Designer Profile: Kelly Wearstler
Private Residence
Maison 140
You can't really discuss interior design contemporaries without bringing Kelly Wearstler into the conversation. Wearstler is one of the most recognized names in interior design today. Renowned for her work on luxurious resorts, Wearstler has establish an eclectic, oft imitated style that combines a generous mix of pattern and colour, over-scale objects, and references from a variety of cultures and historical periods.
The Tides South Beach
The Tides South Beach
For me, she is the designer I both love and loathe. It's clear that she works with huge budget figures, for a wide variety of luxury clients. There is a great deal of experimentation in the interiors she creates, and Wearstler must be credited with creating a great working relationship with her clients, enabling them to trust her incredible vision.
Viceroy Santa Monica
Viceroy Santa Monica
Avalon
While her style is over the top, I think that smaller scale designers, such as myself, can take a lot of inspiration from Wearstler's work. The first thing you immediately notice about her interiors is her incredible use of bold colour palettes. Normally we see very restrained, sophisticated palettes in luxury interiors, but KW throws all those rules out the window. The majority of her work features the singular use of a particular colour, or section of the colour wheel, to help punctuate the space. This creates a great amount of contrast and even tension, depending on the rest of the palette used in the space.
Private Residence
Viceroy Palm Springs
Another area where Wearstler excels is in her dramatic use of patterns. Her interiors feature incredible panelling details, dramatic floor patterns, bold wall coverings, and sumptuous fabrics. A wide variety of materials are engaged to contribute to the eclectic nature of the space. This is an area where Wearstler is really a trailblazer, as she does not restrict herself to commercially available patterns such as fabrics or wall coverings. Instead, she insists on custom designing patterned wall, ceiling and floor installations which push the design of the interior to it's outer limits.
Viceroy Anguilla
Private Residence
The last item I wanted to touch on are the marvellous installations of accessories that Wearstler creates. There is so much stuff to look at in these spaces, and every item appears to be hand picked and adeptly arranged with equally unique objects d'art. It is these final details that help to make the spaces really special.
Viceroy Miami
Viceroy Miami
Kelly Wearstler has written 3 books, Modern Glamour, Domicilium Decoratus, and most recently, Hue. She has been featured in countless magazines and publications, awarded a variety of accolades and served as a judge on Bravo's Top Design. She also has a dedicated boutique in Bergdorf Goodman, and has collaborated with brands such as Lee Jofa, and The Rug Company. You can learn more about Kelly and her firm at her website.
One thing you won't find there is that she was the Playmate for the September 1994 issue of Playboy. But you can find that info here. Hee hee.
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