Profile: Nicky Haslam

It is difficult to pigeonhole Nicky Haslam; both the man and the designer. And, having now met him, my guess is that he likes it that way.

Nicky's legacy, talent and influence as one of Britain’s ultimate interior designers is undeniable. Not to mention, in his spare time he is an actor, artist, cabaret singer, book reviewer, art editor, memoirist, literary editor and he features on both Vanity Fair and GQ’s best-dressed lists!

Possessing a conspicuous flair and an inherent aesthetic, Nicky has been casting a spell on the design cognoscenti since 1972, when he first started practicing as an interior designer. In the late 1980’s he founded his London-based architectural and design firm, NH Design.

Nicky, along with his Creative Director Colette van den Thillart, has designed projects all over the world including London, New York, Morocco, New Orleans, Denmark, Montreal, Barbados, St Jean Cap Ferrat, Monaco and Moscow, Klosters, Grasse, Mallorca, Los Angeles and Paris.

When last in New Orleans, thanks to our friends Michael and Quinn, I had the good fortune to see one of Nicky’s projects, owned by Soniat House proprietors Frances and Rodney Smith. In all honesty, the living room was one of the most magical rooms that I have ever witnessed.

Not only is Nicky a talented designer, he is a talented artist. While at school at Eton he excelled in art. Today, the Victoria and Albert Museum as well as The Royal Institute of British Architects hold some of his interior watercolour renderings based on client projects.

Nicky Haslam divides his time between his London apartment and the Hunting Lodge in Hampshire that once belonged to John Fowler, a partner of Colefax and Fowler.

How would you describe your personal style?
Scintillating, Unlaborious, Unlaboured

What is your most prized possession?
A fan letter from Nancy Lancaster

What is your idea of earthly happiness?
Keeping one's figure

What is the one thing in life you cannot live without?
White peaches

What is your favorite luxury in life?
Being able to sleep easily and listening to Lee Wiley

Past or present, who has most influenced your direction in life?
Simon Fleet, Diana Vreeland, Diana Cooper and Colette van den Thillart, my Creative Director at NH Design

What inspires your creativity and designs?
Travel and lying in bed thinking

Who are your style icons?
Madame du Barry, Emilio Terry and Jean-Charles Delafosse

Who would you most like to collaborate with on a project?
Cy Twombly and John Richardson, the art historian who wrote all the Picasso books.

What books are currently on your bedside table?
Wait for Me! by Deborah Devonshire
Honky Tonk Parade by John Lahr
What to Look for in Winter by Candia McWilliam
My own autobiography Redeeming Features

Profile by Ronda Carman

Profile: Bunny Williams

I almost feel as if Bunny Williams needs no introduction, nor can I properly do one justice. For more than 40 years Bunny has focused on design that embraces gracious living. She spent the first twenty-two years of her career with the iconic decorating institution Parish-Hadley, before launching her own firm in 1988.

Bunny designs rooms in which dogs are welcome on the furniture, and you long to put your feet up with a good book. Her own book, An Affair with a House, showcasing her meandering Greek revival Connecticut farmhouse, is my go to book when I am in search of inspiration. Although her new book, Bunny Williams' Scrapbook for Living, just might have me reconsidering.

I still think Stephen Drucker said it best when he wrote, “She [Bunny] is one of the great decorators in the classical tradition that goes back to the roots of the profession. She lives the life of her clients; she understands how a house runs and what makes a room work; and her rooms are not meant to be ends in themselves, but instead a comfortable, sophisticated background for a rich, full life.”


How would you describe your personal style?
My personal style is about creating a comfortable welcoming house for my family and friends. And of course our dogs. My tastes are totally eclectic and I love mixing old and new pieces, and pieces with different silhouettes and pedigrees. I am passionate about architecture and getting the bones of a space correct.

Scale is also something I think most people have trouble understanding. It is vital to get the scale and proportions right when creating a room and selecting the furnishings. I learned so much from both Sister Parish and Albert Hadley whom I worked for before I started my own business. My style is definitely a combination of their fabulous eyes for design plus so many influences from my travels and passion for the decorative arts.


What is your most prized possession?
A pair of paintings of our dogs Lucy and Elizabeth by Henry Koehler that hang on the wall in our house in Connecticut.

What is your idea of earthly happiness?
Everyone has a home to call their own.


What is your favorite luxury in life?
Fabulous sheets.

What is the one thing in life you cannot live without?
A garden.

What inspires your creativity and designs?
Travel, books, and museums.


Who are your style icons?
Pauline de Rothschild, Syrie Maugham, and Frances Elkins

Who would you most like to collaborate with on a project?
I would love to work on a garden project with the superb Dutch garden designer Piet Oudolf.


What books are currently on your bedside table?
Memoirs of the Duchess of Devonshire, and Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.

Past or present who has most influenced your direction in life?
My Mother and Sister Parish.

Photo of Bunny by Miguel Flores-Vianna

Profile: Scot Meacham Wood

In all honesty I cannot remember exactly how or when I met San Francisco based interior designer Scot Meacham Wood. I vaguely remember a few blog comments from ‘Tartan Scot’ and I do remember being smitten with his design aesthetic, but I can’t recall our first conversation or email exchange.

Fast forward two years and I cannot imagine life without his friendly emails. In some ways we have become modern day pen pals. Because of the 8-hour time difference I will email Scot right when I am waking up and he is just climbing into bed for the night. Or I will get a quick email as I am falling asleep, “Honey I just had to show you my newly upholstered sofa!”

A love of Scotland, a southern upbringing and good design were (and are) the crux of our friendship. Fortunately, we have had several opportunities to spend time together over the past year. Always the gentleman, Scot is the perfect west coast "date" when my husband is unable to travel with me. We always have fun when we are together. But our ultimate outing has to be lunch at Hutton Wilkinson’s Dawridge. That day will remain a favorite.

After studying business and design, Scot spent 13 years working with Ralph Lauren in the "Creative Services" department in the San Francisco store, a place he fully credits for helping him to shape his eye and style. And while that my be true, I personally love his design philosophy, should he have to reduce it to one Tweet: “Create gracious spaces that work for the people who live there. Be vigilant about flow, creative with textiles, and abundant with style.” (Just 135 characters!)

How would you describe your personal style?
Looking through my work - there's a strong sense of European style, but I can clearly see the impact of my Southern upbringing as well. There would have to be a collection of beautiful textiles. A well crafted use of the space. And a few moments of flair. A combination of the gracious ‘expected’ with some whimsical ‘surprise.’ As far as my own home, I tend to experiment a great deal in the space. So the design of my house tends to be more fluid than I would EVER expect a client’s home to be.

What is your most prized possession?
My friends. Don't get me wrong, in case of a fire - I know exactly which piece of artwork I'm going to grab off the wall ( a self portrait by photographer and sweet friend, Patrick V Brown) on my way out the door . . . lol. But, I’ve been very lucky to have met the most amazing circle of people here in San Francisco. I can’t imagine my life without them.

What is your idea of earthly happiness?
Not wearing my watch. Despite the slightly over-scheduled way that I tend to live my life a great deal of the time, I treasure those magical weekends when I see that there’s NOTHING on my calendar. Being able to be spontaneous and truly live in the moment - either with a pile of friends - or quietly reading or puttering around the house. I guess the short answer might be ‘time.’

What is the one thing in life you cannot live without?
Oh, that’s easy. Music. I’ve been a musician most all of my life. And started college on a “piano performance” scholarship. Since then, I’ve been singing with the San Francisco Concert Chorale, a small mixed chamber choir, for about 12 years. There’s something sublimely magical about being on stage with a group of talented people - and knowing that what you’re creating is ‘larger than the sum of its individual parts.‘ Much like great design work - there’s an alchemy that happens when all the specific elements combine perfectly.

What inspires your creativity and designs?
It would have to be the people that I have had the great pleasure of working with. I always love that first meeting with new clients. Talking about their dreams for the homes. Before we get into the nitty gritty of budgets and time schedules, I often ask new clients to describe a day at home - but, in the new space that we’re just beginning to design. I remember a wonderful gentleman who spoke about how he loved the ‘ceremony’ of closing his heavy mohair drapes every night before bed . . . that says SO much to me about the space in which he wants to live. A lush, bespoke home. Maybe more formal. But, for someone who truly enjoys living in their space, and has a great eye for detail.

What books are currently on your bedside table?
The honest answer is my laptop. That covers many of the magazines I read, the New York Times, a collection of blogs, and whatever the internet brings me . . . lol. But, I just started reading Josh Kilmer-Purcell's "The Bucolic Plague."

What is your favorite luxury in life?
Well, we’ve already talked about my friends and my music - but, for luxury, there in nothing like freshly ironed Irish linen sheets.

Who are your style icons?
There's such a wide variety - the brilliant Michael Smith, exuberant Miles Redd, gracious and witty Charlotte Moss, and of course, I have to recognize the supremely talented Ralph Lauren. I worked for Ralph Lauren here on the west coast for almost 13 years. The man is brilliant. And his ability to create a fully-realized dream out of something a simple as a dessert plate is amazing.

Past or present who has most influenced your direction in life?
As I mentioned, I think the opportunity to spend so much of my early work experience with Ralph Lauren was, and still remains, a huge influence on my life. There was always such amazing creativity - it was like spending an 8 to 10 hour day in “business school” - lol. A perfect place to experiment with style . . . to learn about advertising . . . about customer service . . . to see the impact of long-term client relationships . . .

Profile by Ronda Carman

Profile: Brian Patrick Flynn

When I first meet Brian Patrick Flynn I had yet to become acquainted with his brilliant blog Décor Demon. This past spring Brian and I ended up on a fun and lively Editor at Large panel at WestWeek in LA discussing social media and the design community. Completely by chance, it turned out the next day that we were sitting across from each other on the same flight to Atlanta.

Without question, Brian’s vivacious personality is both genuine and contagious and these traits come across loud and clear on his blog. Given the one–dimensionality of blogs, you lose the benefit of facial expressions, gestures and tone of voice, making sequent dialog toilsome. It is sometimes difficult to really get a feel for the writer's personality.

This, however, is NOT the case with Brian. His high-energy style is just as authentic and infectious on the computer screen as it is in person. His writing and photos aptly express his wicked sense of humor and charismatic charm.

The television producer turned self-taught decorator/designer is a master at creating edgy-meets-elegant spaces. His production credits range from news programs with an NBC affiliate in South Florida to design and reality shows on Discovery Channel, HGTV, TBS and Fox.

In addition to being the set decorator and on-air design talent for the TBS series, Movie and a Makeover, Brian is also an associate producer of the show. Most recently he added the role of writer for hgtv.com to his exciting and growing vita.

Perhaps Brian's self-professed approach to life and design is what most resonates with me, “Easily amused. Not so easily impressed.” I sometime feel the same way, however, when it comes to Brian’s work and ethos, it's easy to be impressed.

How would you describe your personal style?
My design and decorating style is cinematic, happy and youthful. It’s dramatic but at the same time doesn’t take itself too seriously. For example, I’d highly enjoy a 6 foot wide painting of Mr. Potato Head hung on a wall of black Imperial Trellis wallpaper in a dining room with Hermes china. My own uber-modern charcoal mid-century kitchen is soon to be illuminated by a massive violet Venetian glass chandelier. You get the point.

What inspires your creativity and designs?
Stanley Kubrick films and vintage family photos from the 1950‘s and 1960‘s. The production design behind every Kubrick film was a master class in reinvention, pattern, lighting and scale. When I flip through old mid-century family photos, I always find elements of sophisticated fun: the satin brass finish from my grandfather’s 1950’s poolside loungers, the nubby textures of my grandmother’s mod dresses, the elongated boomerang shape at the end of my aunt and uncle’s shuffleboard sticks. Wow, I just said shuffleboard and Stanley Kubrick in the same paragraph--that’s a first.

What is your most prized possession?
I hold a hot pink, black and white pop art painting of Natalie Portman by artist Ronnie Bautista high on my list of most prized possessions. For some reason, whatever room I hang it in ends up being the room in which I’m the most social. This is rather bizarre since the painting depicts her as the sociopathic stripper from the movie, Closer.

Who are your style icons?
I like to refer to my style icons, living and non-living, as designer crushes because I’m forever giddy over their work. Sara Ruffin Costello is probably my idol; she’s a walking encyclopedia of style and has an amazing sense of humor. David Hicks influenced my obsessive pairing of red with brown and newfound love for skirted tables. Amy Lau continues to blow my mind; I love the mid-century influence behind every single thing she does. Her Dexter dining room for the Metropolitan Home Showtime showhouse still has me salivating Pavlovianly.

Michael Habachy’s sexy modernization of the dramatic often leaves my jaw on the floor. Every time I look at a Brad Ford designed space, I’m in awe of his mastery with editing. I love Kelly Wearstler for re-inventing the way my entire generation perceives interior design. And lastly, Betsy Burnham. Everything about her epitomizes great style and personality: from her layering of prints, plethora of textures and finishes, ability to use bold color in an understated manner, to her quirky use of the Union Jack.

Who would you most like to collaborate with on a project?
Phoebe Howard. She’s the master of serene, traditional elegance; I paint walls kelly green, upholster stuff with Astroturf and hang billboard-sized black and white photos in living rooms. Imagine THAT combination of styles.

What books are currently on your bedside table?
Barry Dixon Interiors, The Selby is in Your Place, The Poky Little Puppy, Kelly Wearstler Hue, Furniture & Interiors of the 1970’s and Domino: The Book of Decorating.

What is your favorite luxury in life?
Days with absolutely NO agendas.

What is your idea of earthly happiness?
Charcoal Belgian linen. Just kidding. Depositing paychecks for something I love doing so much, it truly doesn’t feel like work. Then using those paychecks to purchase charcoal Belgian linen.

Past or present who has most influenced your direction in life?
Up until age six, it was Mr. Rogers. From six to nine, it was Pac-Man. Sometime after that, Thomas O’Brien entered the picture but now, at 34, it’s become my mom and dad. Four well-raised kids, 40 years of marriage and a well-decorated house suddenly seem more exemplary than joysticks, button-up sweaters and chasing pink ghosts around a maze, then eating them.

Profile by Ronda Carman

Profile: Kevin Isbell

As a general rule, I like to write profiles on people who I have met or have had a chance to speak with a great length. I feel as though I can write a much stronger and personal profile if we’ve had a chance to sit down together and exchange ideas and stories. That said, when my friend Elizabeth Blitzer introduced me to the work of Kevin Isbell I knew that I had to learn more about him and his work.

Kevin founded his New York based design firm in 2009. And while his firm may be young, he is no stranger to the world of interior design. A native of Ohio, Kevin earned degrees in both Business Management and Art History at Ohio State University before moving to San Francisco to pursue his life long passion for design. After graduating from the Academy of Art with a degree in Interior Architecture and Design, he began working for the renowned California designer Orlando Diaz-Azcuy.

After relocating to New York City in 2001 he became the Senior Designer for Celeste Copper, working on projects from Pied-a-Terre apartments to Palm Beach estates, as well as a coveted room in the Kips Bay Decorator Showhouse in 2002.

In early 2005 he joined Bilhuber & Associates as Design Director. In the four years he worked with Bilhuber Kevin managed numerous projects in the Hamptons, Nantucket and the Caribbean.

What I admire most is his highly curated and edited style. The interiors come across as fun, not fussy. I also like the way he weaves unique objects into his rooms, never giving in to over-decoration.

I will be in NYC the week of October 4 and will finally have a chance to meet Kevin in person. I look forward to learning more about his passion for creating artful and interesting living spaces.

How would you describe your personal style?
Collected and unexpected. I like to mix high and low. A great pair of shoes, with Levis. I find it much more interesting to find stylish pieces at every price point. I approach my design in the same manner.

What is your most prized possession?
Although not exactly a possession, I would have to say my Basenji’s, Simon and Rita. I wish everyone in my life were as excited to see me walk through the door.

What is your idea of earthly happiness?
Being surrounded by people and things that I love. My New York City apartment is full of things that I love or represent someone special. From a clock given to me by my father, or a shell I picked up on the beach, it all comes together to tell my story.

What is the one thing in life you cannot live without?
My integrity

What inspires your creativity and designs?
My design is a highly personalized process which I view as storytelling. I try to inject the client’s personality into the space to tell the story that is their life. For example, I have a client who is smitten with Napoleon. For her dressing room, I have lined all the drawers and closet interiors in a Napoleonic bee patterned wallpaper. It’s a special touch that only she experiences.

Who are your style icons?
Axel Vervordt, Yves St Laurent, Jacques Grange, Billy Baldwin, Albert Hadley.

Who would you most like to collaborate with on a project?
I would love to collaborate with the sculptor Richard Serra. His pieces have a quiet, subtle strength in their simplicity.

What books are currently on your bedside table?
A first edition copy of the 70’s monograph of Syrie Maughman which I just scored on eBay for next to nothing, Leo and His Circle, the autobiography of gallerist Leo Castelli, and the ubiquitous stack of shelter magazines, naturally


What is your favorite luxury in life?
Freshly ironed sheets.

Past or present who has most influenced your direction in life?
In every major life changing moment there has been someone who helped influence and guide me through that change. I believe that people are brought into our lives at certain times to teach us a lesson. Currently, that would be my partner, Patrick.

Profile by Ronda Carman

Profile: Kimberly Schlegel Whitman

There is no question in my mind that Kimberly Schlegel Whitman has a talent for making the ordinary extraordinary! An entrepreneurial spirit from an early age, Kimberly launched her own event planning company, RSVP Soiree Luxury Event Rentals, in 1998. While planning her own debutante ball in Dallas, Texas, she discovered that there was a lack of high quality party rentals. Deciding to take matters into her own hands she sourced all of her own goods, and gave life to a new business.

What I enjoy most about Kimberly is her unassuming nature, her strong work ethic and a passion for entertaining. These traits have paved the way for her many accomplishments, including—four books on entertaining, countless television appearances and a daily radio segment on Dallas’ number one morning show.

Kimberly’s latest project, Tablescapes: Setting the Table with Style (Gibbs-Smith), focuses on time spent with family and friends, while creating a beautiful backdrop. Each page brings Kimberly’s passion for setting the table to life.

A graduate of Southern Methodist University with an Honors degree in Art History, Kimberly has been featured in many national publications such as Vanity Fair, Elle, Vogue, Town & Country, Better Homes & Gardens, Real Simple, Businessweek, Traditional Home, Canadian House and Home, Modern Bride, Elegant Bride, The New York Times and the Wall Street Journal.

How would you describe your personal style?
I love the glamour of old Hollywood as well as the femininity of classic French and English design. In the past, I leaned towards classic designs and soft elegant colors but, since becoming a mother two years ago, I have been feeling stronger and more empowered, and therefore, a little bit edgier! I have really wanted to try new things and new styles. 



What is your most prized possession?
That is a tough one! I am very sentimental so I have a lot of things that I really treasure. After my grandmother passed away, I inherited many of her beautiful porcelain pieces that I admired as a little girl. She never put her “good” or breakable things up high when we went to visit and she would explain to us that they were “no-nos.” I could look at them but I couldn’t touch! Now, I have many of them in my home but, of course, I have them placed out of toddler-reach!

I also treasure my collection of tabletop gems. I love love love setting the table and I have an addiction to china. I actually had to convert a small room in my home into a giant china cupboard! I think the connection is strong because of the memories made around those tables. I love setting the stage for a fantastic meal filled with great conversation and time with family and friends. 



What is your idea of earthly happiness?
Wow….these are all hard questions! I love being with my family. I am the oldest of four children and all of my family lives in Dallas. We spend a lot of time with my parents, brother, and two sisters. My son is the first grandchild and he is a big attraction so we often have family at our home. It is wonderful. We also spend a lot of family time at my parents home, or, as my son calls it, “Chez GaGa.” JR rides his little moto-car down the hallways and he acts like he owns the place. They have two big lions at their front gate, which were the entrance to the 1893 Chicago Worlds Fair, and he loves to greet them when he arrives and pet them goodbye when he leaves. Those are the fun little moments that make me so happy.

I also love spending my summers at the beach in Canada. I spent every summer of my childhood in a tiny tiny town on Lake Huron and I now love spending time with my husband and son in the same home! Everyone in my family has had a summerhouse here going all the way back to my Great-Grandfather! 



What is the one thing in life you cannot live without?
My computer! I was with out it for almost a month and I realized how much I depend on it for professional and personal purposes! I count on it to do everything from finding directions to my son’s activities and communicating with his school to writing my next book and blog entry!



What inspires your creativity and designs?
Everything! I know that is a very typical answer but I really think that we can find inspiration in everything. My husband is a fantastic photographer and really taught me to see the beauty in everything. Some of his most beautiful photographs are of graffiti or shantytowns. He taught me to look at things that I once considered and eye sore and to find inspiration in them.

I also find a lot of inspiration in flowers. Often, when I am working on a design for a tabletop or an event, I wait until I can see the available flowers and let them inspire the entire design. My sister, Krystal, and I just returned from a week at Flower School Catherine Mueller in Paris. It was fantastic and I am so full of ideas and inspiration.



Who are your style icons?
Like so many gals I adore Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Audrey Hepburn and Grace Kelly. How can they not be style icons? But I also love the way Jan Showers lives her glamorous brand from head to toe and Michelle Nussbaumer, like her design style, she is very Auntie Mame!

I always admire when people carry their own style with confidence and know who they are. My sisters both “own” their style and I admire that. We can shop for each other because we know each others styles so well even though we are all so different. Krystal, a university student, is very demure. She is a modern day Audrey with a street-wise twist. Kari, a real estate agent, is like a perfect little doll from head to toe. She is always so well co-coordinated and we call her Real Estate Barbie.



Who would you most like to collaborate with on a project?
There are so many people! I adore Hutton Wilkinson’s bold over-the-top fabulousness, Celerie Kemble’s youthful and modern take on tradition and Charlotte Moss’ feminine and polished look. 



What is your favourite luxury in life?
I have two. One is certainly time with my little one. He is a smiley little guy and full of laughter so my husband and I can’t get enough of him. We just finished a month in Europe and we relished our time with him. He is as fascinated by a ladybug as he is by the Eiffel Tower! He is a great reminder to appreciate every little thing!

The second is great stationery. I love writing to friends and, as a lifestyle and entertaining expert, I try really hard to keep up with my thank you notes! My favourite stationery is from The Printery in Oyster Bay, New York. The family owned business is still operating out of the original building with it’s warped floors and old presses.



Past or present who has most influenced your direction in life?
My parents always encouraged me to do it all. They always told me to just dive in headfirst and enjoy the challenges that come my way. They didn’t ever work in design or events but they did inspire me through their constant entertaining! They always had the most talented designers, florists, caterers and event planners around and they always allowed me to be involved and participate in their events from start to finish, even at a very young age

Profile: Kendall Wilkinson

While some children make believe to be a nurse or an actor, as a child Kendall Wilkinson pretended to order Brunschwig & Fils fabrics for her imaginary clients.

For the daughter of a well-known interior designer, the handwriting seemed to be on the wall. However, it wasn’t until after she went to work in the film industry that Kendall had an epiphany. Prompted by studies abroad in Paris, she realized that perhaps she needed to change course and pursue her passion for interior design.

It was during her time in Paris that she became enamored with French architecture and antiques, and began traveling extensively, importing select pieces to the US. Upon returning home she enrolled at San Francisco's Academy of Art University and began honing her skills and style.

Kendall’s true expertise lies in her ability to artfully mix traditional and modernity. I love that while Kendall’s work tends to be tailored and crisp, she is not afraid to use bold color. Likewise, she is classic in her overall approach, but never stuffy! “Antiques will always be one of my truest loves, so you’d be hard pressed to see a project that didn’t feature my vintage treasures among newer ones,” she proudly proclaims. The wonderful juxtaposition of a slick Lucite piece paired with a French antique is what gives her rooms character.

The San Francisco native is a regular participant in the prestigious San Francisco Decorator Showcase, and, in 2007, was awarded California Home + Design's Award for Showcase House Design. Her work has been featured in Town & Country, Traditional Home, and InStyle, as well as numerous other magazines, local publications, and various shows on Home & Garden Television.


How would you describe your personal style?
I would say that my personal style, like my design aesthetic, is a balance between classic and fresh. For example, I love French fashion, with ruffled hemlines high collars, but try to pair them with fun textures like leather or modern sleek shoes. Fashion, like design, is about layering and pairing things that are unexpected.

What is your most prized possession?
Without hesitation, my two children.


What inspires your creativity and designs?
Often referred to as a devoted Francophile, my adoration for all things French is no secret. I attribute my travels in Paris and Provence as being the launching points for my career- as I am continually inspired by the architecture, culture, art and fashion. But closer to home, I’d say that the beauty of the Bay Area landscape always inspires a new color combination, or design concept.

What is the one thing in life you cannot live without?
Because my business is so paramount in my life, I would say that my professional team is something I could not live without right now. They support me, inspire me and help to keep the business fresh and creative. We also make each other laugh- a lot.


Who are your style icons?
Albert Hadley and Sister Parish have left an indelible mark as inspirations in designs. Andree Putman is also a huge icon- I appreciate how she found strength and beauty in what was sometimes difficult and dark.

Who would you most like to collaborate with on a project?
Rather than approach this question as who I would like to work with, I’d rather think about who I’d like to work for. Tom Ford has an amazing eye for resurrecting midcentury style and design in a very authentic, sophisticated way. Recently inspired by his film “A Single Man”, I would love him to hire me as designer set or an interior that totally channels the stylistic glamour and repression of the era. It’s a beautiful balance.

What books are currently on your bedside table?
Lift by Kelly Corrigan and On Meditation are my grown up reads, and I keep Raising Happiness for my little ones. 



What is your idea of earthly happiness?
I think earthly happiness comes from finding an environment in which you truly feel in your element, physically and mentally. For me, that would be in a French Chateau with my little boys, watching the landscape outside, laughing and just enjoying the precious time we have together.


Who has most influenced your direction in life?
My mother, Alice Wiley, was and is, not only an inspirational designer, but also an inspiring figure as a woman. She cultivated a career for herself during a time when women were not widely recognized as being able to have independent professions. Her classical taste details definitely rubbed off on me as well, although I try to infuse my own modern twists. I had the fortune of an influential mother and mentor all in one.

Profile by Ronda Carman

Profile: Kristen McGinnis

Kristen McGinnis has a wonderful way of fusing fun and funky with a formal, artistic edge. Originally from North Carolina, Kristen attended the prestigious visual arts program at the North Carolina School of the Arts. Acting on her passion for design, and advice from Bill Blass, she moved to New York to study fashion at Parsons School of Design.

As fate would have it, she focused her attention on interior design and landed a coveted senior position with Sills Huniford Associates. Using her acquired skills, innate talents and heightened sensitivity to fabrics and textiles, Kristen went out on her own in 2005 and founded the New York-based firm, Kristen McGinnis Design, Inc.

Kristen affirms that having a background in fine arts and fashion design has been an invaluable component of her career. With each new project she goes “back to her roots” for guidance and inspiration. The couture level of detailing that she brings to her projects is clearly anchored in many disciplines, including architecture, and of course, fashion.

In 2009 Traditional Home Magazine selected Kristen as one of the Top 20 Young Interior Designers to Watch and most recently she was honored by Jamie Drake and the International Furnishings and Design Association as a Rising Star of Interior Design.

How would you describe your personal style?
As I grow as a designer my style has become more confident and much more eclectic. I love twentieth century and contemporary design. I find that when integrated confidently with art and antiques a stronger vision can be achieved creating a look that appears to have evolved over time.

What is your most prized possession?
This is a tie between my vast library where I become inspired every time I open a book; and my collection of artist designed jewelry, specifically a necklace by Louise Nevelson.

What is your idea of earthly happiness?
Happiness is waking up to the purring of my two Himalayans. They love the mornings, and I cherish spending time with them before starting my day.

What is the one thing in life you cannot live without?
I love nothing more than art. For me no room is complete without it. Through the years I have acquired work by artists that are dear lifelong friends, work by college friends, as well as pieces made by artists whose work that I have long admired. Seeing these pieces woven together is like looking at the story of my life. It simply feeds my soul.

What inspires your creativity and designs?
Architecture is a continued source of inspiration. At present, I have a fascination with the strict lines of 1920’s Berlin, and find the restraint and purity of the form refreshing. In fact, a simple walk down the street to spend an afternoon at the Metropolitan Museum of Art can be just as motivating as a trip to Amsterdam or to Paris. What matters is what you cull from the experience and how you apply it to what you are working on.

I enjoy the scholarship that can be involved in doing research for a project. As I have been working on the color palette for a modern downtown apartment, I have been inspired by Picasso’s Rose period, a Matisse painting, and Marni’s fall collection. It never ceases to amaze me how inspiration can come at any place at any time.

Who are your style icons?
Yves Saint Laurent, Joel Arthur Rosenthal, Tina Chow

Who would you most like to collaborate with on a project?
To have the opportunity to collaborate on a project with Joris Laarman would be the experience of a lifetime. I believe we are in the middle of a design revolution and are only just beginning to grasp its direction. Luckily, we are living in a time where experimental innovation in design is being celebrated. Joris is reaching a new plateau with his work utilizing cutting edge technology and positioning himself as a standard bearer for the new evolution of design.

What books are currently on your bedside table?
Alongside my stacks of fashion and shelter magazines, I have my stash of summer reading. I just finished The Gardner Heist: The True Story of the World's Largest Unsolved Art Theft by Ulrich Boser; and am now starting Mistress of Modernism: The Life of Peggy Guggenheim by Mary V. Dearborn.

What is your favorite luxury in life?
The ability to be able to carve out time from my hectic schedule to be with the people that I love is my life’s biggest luxury.

Past or present who has most influenced your direction in life?
As a child I wanted nothing more than to be a fashion designer. When I was in the 9th grade Bill Blass came to my hometown for a trunk show. The night before there was black tie pre-show event which I attended. Somehow I mustered up enough courage to ask Mr. Blass his advice as to where I should go to school. He was incredibly lovely to spend 10 minutes speaking with me, and told me in that distinctly raspy smoker’s voice, “My dear, if you want to work on Seventh Avenue you MUST go to Parsons School of Design.”

Advice coming from someone so influential was all I needed to hear to put my head down and focus on my journey to Parsons where I discovered my true passion, interior design. Inside my sketch book, I keep a photo of Mr. Blass and myself from that memorable evening. It serves as a constant reminder to continue to pursue my dreams.