In the grey, concrete jungle of Downtown Los Angeles lives a firey, red-headed, magical being in a colorful den full of imagination, travel, adventure, and international culture. In my constant quest to meet new and interesting people in the City of Angels, I came across a true gem in Amy Williams and her creative space, Stay Rewilded. 

From Grey Skies to Technicolor Paradise

Getting to know You

Amy and I first connected through a Facebook group called, Inspired Women of Los Angeles. I am drawn to her creativity and like-minded nature. Plus, Amy’s fabulously non-traditional sense of style. We took the conversation offline and met in person at her unique space in DTLA, Stay Rewilded. 

This sprung the desire to meeting other female entrepreneurs and business owners in Los Angeles who are fellow colorful creatives! There is something to be said in speaking to someone in person, face to face. Truly, with an open heart and a wide imagination, you never know who you will connect with and learn from! 

Aurelia D’Amore Photography was along for the hue-filled ride to capture all the colorful goodness.

Stay Rewilded is a hybrid space. Shoppable Airbnb, vintage textile showroom, creative event space intentional workshops, and playground for colorful shoots & production. It has it all!

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I sit down with the flamboyantly colorful owner of Stay Rewilded, Amy Williams to discuss how she birthed such a unique space.

Connecting To Your Roots

Amy has lived in London, Bulgaria (as a Peace Corps volunteer) and Korea and now calls DTLA home. Her style and esthetic reflect aspects from her world-wide adventures.  She is a modern day Auntie Mame of sorts.

“Stay Rewilded grew out my online vintage clothing project. I noticed my creative attraction was moving from clothing into traditional textiles and fiber art. I love collecting unique and artisanal items from around the world during my many travels. It was my anthropologist tendencies and personal evolution that kept drawing me to fiber arts.”

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Amy studied Music Industry at USC but working in international development and education took her abroad for 10 years. While living in Korea, she began working as a cultural anthropologist and strategist. Specializing in the marketing/branding world for large, global brands, Amy would help them understand Asian culture and trends.

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Wear your Words

One of the first things I notice was the front doormat. It said, 안녕, short for 안녕하세요 (annyeonghaseyo) or “hello” in Korean. I lived in Seoul and studied Korean. It was was a nice starting point to conversation and led to a few more similarities between the two of us.

Colorful Storyteller

“All the carpets, tapestries, and wearables textiles are colorful creations that literally have stories woven into them.  An entire culture’s history, cosmology, and unique creative worldview are contained in the threads of these creations.”

“I myself am rediscovering my wildest, creative feminine nature. So much of that wild passion, vigor, and wisdom lies woven in the ancient creative arts and practices of our wild foremothers (and fathers!) that have largely been lost today.”

Loving Your Space

“I love collecting textiles and the travel stories that come with them. Supporting the artisans and the revival of their practices is essential to our cultural wisdom. My loft became the natural space for my creative projects to flourish. It became a de facto gallery of design, textiles, travel, and stories emanating from all cultures.  I call it “Stay Rewilded”. 

You just can’t help but smile walking into her space. It is full of personality and not-so-subtle charm. It breeds a sense of creativity and positive vibes.

Defining Rewilding

“The inspiration is taken from the conservation concept of “rewilding” that seeks to restore wilderness areas to their natural, uninterrupted forms – reconnecting them to each other and their truest nature. 

Creative Quest

“Every hand-loomed textile, hand dyed kimono, hand stitched cushion reminds me that wisdom is all around us – just waiting to teach and waiting to connect us to that creative, wild magic.” 

Amy also has a beautiful collection of houseplants that adorn her space.

“The inspiration for my space is taken from the conservation concept of “rewilding”. It seeks to restore wilderness areas to their natural, uninterrupted forms – reconnecting them to each other and their truest nature. “

Filled with amazing pieces of art, culture, and color the loft in no way feels cluttered or chaotic. Every item has it’s own place, meaning, and purpose.

Each piece of Amy’s collection is curated and hand-picked. This home/creative space is chock-full of one-of-a-kind items that bring her joy and have a unique story behind them. Mass-production is not allowed within these four walls!

Finding out Amy was a fellow Hanson fan was just icing on the cake of one of the most colorful days I have ever had! It truly is a small world when you take the time to get to know each other. You truly never know who you will meet when you take a chance.

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stay.rewilded/
• Airbnb: https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/25262984
• Peerspace:https://www.peerspace.com/pages/listings/5bed1bd2ecb310000cdb623e
• Splacer: https://www.splacer.co/venue/colorful-boho-chic-loft-in-arts-district
• Amy’s personal Insta (the travels behind the goods):https://www.instagram.com/amy.rewilded/