PHILOSOPHY

Equine Residences’ first priority is to bring mindfulness, health, joy, quality and value to your project. We stand by our designs to create a space that is functional, comfortable and worth the effort it took to get it done. We love to find creative ways to bring secondary uses to the space and make every project a financial benefit, rather than an economic drain. Equine Residences cares as much about creating value for our customers as we do in creating great spaces.


Reception area at Equine Residence with a marble top counter, wooden cabinetry, and horse riding helmets on the wall. Artwork featuring horses hangs on the wall, and a glass ceiling above features decorative horse figurines and plants.

TEAM

  • At the age of 7, horse mad Andrea Rapke Knowles, was told by her father that if she stopped sucking her thumb he would buy her a pony. At the advice of a family friend with a beautiful barn on her property, a pony was chosen (a Welsh Cob terror name Gee Whiz), boarded with the friends and their training began. Shortly thereafter, they moved to Loma Alta, owned and run by Penny Wahler in Santa Cruz, California, and her first Warmblood was purchased to begin Children’s Hunters / Equitation and a taste of horse shows.

    In 1989, they moved to G & G Stables in Los Angeles, CA with Rob Gage and Cyndi Grossman at LAEC. Quite a few amazing and life-changing horses took them around the state and beyond on the show circuit. Rob and Cyndi were amazing trainers and friends, as were the incredible assistant trainers, including Richard Spooner.

    Sadly, school took over and Andrea was then educated in Lugano, Switzerland and London, England, graduating with a double major in Art History and English Literature. Feeling passionately about the art business brought her to positions at Sotheby's, Christie's and Guggenheim, Asher, a NY & LA based art

    consultancy. Additionally, she received corporate training at WME & CAA in Los Angeles.

    Her love of art and design began in childhood where, at a young age, she was already attending auctions and picking fabrics and furnishings for her family's homes. This life-long interest led her to her first professional residential renovation in 2009, the creation of her own firm and the building of a business focused on true collaborations, a knowledge of the newest trends in design/build and a holistic and discrete approach to every venture.

    Now, she is bringing stable life back into the fold with work on Equine Residences throughout the US and abroad.

    She is involved in a multitude of charitable foundations focused on homelessness, animal care and rescue and childhood illness. She resides with her husband and two Jack Russell Terriers in Beverly Hills, California.

  • Senior Designer

    Mateja Gejo is a graduate of the Architecture & Civil Engineering University of Nilš Serbia. He majored in architectural visualisation and his passion for architecture and design pushes him to bring a client’s vision to life while being inspired to learn more about all of the necessary components and steps to get the best results possible in every image created. He is fulfilled by creating interior and exterior renders and consistently pushes himself to grow in the CGI field.

  • Lead Designer

    Marko Gejo is a graduate of the Architecture & Civil Engineering University of Nilš Serbia with a Masters in Architectural Engineering. He has spent the last 6 years specialising in interior design, 3D modelling, 3D visualisation and graphic design. His experience with numerous architectural firms has included floor plan layout/design, construction organisation, product design and architectural visualisation. By working in numerous applications in the field, he keeps his skills fresh by using each discipline to level up to the next.

Two dogs sitting on a wicker outdoor sofa with decorative pillows, one black with white marks, and one mostly white, in a black and white photo.

Reagan & McCain
– Chief Happiness Officers

Our resident Jack Russells, Reagan and McCain, take their roles as Chief Happiness Officers very seriously… in between bouts of professional “zoom”ies.” They are dedicated testers of all materials (especially anything soft), strict enforcers of outdoor break schedules, and experts in boosting team morale through tail wags, toy retrievals, and the occasional lap invasion. Whether they’re inspecting the grounds for squirrels or supervising from a sunny spot, Reagan and McCain ensure the office stays energized, joyful, and just a little bit mischievous.

  • A man with a beard in a puffy jacket riding a light-colored horse outdoors in front of a rustic building.

    MATEJA GEJO

    SENIOR DESIGNER

  • A female horseback rider jumping over a hurdle during equestrian practice or competition.

    ANDREA KNOWLES

    FOUNDER

  • A young man with short hair and light facial hair, wearing a patterned sweater, standing against a plain background, looking at the camera with a slight smile and arms crossed.

    MARKO GEJO

    LEAD DESIGNER