Kelly Wearstler: An Introduction
Kelly Wearstler (born 1967) is a well-known interior designer whose work encompasses everything from industrial and residential interior design to presentable sets of decor, chairs, fabrics, and rugs. Kelly is also an author, blogger, branding expert, eccentric fashion plate, and decorator. Kelly Wearstler Design, her design agency, was born in the 1990s, and she has since created excellent projects that have transformed the look of different sites. Her architecture for the Avalon Beverly Hills, for example, has transformed the look of boutique hotels all over the world. Moreover, she has designed properties for clients including Stacey Snider, Cameron Diaz, and Gwen Stefani among others. Her design styles attract and inspire many people across the world including tastemakers and top celebrities. She has marketed her works through having a trademark. Her design styles vary as evident in her interior designs.
Basics of Kelly Wearstler Design Styles
Wearstler started by designing hotels and boutiques and with time she expanded to residential designs. Her work is always characterized by eye-catching finishes, bold pattern and color and her approach can be said to be elegant (Morgan 70). Further, the style she often embraces to spice up the interiors has a unique blend of finesse and flash. The style can be characterized by different factors;
Metallics
Metallics are on gold-leaf chairs and tables, voluptuous brass, abstract chrome sculptures. It is a design where the metal finishes are placed in unexpected spots to give rooms a look of opulence and sass. Wearstler always combined warm tones such as cooler silver and bronze to attain a welcoming visual tension (Morgan 70).
Strong Geometry and Graphic Patterns
In her styles, she applied trellis diamond, octagon and other geometric motifs. Such qualities ensured prominent wall coverings, floors, and fabrics. The furnishings are done with distinctive lines such as Eileen Gray tables to feel on point. Lastly, there are sunbursts, curlicues, broad stripes and animal prints to make the design uplifting (Morgan 70).
Dramatic Color
Wearstler often professed her affection for color and this is backed by her designs. The colors she uses are saturated and sure such as bubblegum pink and jade green among others. The shades she uses are inspired by Hollywood and midcentury Regency palettes. Finally, most of her interiors are of "vermilion, plum, rust, turquoise, china blue" and the above features are partnered with unexpected colors that make them contrast their actual appearance (Morgan 70).
Quick Accents
This feature entails a pair of bronze and giant tree outlook. Also, cheeky touches of various designer ranges are applied. However, the primary concept in this work is balance-mixing the offbeat pieces into a single place. Lastly, the natural forms are mixed and finished with blatantly artificial ones to create the playful sensibility (Morgan 71).
Fashion-inspired Detailing
Wearstler designs especially the clothing products entail the touches that are only expected on a cocktail dress and in the dressing room. She prefers beaded finishes, mirrored surfaces, and studded leather banding and gem-bedecked designs (Morgan 71).
Kelly Wearstler's Simple Design Philosophy
Kelly Wearstler often embraces simplicity in her designs since she believes that uncluttered and spaces promote relaxations and can have positive effects on a person's cognitive abilities. There are various design options across the world, but her creations pare down different selections, for instance, she can create rooms with a more purposeful and streamlined approach (Miller 913). Her designer rooms include Elegant Living Room by Todd Davis whose image is shown below.
Kelly Wearstler's Unique Style
In an interview Kelly was once asked to describe her style and while answering she said that in all of her work she is always ready to take the risk. She described her aesthetic, refined and colorful. She is quoted saying "Always something old and something new, masculine and feminine. A mix of important history and fresh contemporary voices. The tension between opposites is sexy" (Miller 914). In her illustration of her style, she states how he designs are inspired by various tastes and desires that make them look beautiful and impressive (Miller 914).
The Success of Wearstler's Approach
Wearstler style of designing is made a success through various ways. First, it is important to be on the right foot in terms of literal sense before starting the work. She states that in her working process she eliminates "fiercely glamorous" and disarticulated feelings. Eliminating such conditions ensures that interiors are made perfect; designs which are mildly weird like an awesome gold table with feet at the hands and base. Second, in designing various interiors including the dark Hollywood aesthetic she relied on the gold and black colors to give it a balletic, bearded and sculpture look (Miller 917). The third step in her work is the applying of light fixtures that resemble deep-sea creatures like the anemone-like chandelier by Jean de Merry. The fourth factor that makes her work amazing is that she ensures geometric and monochromatic wall treatments. Wearstler says that while doing this the designers must not let the loudness of the pattern scare them away from showcasing the chunky pieces of wall art (Kim 15).
Wearstler's Strategies Continued
In Wearstler next strategy she emphasizes on using the colors wisely by ensuring they are left enough for the show-stopping pieces. The strategy she applies in furniture like while puckering sofas especially those that look like seashells is to exude a funky that expresses a contemporary maximalism (Kim 24). Also, the designers should not have many reflective surfaces particularly in certain rooms like the dressing room. He dressing rooms designed by Wearstler by always have walls done up in gold-leafed wood paneling inset with brass and mirrors and so there is no need for additional shiny surfaces. In various interior designs, one should never forget to include the common "garden glove and carrot" piece even if it is one (Kim 24).
The Importance of Personality in Interior Design
Like art, interior design is interpreted by the people in different ways. Therefore, designers like Wearstler believed from the start that great designs result from hard work and creativity. Regardless, of the style you explore and interior design must have a personality. In Wearstler style, she expresses some sort of personality in her work. For instance, she embraces glamour; this entails features like exotic materials and sleek lines to make spaces like the living room glamorous (Schumacher 386). On the other hand, the floor has a metallic wall covering the back to create a focal point. Also, her work involves symmetry. For instance, the living spaces' symmetrical outlook appeals to the eye since the places like the ceiling is wallpapered and the screens at the back of the room pull attention on the amazing painting in the room (Schumacher 391).
Key Qualities of a Successful Designer
In designing any interior the designer must have three key qualities. Wearstler happened to have all the qualities and this lead to her outstanding design. The first quality she employed was professionalism; this is the quality any person looking for a designer will consider. It involves the impression factor: is the designer dressed to impress and does the appearance enlighten the client's trust (Schumacher 390). Wearstler always shows concern for the project at hand. Therefore, a designer must communicate to the client in an appealing manner by being able to tell all the procedures behind a design project including the budget. Also, the timeline for the work must be observed. Lastly, a professional designer like Kelly will always be able to provide creative ideas that suite the taste of the clients and falls within the budget of the project (Schumacher 391).
The Importance of Client Satisfaction
As a designer, you have to be excited and enthusiastic about the work. Factors like the quality of the work must be put into consideration. However, in her perspective, it is important to pay attention to the client's dream space looks and feels. In her many years of doing interior designs, Wearstler has got a good reference. A good designer always has a list of clients who like to share their experience with their designers. Wearstler has various references from clients and for this reason, she has elevated. Unlike other professionals, the designers must see what the people especially their clients say and think about their work. Wearstler always prides herself on helping every one of her customers through all the steps in the project so as to keep them up to date and ensuring that she keeps their visions into account.
Works Cited
Kim, Na. “Interior Architypes: Contemporary Apartment Interior Design.” (2009).
Miller, Marla r. “Homes.” Arbor 402 (16): 905-2273.
Morgan, Susan. “Making Waves-Designer Kelly Wearstler’s sophisticated Malibu beach house reflects the exuberant approach to personal decorating that made her famous.” Metropolitan home 41.9 (2009): 70.
Schumacher, Jada. “The Phenomenology of Color [As a Working Methodology for Design Practice].” Art Inspiring Transmutations of Life. Springer Netherlands, 2010. 383-391.
