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MSM Online, Sports

Brianne Goutal Prepares to Compete at the Longines Global Champions Tour

Equestrian sports are the only Olympic sport where men and women are able to compete on equal terms against each other. The Longines Global Champions Tour at Miami Beach in April will bring together the Top 30 ranked show jumpers in the world to compete at a unique location, on the beach. Leading American female show jumper, Brianne Goutal has taken this sport to a new level with her drive, passion and dedication. Goutal remains the only rider to ever win all four major equitation finals documented in Animal Planet’s reality show, Horse Power: Road to the Maclay. The equitation finals included: the 2004 USEF Show Jumping Talent Search Finals-East, the 2004 Washington International Equitation Final, the 2005 USEF/Pessoa Hunter Seat Medal Final, and the 2005 ASPCA Maclay National Championship. The same year, she claimed individual and young rider gold at the North American Young Rider Championships. Goutal turned professional and balanced her riding commitments with classes at Brown University. She graduated in 2012 with a literature degree. Not only does Goutal have a rigorous six days a week riding schedule, but also she trains four other top riders. “I love teaching. I’m able to reap the benefits from the fact that it forces me to become more aware of my own riding,” states Brianne Goutal. “I enjoy working with my students and helping them work through issues more than commanding lessons.” Brianne has quite a full life out of the saddle. She splits her time living in New York City and Wellington, Florida taking time in between horse shows to travel. “Life is all about balance,” says Goutal. “Having the opportunity to break away from my daily routine and be able to enjoy time with my family and friends, is the best way to clear my head and prepare for the next show.” For more information on Brianne Goutal, click here 

Living, The Issue

Interior Design with #RichKids of Beverly Hills Star Roxy Sowlaty

By Angela Betancourt Photography by Aubrie Pick  A peach One Kings Lane Ava Settee couch basks in the warmth of the sun as it shines through the window on a perfect day. A mid-century brass vase glimmers on top of a West Elm marble box frame coffee table, while an ivory Moroccan Fez wool shag rug, beckons to be touched. For interior designer and TV personality, Roxy Sowlaty, these are the makings of a perfect living room, for the spring season. Roxy is one of the stars of E! Network’s #RichKids of Beverly Hills and the founder of her own interior design firm, specializing in high-end residential projects. Roxy is the product of a wealthy Persian family, and is the daughter of Acuprints CEO, Sam Sowalty. At just 26 years old, the Beverly Hills native is proving to be more than just another wealthy pretty face in the sea of reality TV stars. Roxy has worked in the design industry since she was 16 years old, when she started a clothing line with her sister, Tara, called RoxTar. She graduated from the University of Southern California’s Marshall School of Business, and later enrolled in Parsons New School of Design in New York City where she graduated with her Master’s degree in Interior Design. In addition to New York, she has designed a variety of homes in cities like Los Angeles, Aspen, and Bel-Air that ranged from 800-square-foot city apartments to extravagant mansions. Her style is timeless, yet never dated and her ability to infuse vibrant flair into any room is capturing attention nationwide. Despite what her ties to “rich kids” might imply, Roxy is passionate about helping others design homes they will love regardless of their budget. Redecorating doesn’t have to cost a fortune, and Roxy demonstrates that perfectly with her favorite interior looks for spring. This spring it’s all about warm pastels, white linens, Carrara marble, and lots of metallic accessories. Starting with the living room, Roxy recommends making things brighter and more vibrant by incorporating peach and coral colored fabrics and metallic accessories into the design. Replacing drab, lifeless pillows with new ones in fun, bright colors or patterns is an affordable way to bring spring into any room. Another quick and affordable way to give a room a lift is with a great area rug. An area rug is actually one of Roxy’s favorite design elements and it has often been the starting point for her decorating projects. “Rugs are usually the largest and most defining piece in a room. Going from a dark to light color can really change the look of the entire space,” she explains. The furniture that will be around this carpet is also important. Carrara marble furniture is one of Roxy’s favorite decorating items. This is the next best thing when your budget doesn’t allow for a full marble renovation. Carrara marble immediately gives a room a much more expensive look. In a blog post Roxy gushed that “Carrara marble makes anything look instantly sexy and beautiful.” If you opt not to buy any Carrara marble, the beauty of furniture is that it can easily be reorganized. “Sometimes just moving an existing side table makes all the difference.” One of the biggest mistakes she sees people make when it comes to furniture is buying matching room sets. “Buying a room set seems easy, but there is no dimension. You have to mix it up.” Rather than buying everything from the same location, Roxy recommends shopping around at various stores for great finds that will complement each other. “You don’t want things to look cookie cutter.” She recommends going to stores like West Elm, Target, Pier One, and Urban Outfitters to find unique and affordable pieces to bring home. “So many things are being massed produced and it’s more important than ever to connect to your true personality. We all have our personal style. But if you don’t know where to begin social media sites like Pinterest and Instagram are good ways to find and keep track of rooms that you gravitate to.” When it comes to picking the right furniture size, Roxy says that bigger is always better. It’s a common misconception that if you live in a small space you need small furniture. The opposite is actually true. “Bigger furniture can actually make a space look larger.” Her favorite springtime look for the bedroom also incorporates a lot of warm pastel colors, warm peaches, and creams. Intertwining metallic and pastel colors is her secret to creating a soothing yet vibrant space. “Use pastels as your base or accent color and add metallics like silver and gold.” No matter what your budget; revamping your home for spring doesn’t have to cost a fortune. Some warm colors, the right accessories, and a bit of creativity can go a long way.   Click here to view post on the 2015 March/April issue.

LIFESTYLE, Living, Luxury, MSM Online, The Issue

Miami Real Estyle – Sofia Joelsson – SoJo Design Miami Beach

By Sherri Balefsky/Photography by Imani Ogden Stepping into the SoJo Design offices in the heart of South Beach is like stepping onto an oasis during a major MacArthur Causeway traffic jam. Sofia Joelsson, the firm’s founder and creative director, arrived in Miami late last night after her flight from New York was delayed four hours. You’d never know; she is blithe and cheerful and—with no makeup, nonetheless—looks incredibly well rested. From just a quick glance around her office, it is clear Joelsson has impeccable taste—so much so you’d think she spent years studying at an accredited design school. But Joelsson grew up in a small town in Sweden where she reveals, “People are very much do-it-yourself. A career in interior design is not something that is really even thought of.” Instead, the former Miss Sweden grew up thinking she wanted to be an actress. She spent time living in Germany and the Dominican Republic before making her way to Miami. “I was modeling and doing commercials,” she says. “But people kept asking me who my decorator was…So thirteen years ago—to this day, actually [June 9, 2014]—I started SoJo Design.”  With no formal training, Joelsson has managed to make a name for herself in the world of interior design, having worked on some of the most impressive luxury properties in Miami, New York City, and Dallas, Texas, among others. This includes penthouses at the Setai, Il Villagio, and 1500 Ocean Drive in South Beach; the Ritz-Carlton, Dallas; and Manhattan’s Walker Tower (where a penthouse recently sold for a reported $30 million). “I found a niche in penthouses,” she says. But her portfolio also includes luxury condominiums at Canyon Ranch, Miami Beach, One Bal Harbor, and the Four Seasons, Miami, and multimillion-dollar estates in affluent neighborhoods in places like Star Island and the Hamptons. She’s also designed interiors for hotels, office buildings, restaurants, and even private jets. The SoJo Design aesthetic is sleek, chic, and modern. Each room exudes an effortless balance of color, texture, shape, and open space. Joelsson has an affinity for natural materials like wood, stone, and leather, and for neutral tones such as white, black, and beige. While an estate she designed in Dallas has a much different vibe than, say, one of her South Beach penthouses, the signature SoJo je ne sais quoi permeates throughout each endeavor. In total, SoJo Design has worked on more than 150 projects, representing close to a billion dollars of real estate. The success has led Joelsson to expand her business into other areas of creativity, which includes the launch of a design-inspired magazine, Curated Living. “I did [the magazine] to challenge and inspire myself, and in turn, inspire others,” she says. “It was originally only supposed to be online [www.curated-living.com], but my clients and advertisers were all asking for copies.” For the first issue, aptly named “The White Issue,” Joelsson curated pieces from her favorite design and fashion houses to put together a series of white-themed vignettes. The next issue, slated for Summer 2014, will have both equestrian and nautical themes. Along with being editor-in-chief of a burgeoning magazine, Joelsson is working on a new textiles line, which she anticipates will be part of a larger Sofia Joelsson Home, Anywhere collection. She also launched an e-commerce site, Cudesso (www.cudesso.com), which offers a handpicked selection of her favorite furniture and home accessories from around the world. And, if that wasn’t enough, Joelsson is also in talks with producers about a potential TV show. With so many projects evolving simultaneously, it’s no wonder Joelsson says the one person she’d love to meet is Martha Stewart. “She is such an inspiring entrepreneur and businesswoman—and she’s had a very interesting life!” Much of Joelsson’s inspiration comes from travel. Her favorite places include Mykonos and Santorini, Greece; and Capri, Italy, where she says she visits every year. Aside from traveling, in her free time (though it would seem she has none!), Joelsson loves to entertain. She likes having friends over to watch movies on her terrace where she has a full-size chess set and a popcorn machine. “A lot of my friends have kids,” she confesses. “I have four-legged kids.”  She gushes about her shih-tzu mix, Caspar, whom she rescued five years ago. He is by her side at the office on most days. “I think it’s important to create a fun work environment,” she says. “We’re here very long hours some days, so you have to keep people loving what they do.” The SoJo Design team currently includes five designers, plus an extended staff that helps support her in her multiple endeavors.  And despite her laundry list of accomplishments in just 13 years, Joelsson remains down-to-earth and remarkably humble. “The United States is still, to me, the land of opportunity,” she says.“Miami is special because it’s only something like thirty percent developed—as opposed to New York, which is like ninety-nine percent developed. There’s so much opportunity and growth…What Craig Robins is doing with the Design District is pretty incredible. It’s cool to be a part of a growing design community.”  So what’s her best piece of advice for anyone who wants to follow in her footsteps? “Follow your passion. Everything else is just passing the time. [Your passion] can change—mine did. But if you love what you do, you will be successful.” Click here to view post on the July/August 2014 issue.

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