Nancy Russert’s parents bought their Manhattan Beach home at 213 20th Street in 1968, and soon the property became more than an address. “We didn’t say ‘Mom’s house’ or ‘Grandma’s house.’ We’d just say, ‘Meet you at 213,” remembers Nancy. It became a gathering spot—the kind where stubbed toes were inevitable from barefoot beach runs, and where both family and friends always knew there was a seat at the table.
With two sisters a good bit older than her, Nancy grew up as somewhat of an only child. “I was always an adult, even as a kid,” she says. That independence carried her through early jobs in fashion retail, where she honed skills that would later define her business, like customer service, personal style and problem-solving. Though retail wouldn’t be her destination, she learned invaluable lessons on how to work with people.
Nancy says she never set out to become an interior designer. In fact, she wasn’t sure what she wanted to do at all. As a young mother, she relished the time at home with her two boys. But when they went to school, she felt the urge to create something for herself.
“I wanted to do something else,” she says, “but I also wanted to be very much involved in their lives.” That’s when her friend Courtney opened a small boutique in Downtown Manhattan Beach. “She had done a few things for me—slipcovers, pillows—and I’d always been drawn to home and interiors. I just didn’t know it yet.”
“That combination—fabric and furniture—has always been my full passion. It’s what makes a home feel alive.”
Nancy pursued Courtney, asking if she needed help. “At first she wasn’t sure. But I kept after her,” she remembers. “Then, three weeks in, she drops the bomb, ‘My husband got a job in San Diego. Do you want to buy this business?’”
Without hesitation, Nancy said yes. “I didn’t think twice. The space was so cute and happy, and my heart was like: This is what I’m supposed to do.”
That tiny boutique became Nancy’s design training ground. One project led to another. Clients started asking for help with whole rooms, then entire homes. “I always say my business grew as my boys grew,” she reflects. “I was always their mom first—picking them up, going to their sports—but I had the flexibility to build something for myself.”
As the demand for Nancy’s work increased, so did her passion for textiles and furniture. “That combination—fabric and furniture—has always been my full passion. It’s what makes a home feel alive.”
Her interior design business Les Beaux Interiors flourished, but Nancy encountered a major roadblock: finding a reliable custom furniture maker. She found the owner of the workshop she used difficult and dishonest, but amid the frustration she formed strong relationships with two skilled craftsmen at the business.
“One day I thought, ‘Someone could do this better,’” she recalls. Over coffee, she proposed an idea to her two allies. “They both said to me, ‘Nancy, we’ll come with you in a second.’” And just like that, Twist Custom was born in a small warehouse in Gardena.
In the beginning, it was just Nancy and her two craftsmen. “I was knocking on doors, trying to get designers to take a chance on us.” The South Bay design community was skeptical at first, but her reputation for quality and unparalleled customer service won them over. “I can say with confidence: Our customer service is ridiculous—nothing like what’s out there.”
Fifteen years later, those same two craftsmen are still with her. “Fila, my lead upholsterer, is an angel,” she says. “He always tells me, ‘Don’t worry, Nancy.’ He’s been saying that since day one.”
Then came ReTwist, a passion project dedicated to reupholstering and giving furniture new life. “It’s been incredible. Designers love it, but I’d love to see more retail clients coming through. Right now, we’re busy creating.”
Nancy’s work has always been personal. When her boys were growing up, “213” remained the heart of their world. “My mom constantly had the waffle iron going. The boys would come up from surfing, and there’d be six or eight middle schoolers lined up for waffles. That’s a core memory for them.”
Though she never imagined it, both of her sons found their own ways to connect with home design. Her oldest, Cole, owns a landscaping business specializing in succulents and cacti. “It’s low-maintenance and water-friendly—so smart.” Her youngest, Clay, runs a logistics company that delivers and installs furniture, including pieces from Twist Custom.
“At the end of last year, we all worked on a project together—Cole did the landscaping, I did the design and Clay handled the logistics,” she shares. “That was such a moment for me.”
Nancy reflects on the values she instilled in her boys: “I wanted them to see what hard work and dedication look like. Now, watching it all come full circle, I think, ‘Wow. It worked.’”
As we finish our meal, Nancy sums up what drives her. “I love creating people’s homes. It’s about trust. You’re changing their daily lives, and that’s an honor.”
