home you keep only out of guilt, this one is for you.

Here's what I know: art chosen to match disappears. The pieces that stay with us are the ones that hold a story.

We talk about the question I ask every client before a single piece goes up, the one test that tells you a piece isn't the one yet, where I go looking for art (and why the best piece might already be in your home), and the three numbers I use every time I hang art over a sofa. Then we take everything down together in a Venus retrograde rehang ritual, and I tell you what we wrote on the art the night before Aura Gardens opened.

Light a candle. Let's begin.

Mentioned in this episode:

• Today's card: the Tower, from the Rider-Waite-Smith deck
• Venus retrograde: Oct 3 to Nov 13, 2026
• Aura Gardens, a Tiger Veil restaurant project
• The Sacred Edit, my in-home edit of the art and objects you already own

Stay close:

• Join Behind the Veil for each episode's ritual guide, every Thursday
• Book a free Vision Call or explore Offerings
• Follow along on Instagram at @tigerveil
• Email me

A Tiger Veil podcast, hosted by Rachel Larraine Crawford.

✦ Design is a spell. Intention is everything.

Art can be the most memorable thing in a hotel or restaurant, or the most forgettable. Sonya Sparks of Sparks Gallery returns to share her new art-leasing program for hospitality and corporate spaces, plus the personality quiz that reshaped how her gallery curates.

In this episode:

• The four collector personalities (confident, connected, compassionate, conscientious) and the curated collections built around them
• How art leasing works: quarterly rotations, three package sizes, and why a fresh collection keeps staff and repeat guests engaged
• The logistics owners ask about: hanging systems that protect wallpaper, insurance, and where the art comes from
• Turning each new artist into a marketing moment, with on-site receptions and art guests can buy
• Why art should come first in a design, not last, and what a curator can do when it didn't
• Why silence from guests about your space is a signal worth listening to

Sonya Sparks is the owner and chief curator of Sparks Gallery, showing contemporary Southern California art from a historic building in San Diego's Gaslamp Quarter. She works with about 100 local artists and curates art for homes, hotels and corporate spaces.

Mentioned / links:

• Take the collector personality quiz: https://sparksgallery.com/pages/quiz
• Sparks Gallery: https://sparksgallery.com
• Sparks Gallery on Instagram: @sparksgallery
• Episode 133: Creating Space for Local Artists with Sonya Sparks
• Next week: a design audit of the Sparks Gallery space itself (ep 184)

See the visuals: Photos from Sonya's latest hotel installation are in the Behind the Veil newsletter

Work with Rachel: [email protected] · Instagram: @tigerveil

In this episode, I’m bringing back something that has always felt deeply aligned for me: new moon rituals.

This Gemini New Moon invites us into the space between the mind and the body — where our thoughts, stories, and patterns are asking to be felt, not just figured out. With Mercury moving through Cancer and Chiron beginning its shift into Taurus, this ritual is centered around emotional honesty, self-worth, safety, receiving, and nurturing the parts of ourselves that are becoming someone new.

I’ll guide you through a collective tarot reading, a seven-card new moon spread, and journal prompts to help you set an embodied intention for the next lunar cycle.

This is not another task on your list. This is sacred time.

Bring a candle, your tarot or oracle deck, a journal, and a quiet space to listen inward.

In this episode, we explore:

• The energy of the Gemini New Moon
• Mercury in Cancer and listening beneath the mental noise
• Chiron in Taurus and healing around worth, safety, and receiving
• A seven-card tarot spread for emotional clarity
• Journal prompts to support your new moon intention

I am nurturing the part of me that is ready to ______, and I support myself by ______.

May this new moon help you soften your mind, listen to your body, and trust the wisdom rising from within.

Mentioned in this episode: Tiarni Talks for astrology insights

Tiarnie Talks Podcast

https://www.tiarnie.com.au/

Links

• Listen to the Hospitality Design Talks Podcast
• Join the newsletter: Behind the Veil Secrets, musings, and design magic await in your inbox.
• Work with Rachel: Design inquiries + consultations [email protected]
• Instagram: @tigerveil

After a meaningful pause, Holistic Interior Design is back with a renewed sense of clarity, depth, and intention.

In this reintroduction episode, host Rachel Larraine Crawford shares what led her away from the podcast, what brought her back, and how this next chapter is evolving. What began as a podcast about interiors is becoming a richer exploration of the people, spaces, materials, rituals, and emotional layers shaping the future of intentional design.

Rachel opens the episode with a tarot pull from her original Rider-Waite Coleman Smith deck, drawing a card that is a fitting symbol for the restart of the podcast and the new direction ahead.

This episode is both a welcome back and a declaration of what Holistic Interior Design is becoming: more visual, more interactive, more behind-the-scenes, and more rooted in the unseen layers of space.

Links

• Join the newsletter: Behind the Veil Secrets, musings, and design magic await in your inbox.
• Work with Rachel: Design inquiries + consultations [email protected]
• Instagram: @tigerveil @rachellarraine

This week, I’m taking you behind the veil of a real-time project: a 3,000-sq-ft, family-run Brazilian steakhouse in San Diego’s Gaslamp. After smoke and water damage from last year’s fire, the owners asked us to refresh on a very tight budget—without losing legacy. We’re building a nature-forward concept inspired by butterfly wings, jungle softness, and river ripples to attract a younger, social-sharing guest while honoring the founder’s story. You’ll hear how we’re sequencing high-impact moves (starting with “crystal cave” restrooms), reusing what we can (table bases, lighting locations), and designing zones with intentional lighting, textures, and screens to create mystery and flow. If you want to see the visuals, hop on the Behind the Veil newsletter.

What you’ll learn

• How to build a concept from a single heritage artifact (and make it feel intentional, not theme-y).
• Budget-savvy upgrades: large-format tile, prefab counters, selective lacquer, and zone-specific sconces.
• How to handle immovable elements at the entrance (hello, salad/hot bar) with screening and lighting.
• Restroom strategies that elevate guest experience and inclusivity (family-friendly layouts).
• Practical ways to use lighting and soft dividers to create flow, intimacy, and discoverability.

Links

• Listen to the Hospitality Design Talks Podcast
• Join the newsletter: Behind the Veil Secrets, musings, and design magic await in your inbox.
• Work with Rachel: Design inquiries + consultations [email protected]
• Instagram: @tigerveil

Hey everyone—Rachel here with a quick update on the future of this podcast and where I’m currently focusing my creative energy.

I’ve been deep in reflection and realignment—personally, professionally, and creatively. That means this podcast will be taking a pause for the time being as I shift my focus toward new directions that are lighting me up, especially in the hospitality design space.

✨ What’s next?

I’m diving deeper into restaurant and hospitality design and will be focusing my energy on the Hospitality Design Talks podcast.

https://hdt.captivate.fm/listen

I’ve also launched a brand new podcast for ASID San Diego called Interior Design San Diego—a weekly show specifically for interior designers, industry partners, and design professionals. If you're in the field, this is a great space to gain insight on business practices and community happenings.

https://interior-design-sd.captivate.fm/listen

All previous episodes of this podcast will remain available, and I’ll be sharing more exciting updates in the hospitality world soon. Thanks for being here—and for your continued support on this evolving journey.

🖥️ Connect with me:

Instagram: instagram.com/tigerveil

Email: [email protected]

Have you ever noticed how certain seasons make you want to reset — to clear the clutter, reorganize your space, and find a little more flow? That’s not random — that’s Virgo energy at work.

In this episode of the Holistic Interior Design Podcast, Rachel taps into the wisdom of Virgo season — the zodiac’s call to simplify, systemize, and realign your home and life. She even pulls a tarot card, the Wheel of Fortune, to guide us through the shifts and cycles we’re all moving through right now.

Virgo energy is about clarity, rhythm, and release — not perfection. This is your time to:

• Declutter with intention, letting go of items (and energy) that no longer align with you or who you are becoming.
• Reorganize your spaces in ways that truly support your rhythm and well-being
• Create more mental, emotional, and physical spaciousness for what’s next

Think of it as an autumn reset — like spring cleaning, but for the soul. Whether it’s clearing cobwebs in your attic, letting go of clothes you’ll never wear again, or finally cleaning up your digital desktop, Virgo season is your invitation to lighten the load and make room for flow.

So if you’ve been feeling the nudge to get organized, release, and realign with the season — this episode is for you.

Your Turn: Do you have a Virgo season ritual or autumn clearing practice you return to each year? Rachel would love to hear what helps you reset.

✨ Special Invitation: If you’re in San Diego, Rachel is co-hosting a Libra Dinner Gathering on Sunday, September 28th at 5:30 PM in partnership with Alchemy Choose Thy Poison. This intimate evening will weave together astrology, tarot, seasonal foods, and sacred ritual — all centered on Libra’s energy of balance, beauty, and harmony.

Reserve your seat here.

Interested in working with Rachel? Email her to inquire [email protected]

I sat down with the incredibly wise and wildly grounded Lisa Wells, owner of Geneva Flooring, and let me just say… this convo was equal parts design deep dive and soulful reminder that how we build our spaces matters.

Lisa brings over 25 years of experience in the flooring world — but more than that, she brings heart. We talk about why flooring is foundational (literally and emotionally), how sustainable choices start with awareness, and why her team’s long-time trade relationships are the secret sauce.

And yes, we totally nerd out on things like wool carpets, cork floors, and what to do before you fall in love with that Pinterest board inspiration.

• Visit Geneva Flooring: genevaflooring.com
• Follow Lisa & the team on IG: @genevaflooring1

If this episode lit something up for you — maybe you’re in the middle of a reno, dreaming of a future space, or you just love hearing women talk shop — share it with a friend who gets it. Screenshot, tag us, leave a review… it truly means the world.

Looking to work with Rachel? Reach out at [email protected]