We had the good fortune of connecting with Andrea Knowles and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Andrea, what’s something about your industry that outsiders are probably unaware of?
The equestrian industry contributed $177B USD to the US economy in 2023 which was up $50B USD over the previous year making it a very quiet, yet powerful business. Most people think it is a small, niche world, but the numbers speak for themselves.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
As an equestrian facilities architect and designer I am in a very niche world. Working with horses requires some very specific aspects of the designs for their health, wellness and safety, but my firm’s objective is to also make each facility unique and beautiful. Our philosophy is that our clients should never want to leave and feel as comfortable in their stables as they do in their homes, planes, boats and etc. We want every owner, visitor and employee to arrive at our facilities and say to themselves and others: “There’s nowhere we would rather be”. One of the things we mindfully employ in every design is the same high-end finish work we put in our residential and commercial / hospitality projects. Fine textiles, stone, woods, finishes, lighting and the like are in all of our designs and keep elevating with every project we take on.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
As a native Angeleno, I think many of our museums and galleries are less known to our visitors, And we also have incredible food all over the city. My itinerary for visitors would definitely include the galleries that have popped up in Culver City, on La Brea and in the downtown LA arts district, as well as the beautiful design showrooms all over town.
As well, I would take them to Nobu Malibu which was designed / architected by Scott Mitchell Studios and has magnificent food, service, views and surroundings. Monterey Park has the BEST Dim Sum restaurants on the west coast and it’s always fun to dine there. Finally, the Beverly Hills Hotel has 3 of my favorite restaurants in LA and the hotel and grounds are stunning, too!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My husband, Chad, a tech entrepreneur, has been supportive of my choice to move from residential/commercial interior design to the equestrian world a joy and pleasure. We should all be so lucky to have a spouse/partner who puts their own needs to the side while the business grows.

Website: https://www.equineresidences.com

Instagram: @equine_residences

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100084532375625

Other: Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/equineresidences/

Image Credits
Mateja Gejo
Marko Gejo

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutSoCal is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.