East Meets West Coast Style

The designing world of Joe Lucas

By Cathy Whitlock

Joe Lucas at Harbinger New York showroom.

Vintage chairs by Moore and Giles Ragtime Leather, Coleen & Company chandelier and Caulfield Dining Table by Harbinger by Hand were used for a dining room vignette in the Los Angeles showroom.

Gould Cocktail Table and Antwerp Sofa by Harbinger By Hand is on display in the New York showroom.

A detail shot of a vintage parchment stools in deerskin hide.

The designer’s showrooms represent over 50 lines of fabric, wallpaper, lighting, carpets and furniture.

Soothing shades of blue comprise the color palette for the Santa Monica Canyon living room with custom upholstery and chandelier and sconces by Urban Electric Company.

Heading to Hollywood after college, the native New Jerseyan chose not to wait on tables while waiting on his proverbial close-up. Fate and irony intervened as he explains, “I started out as an actor in Los Angeles and got into interior design as a side job, working for a designer in her showroom—and years later here I am doing the same! It was not my intention and sort of fell into design and it took over.”

Fate knocked on the door once again as he landed a job with the renowned AD 100 decorator, Michael S. Smith (who was appointed by President Barack Obama to the Committee for Preservation of the White House). “It was a great training ground and we all joke we are graduates of Michael Smith University,” he muses.

“It was my first major job and it was great going from small jobs to major budgets, putting a whole house together with a two-three year program and working with amazing architects and builders in Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, Montana and Martha’s Vineyard.”

Eventually, Lucas and fellow Michael Smith grad Parrish Chilcoat left and formed their own business in 2005, and in 2008 the pair founded a multi-line design showroom called Harbinger. “Harbinger came a little out of the blue as I wanted a place to show off our look and designs, as well as sell off some inventory. The first generation of Harbinger was a tiny 400-square-foot location in West Hollywood.” In 2015, his partner became a mother and he went out on his own with Lucas Studio. Today the Harbinger (and Harbinger by Hand, his line of upholstered goods) showroom’s carefully curated mix of vintage and modern finds is can be found at the La Cienega location in Los Angeles and the recently opened Harbinger New York at the New York Design Center.

“I don’t consider Harbinger a typical showroom and it’s not cookie cutter where all of the individual lines are clumped together.” Lucas notes. “It is very specifically reminiscent of my work and totally blends in. It feels more livable and like walking into a home or one of my projects. It’s a quiet chaos!”

For a Hermosa Beach house, the designer provided a pop of color with these barstools from Lucca Antiques.

Natural woods and neutral tones were incorporated in the living area. Strand armchair and Oyster Bay Slatted console by Harbinger by Hand.

A simple yet striking tub from Waterworks was sourced for the bath.

Seagrass wrapped barstools by Harbinger by Hand are a point of interest in this California beach project.

Shades of blue and neutrals complement the views of the ocean in the Hermosa Beach bedroom. Sellig Parchment bed and David Rattan armchair by Harbinger by Hand.

With new additions such as the tony trendsetting lines Fromental and Hector Finch lighting, coupled with his 50 lines of fabric, wallpapers, carpets and decorative art lines, there is something for every design palate.

Lucas’ design aesthetic is a classic example of East Coast traditional meets West Coast vibe.

With roots in the East Coast and an adult life spent in California, the designer details, “I spent most of my time on the shore sailing and living by the water. I think I have a very traditional eye and after being in Los Angeles for 21 years, I mix it with a cool California eclectic look.” The result is a spectacular blend of color, layers, texture and details—think modern lines in the furniture—mixed with antique and vintage pieces.

With design projects ranging from Los Angeles and Florida to Philadelphia and Chicago, Lucas still finds time in giving back. With the deadly and destructive Hurricane Sandy hitting his home state of New Jersey, he stepped in and rebuilt and renovated the Bay Head Yacht Club pro bono. “I had grown up there all my life and the club was badly damaged (from both Hurricanes Irene and Sandy), so they asked me as a member to do the historical restoration of the massive 25,000-square-foot property with a limited budget.” The result is a stunning new décor of blues, greens and white color palette, leather brass and mahogany furnishings with personal signal flags—a nod to each of the 850 families. He also serves on the Executive Board of the La Cienega Design Quarter and a member of the Leaders of Design Council.

Next up the bi-coastal designer brings his East Coast/West Coast sensibilities to a room at the Christopher Kennedy Compound showhouse at Palm Spring’s Modernism. Sponsored by Traditional Home magazine, each year a mid-century property is restored and his room will no doubt be a showstopper.