There’s something special about how the light shines in Marblehead.
“The light here is very bright,” says Diana James. “It’s basically sky and water.”
James channels this seaside aesthetic every day as founder, principal, and lead designer at Living Swell, a boutique and design studio in the heart of Marblehead’s Old Town.
“It exemplifies coastal elegance,” James says of her curated destination.
Living Swell has two components. It’s a boutique carrying home accessories, décor, lighting, rugs, kitchenware, and gifts. But it’s also a full-service interior design studio where James and her team lend their expertise to both residential and commercial projects.
Because the team at Living Swell is made up of designers, they can offer any level of service, from guidance choosing the perfect light fixture or window treatment to embarking on a complex renovation. “It can go anywhere, from somebody coming in and buying a candle to a full-fledged design project,” says James.
Growing up in Connecticut, James always had an interest in and eye for design. “I didn’t play with dolls,” she says. “I built their houses.”
Although she’d always done design work “in the background,” she was working in telecom when she moved to Boston after college. Then, she helped design a new restaurant for a friend who told her, “This is something you should be doing.”
“He was a great mentor for me and inspiration,” she says. “He just kind of gave me a little shot of confidence.”
James immersed herself in the design world, joining the IFDA (International Furnishings and Design Association), surrounding herself with experienced designers, and reading everything she could get her hands on. She eventually landed roles with companies like Hunter Douglas and California Closets before venturing out on her own.
From a smaller location on Atlantic Avenue, Living Swell moved to its current location in a historic building on Washington Street in Old Town about a year and a half ago. James says the new location is almost twice as big and includes, among other things, a showroom kitchen for parties, events, and client inspiration.
The rest of the space is just as beautiful, offering glimpses into Living Swell’s design ethos and aesthetic. The walls are covered in grass cloth and there are beautiful light fixtures, high ceilings, layers of interesting textures, and sophisticated, elegant, and sometimes whimsical touches.
“Everything is very bright and coastal,” describes James.
The shop is currently busy adding items for spring and summer. “A few years ago, it was all about gray,” she says. “Now, the trends are going much warmer with lots of color.” Interesting shapes and details are making a style comeback, too, as is inspiration from the past, like darker wood furniture and antique rugs.
“We are carrying a line of tableware that mimics antique serving ware with ruffles,” says the owner, “and beautiful fabrics and wallpapers that are very scrumptious.”
The shop is also beginning to host a series of events called Living Swell Sessions, which teach specific skills, like how to design and style a front entryway or decorate around a fireplace.
At a recent workshop, participants designed their own pillows, choosing from Living Swell’s library of fabrics. The shop’s artisans crafted the custom pillows in the workroom. “It was social and creative and didn’t entail a designer doing it for them,” says James.
For the entrepreneur, growing Living Swell is about expressing the truest parts of herself, living with passion and purpose, and sharing her passion with others. “It’s not a job; this is who I am,” she says. “That’s a really satisfying and genuine way to live your life.”