embrio design studio

Susie St John, creator & owner of embrio DESIGN STUDIO, is simply incredible! We just completed a total remodel of a very average, tired townhome, now transformed into a beautiful, take your breath away, special home. The change is truly magical! Susie was able to translate our vision of "casual elegance" into reality. She was able to see what "could be," not just "what was," translating those ideas into reality. In doing so, Susie reimagined the entire space of our home. Without moving walls and causing major expenses, she found hidden improvements, like taking the hollow space under a stairwell and turning it it into useful storage cabinets, making "fat" walls skinny, thus enlarging showers, changing a useless open space into a unique and beautiful coffee & wine bar. Susie was also a master at making spaces multifunctional with literally the push of a button (think multi functional, transformative furniture). These were great ideas to maximize a small space. With a hundred such ideas, the house was transformed. Our home is in every way, completely built to our "needs and wants." From the audio system to the lights and the blinds, every imaginable detail was considered to truly optimize what was most important to us. From the ceiling above to the floors below, there is as much behind the walls as in front, creating a complex home which appears to be simple, light and clean, with all the rest hidden behind the curtain! Literally, every inch of our 1440 sq ft has been thought about, while the beautiful wood floors, clean lines and beautiful lighting, tile and fixtures provide an elegant look that we never could have imagined. Susie herself is wonderful to work with! She is a great listener, is incredibly efficient, and easy to reach. Communication was flawless as she created our vision and she oversaw the job on a regular basis, literally forcing contractors to provide the quality of work that she had requested. She was uncompromising in the finished product, and one look around confirms the beautiful outcome. Her eye for detail spotted the smallest of errors and she held all accountable to her level of perfection. Susie is a true gem in what she does. She gave us exactly the "feel" that we wanted in our home while providing so much more than we could have hoped for. Our home is a beautiful, cozy showcase of what a small place can be. It is elegant, yet relaxed. It is exactly our desire (and so much more) and entirely her creation. We unhesitatingly recommend Susie to help you create the home of your dreams. She is a pleasure to work with and knows exactly how to take you to the endpoint that you desire for your special dream home.

Susie St. John of Embrio Design Studio is an exceptionally talented designer, which is immediately evident from her portfolio. But what makes Susie special, is her ability to transform a space into your unique dream home. Many designers can make a space beautiful, but Susie takes it to the next level. She designed a space for us that not only looks good - it feels good - and it works for all the ways we actually live in it – giving us a home that is both highly efficient and deeply personal. Susie is thoughtful, collaborative, and incredibly thorough. She took the time to understand our goals, desired look and feel, budget, and timeline. She asked us questions we never considered, and really listened. It was a very collaborative and creative process - resulting in a clear, inspired vision for our dream space, which Susie made better than we could ever have imagined it! We highly recommend keeping Susie on after the design phase to oversee implementation—a service she offers which was worth every penny. Her attention to detail is extraordinary. She seamlessly managed countless details across multiple projects, identified and resolved potential issues before they arose, and ensured everything was executed to her exacting standards, saving us money (and stress!) on rework. We also entrusted Susie with selecting our furnishings – she has impeccable taste, and found beautiful, high-quality, multi-functional and flexible pieces - perfect for how we want to use our space now, and into the future. Working with Susie was a wonderful experience start to finish – she is incredibly patient, supportive and kind, and made the process fun for us. We highly recommend her!

After 18 years in this industry, it’s rare to be genuinely impressed — Susie exceeded that bar entirely. In an industry full of talent, Susie St John stands in a category of her own. As a General Contractor running my own company, Rawls Construction, and also working as a Project Manager with Woolsey Construction, I’ve collaborated with many designers over the years, and Susie is truly exceptional. Her designs are not only beautiful and creative, but they are practical, thoughtful, and grounded in real-world construction — a combination that is incredibly rare. Susie communicates clearly, stays organized, and understands how to work as part of a professional build team. Her attention to detail saves time in the field, prevents costly mistakes, and elevates the final product. She listens to clients, respects the process, and consistently delivers results that exceed expectations. If you’re looking for a designer who brings vision, professionalism, and true industry expertise to the table, I would recommend Susie St John and Embrio Design Studio without hesitation. I look forward to many more projects together. — Aaron Rawls Owner & General Contractor, Rawls Construction Project Manager, Woolsey Construction Photo 1 in review by Aaron Rawls

I recently had the pleasure of working with Susie, who completely transformed our kitchen and laundry room into functional and stylish spaces. From the initial consultation to the final walk-through, Susie’s expertise and creativity shone through every step of the process. The kitchen had been a source of frustration, with limited counter space and outdated appliances. Susie listened carefully to our needs and ideas and came up with a plan that maximized the available space while incorporating modern amenities and finishes. The result is a gorgeous, open kitchen that is a joy to cook and entertain in. The laundry room, while less glamorous, was also given a major upgrade thanks to Susie’s thoughtful design. By reconfiguring the layout and adding custom storage solutions, the space is now both practical and stylish, making laundry day a little less of a chore. Throughout the project, Susie was responsive, communicative, and always willing to go the extra mile to ensure that I was happy with the final result. I would highly recommend Susie to anyone looking to transform their home into a beautiful and functional space.

Absolutely thrilled with our embrio DESIGN experience! Susie is incredible. My husband and I hired Susie to turn our cookie-cutter townhome into a fun and personalized haven. She space-planned our interior, provided gorgeous furniture options, selected paint and wallpaper, and coordinated installation. From the very beginning, Susie listened to what we wanted. She created a design we love by incorporating our wants with her own ideas based on her expertise. I also appreciate how practical Susie is. She chose pieces that would work with our lifestyle, including our fluffy white dog :) Susie couldn't be easier to work with. She's collaborative and just as creative as she is organized and analytical. When we had to troubleshoot a piece that had come in incomplete, she took my call on a Sunday morning and worked with the vendor right away to resolve the issue. It's easy to see she truly loves what she does. Once we finish phase 1, we plan to get Susie's help with our two patios, bathrooms, and laundry room. Thank you, Susie!

I'm a general contractor in San Diego for the past 34 years. I have worked with many designers, However my most current experience with Susie at Embrio design was very pleasant. She selected all materials, Had a great eye in design as well as being available to answer questions as they come up.

My wife and I decided to go with a professional designer because our Styles are completely different. We started the process by interviewing a few stylists but when we came across samples of Susie’s portfolio, it was a no brained for both of us. She did an excellent job capturing both of our visions and bringing them together to form a home that we were both excited to inhabit. Susie made the process super easy. Her versatility and experience were essential during the times we couldn’t quite put a finger on our preferences. She provided a wide range of options and would put together more to chose from based off of a narrowed selection from previous picks until we finally were able to pinpoint exactly what we wanted. We went back and forth ALOT, and she maintained her poise and patience which we really appreciated. This process can be really intimidating and she made sure to break down the steps so that it wouldn’t be overwhelming and seamlessly digestible. Overall this was so much fun, it brought my wife together in the process and we gained skills so that we probably won’t need another stylist in the future which I believe is a good thing. An excellent teacher, professional and human. Would recommend to and novice and/or experienced customer in need of someone with the BEST taste in home furnishing and decor.

Susie is AWESOME and the REAL DEAL - we cannot say enough about how pleased and lucky we are to have met and selected her for our home's design needs! We selected each other :) to work on multiple projects in our home, even before we closed on our home. In no time, she spat out such creative AND functional ideas in support of what she gathered we needed in our space. I love how Susie truly cares about what my family and I need our house to be for us, and is willing to cater her approach, design, style, etc. to us AND our budget. We purchased a VERY old home, so when we finally moved in, there were SO many things the house needed that we were not expecting. Thus, unfortunately, our design plans with Susie have been put on hold to take care of other critical needs. So for 4 weeks!, Susie worked with me FREE OF CHARGE through some of the design ideas that this house will eventually need/undergo...and we can't wait for when we will be able to get started with Susie! Thanks for being such a ROCK STAR Susie! I would highly recommend Susie for anyone looking for FUNCTION, on a budget, in addition to beautiful design!

Susie with Embrio Design Studio has been wonderful to work with. I called designers based on my liking of their portfolios on Houzz. She was warm and professional on our initial phone call. I ultimately chose her for a few reasons...She was willing to work with some materials I had already chosen, she didn’t mind that my project was out of state, and after reviewing my ideabooks, it was clear she understood my vision even when I didn’t. Susie was able to translate my ideas into a more refined and sophisticated design concept. My new house will be beautiful thanks to her expert eyes!

Susie was great to work with from start to finish - very friendly, prompt, professional. She listened to our concerns and worked with our timeline and budget. We love our new space! Thank you so much. We hope to work with Susie again in the future!

I met Susie a few months ago, shopping our showroom. She knew exactly what she wanted but was also very open to suggestions. She is very professional, but personable. I felt I knew her like a long lost friend. Susie shared her after pics for the project I assisted her with, she is an amazing talent. Thank you, Susie! You are a joy to work with.

I have had the pleasure of working with Embrio Design Studio on several projects and am always amazed at the level of detail and thought that goes into every aspect of the design. I would highly recommend selecting Embrio to assist you on your next interior design project.