Scarlett Rose Patterson
Photography by Carmen ChanScarlett is one of those cheeky British women you meet whose infectious laugh and sense of humor makes you wonder/wish you had an accent/were as funny.
Behind that humor are a lot of experiences you’d never imagine upon meeting her. From launching her own business, receiving a bullying cease and desist, to experiencing love and loss of both physical possessions and important people in her life, she’s been through the wringer of life. And she’s come out stronger, the same Scarlett, but with these insane badges of life experience that you only earn by going through them.
As she continues on, thoughtfully and carefully, she’s excited for what’s ahead. As both an actor and the former head of curation and marketing for Atwater hot spots, DREAMS and Wine + Eggs, Scarlett is about to open the doors to her next project (alongside her fiancé Nico) TAC-TILE MOUNTAIN. And we can’t wait to see it, smell it, shop it, and support it.
Home
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Work
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Love
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Wisdom
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Home 〰️ Work 〰️ Love 〰️ Wisdom 〰️
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“I was a working actress living in London and decided I wanted to try LA. It wasn’t meant to be a permanent thing but I ended up staying. In all honesty I don’t know if LA has happened for me yet!”
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“I’m grateful I get to be creative in many areas of my life, whether it’s acting, curating for a store, doing a voice over, or taking photos. I’d always like to be doing more, but right now I’m just trying to focus on enjoying my life and finding joy in all the things I do.”
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“I’m thankful to have my group of friends, but one of the things I’m most excited about with our new store is to have the chance to foster community inside of it.”
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“Having good boundaries is an act of self love and rest is an important thing to not feel guilty about it.”
Home
DO YOU HAVE A DAILY PRACTICE? OR DO YOU HAVE A MORNING RITUAL?My sweet fiancé brings me my matcha in bed every morning. It’s important to me to always have breakfast, usually something involving greens and eggs, something to give me energy for the day. Then I take my dog Weegie out for a walk and try to put my face in the sun for a couple of minutes and I breathe. If I’m honest, mornings can be an anxious time for me, so I try to be as present as possible, which isn’t always easy!
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE THING IN YOUR HOME AND WHY?My bed! Reading in bed with my partner, our three cats and dog is one of my favourite things and places to be.
HOW DO YOU MAKE A HOUSE A HOME?I love simplicity, light colors and a minimum of clutter. I'm definitely not a maximalist, too many things everywhere make me feel overwhelmed and since I’m not always the tidiest person, the less stuff the better. I am quite sentimental however so there are certain things that are hard for me to let go of, like books and special objects, pieces of clothing and artwork. I love to feel cozy, so nice lighting, comfy textiles and rugs help make a house feel like a home to me. We spend a lot of time in the kitchen so I keep my pantry and fridge well stocked, and I love my little treasures like ceramics and homewares I’ve collected through the years.
How was it being at home during COVID for you?At the beginning of the pandemic I found it extremely hard. My partner was still going into work and I was staying at home a lot. I was lucky to continue doing voice over work from my home studio, but the truth is that I suffered from depression and anxiety a lot until I started working full time again and going back into an office.
Why and when did LA happen for you? Where were you before and what brought you here?I was born and raised in London but I spent some of my early childhood in LA, and my family had moved back here when I was 19, so I had some roots here. I was a working actress living in London and decided I wanted to try LA. It wasn’t meant to be a permanent thing but I ended up staying. In all honesty I don’t know if LA has happened for me yet! I started my brand FIGS, which was on a roll when I had to make the decision to close the company down, due to experiencing a house fire which destroyed a lot of my inventory, being served a cease and desist for the name, and other challenges. Working as an actor has been quite difficult in LA compared to London as well. I’m still really figuring out where I fit in this town, but I’m feeling excited with where things are going!
“I’m still really figuring out where I fit in this town, but I’m feeling excited with where things are going!”
Work
What do you do for work and what was your path to get there?I have been doing the curation for Wine + Eggs and DREAMS, two new stores in Atwater Village, LA. I recently made the decision to quit my job and start a new business with my fiancé, Nico Yaryan. It’s a store called TAC-TILE MOUNTAIN, it’s still in its early stages but I’m super excited to share it with the world. We’ve wanted to start our own thing for a while and the timing just felt right. We found a charming little space in Pasadena and everything sort of fell into place. We are hoping to open our doors mid June!
Did you have mentors or some sort of guidance along the way?I’ve learnt a tremendous amount from working on Wine + Eggs and DREAMS: the owner, Monica Navarro, trusted me and gave me a lot of room to learn about what it takes to successfully curate a retail environment. My mum is a huge mentor for me. She had a store in the early ‘90s and has always been a big inspiration to me in terms of work ethic and believing in yourself; I definitely get my determination from her. But my dad has also been a big influence on me: he's very creative and I get my sense of composition and artistry from him, which I think bleeds into my curation and creative direction work, along with my love of cinema and acting.
Do you love what you do or would you rather be doing something else?I’m grateful I get to be creative in many areas of my life, whether it’s acting, curating for a store, doing a voice over, or taking photos. I’d always like to be doing more, but right now I’m just trying to focus on enjoying my life and finding joy in all the things I do.
How was work preCOVID, during and how is it now?It’s different, I went from working for myself to working for a company to now going back to working for myself and starting my own shop! Acting work fits in between my other work, and it can be unpredictable so it’s good for me to have other projects.
What What does your average day look like? What are your go-to tools? Now that I’ve quit my job and won’t be going into an office every day, my average day can be varied. From renovating the space, to ordering products, to working on our branding and new website, every day can look different. The next few months will look a bit crazy as we work on getting this shop open. Hopefully I can fit some hot yoga in there and get out into nature, I always feel better when that’s part of my day.
Best working style for you? Or how/when are you most productive?I have a hard time sitting at a computer for too long. So the morning can be a productive time but I’ve learned that I need to take frequent breaks and go on walks, or just get away from my phone and computer often, otherwise my brain starts feeling like mush and I feel totally uninspired.
What is the biggest joy about working in your field? What is the hardest part? Since I do a few different things, I get different kinds of satisfaction from all of them. I love putting spaces together, curating objects together to create a feeling, but it can be hard sometimes to find brands that aren’t everywhere already! In terms of acting, I like the challenge of getting inside the mind of a character and being able to tell their stories. But in that world I’ve got very little control, both in whether I book a job or what the project is. I’m definitely interested in writing and directing my own projects in the future.
How do you keep work and life separate? Or can you? Oh I find this very hard, especially as I work with my fiancé, and we end up talking about work a lot which can be challenging. I’m still learning how to have better boundaries and to prioritize self care and rest. [I want to] create space outside of work so there is room for new ideas to come in.
“It’s been six years since my husband passed away. If I could sit down and have a chat with him now, I would tell him that I forgive him and thank him for being my greatest teacher. He had a real ‘fuck it’ attitude and taught me that life is too short to not enjoy. I’m trying to put that into practice now.”
Love
Who is your go-to person? Or go-to people? My fiancé, my mum and my dad.
When you think of community, who comes to mind? How did you find or foster your community? I’m thankful to have my group of friends, but one of the things I’m most excited about with our new store is to have the chance to foster community inside of it. We plan to have workshops, events and intimate performances (my fiancé is a musician) to build that sense of community.
Are you in a partnership? If so, what is the best part of partnership, what is the worst part? If not, what is the best and worst part of being independent? Yes, I am. I’m engaged. The best part is having someone who makes me feel safe in lots of ways and makes me laugh. The worst part is when you irritate each other, but I think working with my partner has helped us to be more patient with each other and not to sweat the small stuff.
Who is your hero? Who are some people you look up to professionally and personally? I have a few heroes. Maggie Gyllenhaal has inspired me as she is an amazing actress that was able to move into directing and writing. I found the way that Lacy Phillips has grown her company to be quite inspiring. I quite like what Laura Jackson has done with her companies Glasette and Hoste. She’s really into food and entertaining like me, and she’s got a very British sense of humor and comes across really authentically.
Is there anyone you miss? If you saw them now, what would you say to them? It’s been six years since my husband passed away. It hasn’t been easy but I’m grateful for the lessons I’ve learnt and the healing I’ve had to do because of his sudden death. I’ve had anger I’ve needed to face and ultimately let go of. He’s taught me a lot and I’m still learning. If I could sit down and have a chat with him now, I would tell him that I forgive him and thank him for being my greatest teacher. He had a real “fuck it” attitude and taught me that life is too short to not enjoy. I’m trying to put that into practice now.
Wisdom
How did you feel when we took these photos? How do you feel now?I think I was feeling proud, happy and excited about creating something tangible and beautiful out of my grief. I look pretty content I think. Today, I feel excited to be moving onto another chapter and I feel proud of my fiancé and me for taking the leap to start our own business.
What lessons have you learned during these past few pandemic years?I’ve learned that who you surround yourself with matters—good friends are people who encourage you and get excited for your ideas and when you succeed. [I’ve also learned that] having good boundaries is an act of self love and rest is an important thing to not feel guilty about it.
What is the best advice you've ever received?Don’t compare yourself to others. There is only one YOU, it’s your superpower. Embrace it!
“Don’t compare yourself to others. There is only one YOU, it’s your superpower. Embrace it!”
How do you stay present while still planning and looking forward to the future?I try my best not to have too many expectations. I find when I’m being present things just flow better and there’s more space for magic!
What does success look like for you, mean to you?Waking up excited for the day, doing what I love, laughing a lot and being surrounded by a community of creative, curious and loving people.
Where do you see yourself at 85?Sitting in a gorgeous garden with Nico in a sweet little village in the South of France surrounded by lots of animals, eating bread and cheese, drinking delicious vino, maybe painting and reading lots of books.
What kind of advice would you give to someone struggling in their work?Take a break, rest and get away from it—even if it’s just a 20 minute walk. Shift your focus and create space.
having a hard time giving themselves grace?It’s up to you to be your own best friend and ally.
having a rough patch in their marriage?Communication, space and therapy!
wanting to "get there" or "be there" already in their life?Ooh, I’m still figuring this out but I truly feel there is power in surrendering!
to a younger version of yourself?You’re going to go through a lot of crazy shit but keep going, keep your sense of humor and ride the wave!
