Steven Vandora counts himself among the fortunate. He gets to spend most of his time
doing what he loves. Whether collaborating with clients to transform their space, savoring a fine meal, working from his peaceful studio with the company of his trusty canine companion and incredible vistas, or traveling the world with beloved friends... living well is Vandora's business. His expertise is making that possible for clients, and that makes his the household
name in homes most couldn't dream of.
Though his easy charm and ultimate discretion clearly attract a high profile celebrity clientele, you wouldn't guess it from his unassuming, unadulterated enjoyment of the world around him. It's exactly that enjoyment - his eye for the aesthetic, his full sensory experience of every detail he encounters - that allows him to translate his clients. desires into reality. Vandora's true talent shines in setting the scene, creating a backdrop for the lifestyle his clients crave. It is their appreciation of this created space, the pleasure it gives them, that drives his deeply ingrained passion for landscape design.
Growing up in Savannah, Vandora's love for beautifully landscaped space was inescapable. Surrounded by endless parks, he played among the fruits of the area's well-known acidic soil - incredible azaleas, camellias and oaks colored some of his fondest childhood memories. Elusive private gardens functioned as social currency, markers of stature for society's elite. There, Vandora discovered not only the beauty, but also the utility of gardens, watching as his mother traded home-grown herbs and vegetables for others grown by neighbors. At the base of it all, form follows function. And he applies exquisite form to the chosen function of his clients spaces.
Even at age 5, Vandora's interest and talent for design was unmistakable - a favorite Sunday pastime was picking out the Home of the Week feature from the Savannah Press and, naturally, drawing over the published plot plan with his own improved version. After more formally studying landscape design and materials at UCLA, it was on a trip to Europe where the light of inspiration really went on. Sitting in the famed gardens of Blenheim Palace, he was transfixed by Capability Brown's masterful design, skillfully balancing structure and the naturalized state. The breeze coming in off the water, the music it made in the trees, was captivating, elevating. It was exciting to experience a timeless transformation connecting humanity with nature, the divine, tapping in to a universal frequency. Then on to the heavenly Vaux-le-Vicomte, where he developed a deep affinity for symmetry and play with texture.
Working with clients in his hometown of Los Angeles, as well as those stretched across the globe, Vandora's design runs toward the more classic, streamlined and more often in a cooler palette of soft colors. Staying true in style and scale to the building, drawing focus through a simplified selection of key elements, utilizing the innate vibrational expressions of plants to affect the people around them. Vandora aims to enable a greater sense of place and enjoyment of the moment. Whether for outdoor entertaining, seeking solace and peace in private, creating versatile surroundings to enhance myriad lifestyle activities...enabling clients to live well is an art mastered, and cherished, by Steven Vandora.
