Rita Konig Talks Career Highlights, Favourite Brands & More

Rita Konig's career trajectory from journalism to interior design highlights the transferable skills gained in media, such as research and meeting deadlines, which proved invaluable in her design work. Influenced by her mother, designer Nina Campbell, Konig developed an early appreciation for creating beautiful homes. Her decade in Manhattan, writing for publications like the Wall Street Journal and Vogue, further shaped her design philosophy and provided opportunities, including decorating Graydon Carter's restaurant, The Waverley Inn, annually. Upon returning to London, Konig established a design studio, expanding her portfolio with high-profile British projects such as Argyll House in Chelsea and several rooms at Bolton Abbey. Notably, over half of her current work is based in the USA, with significant projects in California, including a collaboration with architect Gil Schafer and the San Vicente Bungalows, considerably elevating her international profile. These projects exemplify her eclectic style, which blends diverse pieces and embraces a layering approach to interior spaces. Konig is known for her generosity in sharing knowledge, notably through online video courses with Create Academy, which gained popularity during the lockdown period. Her participation in WOW!house, an annual showcase of interior design talent, and collaborations with brands like Schumacher, The Lacquer Company, and Oficina Inglesa demonstrate her influence and reach within the design industry. She effectively demystifies interior design, breaking down the process into three core stages: spatial planning, layering pattern and color, and finally, decorating with a multitude of objects and pictures. Konig asserts that the final stage, incorporating objects, is the most crucial for bringing a space to life, emphasizing that without it, a room can feel like a mere showroom. Her philosophy stresses the importance of distinctive pieces, particularly in an era where design trends are quickly disseminated online. This leads her to prioritize antique dealers for sourcing unique items. Konig believes that the most meaningful interiors are those filled with personal belongings—heirlooms, travel souvenirs, and market finds—that tell a story and create a unique atmosphere. She also highlights the increasing significance of bespoke elements in her projects, ensuring originality that cannot be replicated through mass-produced items. Konig's own west London home serves as a testament to her design principles, showcasing a masterful blend of old and new, formal and relaxed, and serious with witty elements. By combining three apartments, she has created a cohesive yet richly layered environment featuring custom furniture, vibrant fabrics, contemporary art, and an abundance of curated objects. This approach, while potentially chaotic in less skilled hands, results in a space that exudes comfort and joyful coherence, embodying her belief in celebrating "stuff" to create truly personal and distinctive interiors. #InteriorDesign #RitaKonig #HomeDecor #DesignPhilosophy #EclecticStyle #JournalismToDesign #OnlineCourses #DesignProjects #SourcingAntiques

The article delves into the distinctive interior design philosophy of British decorator Rita Konig, daughter of pioneering designer Nina Campbell. It highlights how Konig, despite growing up in a world of lush interiors, developed her unique and livable style, characterized by a quirky, happy, and highly functional aesthetic, differentiating herself from traditional approaches. Konig's career, spanning two decades, includes residential and commercial projects globally, with a recent notable interior design for Hotel 850 in West Hollywood. Her growing influence is further amplified through her active Instagram presence and contributions to various publications like British Vogue and The Wall Street Journal, where she shares her authoritative yet approachable design insights. The article then shifts focus to Konig's personal renovation project: North Farm, a Victorian farmhouse in County Durham, northeast England, shared with her husband, biographer Philip Eade, and their five-year-old daughter, Margot. This renovation serves as a practical demonstration of Konig's design principles, as she documented the process on social media for her followers. The objective of the renovation was to transform the sprawling, historic golden stone structure, which has been in Eade's family for generations and is surrounded by rolling pastures, into a comfortable and authentic country home that starkly contrasts with a city dwelling. The property's historical significance is underscored by the presence of a buried medieval village, adding a layer of heritage to the project. Konig's design approach for North Farm successfully merges high style with an unfussy restraint, incorporating whimsical elements, classic English references, and a vibrant color palette. To maintain the property's rustic integrity, she installed a traditional-style kitchen by Plain English and a durable stone-floored mudroom, designed to withstand country living. The interiors are described as polished yet rustic. An example is the sage-walled sitting room, which features an eclectic blend of geometrics and florals, intentionally creating a naturally evolved, slightly mismatched feel. The small library, or TV room, was conceived to be highly functional, accommodating multiple people comfortably for movie nights or football games, combining delicate wallpaper with robust upholstery fabrics like corduroy, quilted cotton, wool, and velvet. Throughout the farmhouse, Konig's signature touches are evident, such as bright crystal match strikes, vivid lacquered drinks trays, scalloped D. Porthault linens, and her characteristic mix of classic and modern patterns. The overarching theme of the house is comfort, exemplified by deep, down-filled sofas, inviting crisp beds, a generous weathered farmhouse table, and Margot's playfully pink, yet unsugary, dream room. Ultimately, Konig emphasizes that the primary goal for North Farm was to create a welcoming space for friends and family to enjoy, embodying her design philosophy of comfort, livability, and warmth. The article concludes by noting its original publication in the June 2019 issue of ELLE Decor. #RitaKonig #VictorianFarmhouse #InteriorDesign #EnglishCountryside #HomeRenovation #CountryHomeStyle #DesignPhilosophy #HistoricProperty #ElleDecor

The author recounts her experience attending a workshop led by British interior designer Rita Konig, driven by a long-standing admiration for Konig's ability to transform tiny Manhattan apartments into charming, cozy spaces. The author's personal journey into appreciating Konig's work began after seeing images of Konig's own small New York City rentals, particularly a West Village bedroom featuring a rumpled bed, breakfast tray, laptop, and luxurious D. Porthault sheets, alongside a nightstand filled with books, candles, and flowers. The room's ecru, white-floral-patterned wallpaper created an English-garden atmosphere, making the space inviting and visually appealing despite its small size. The workshop took place in a picturesque townhouse in Brooklyn’s Cobble Hill neighborhood, where Konig, described as casually elegant, warmly greeted attendees. The setting was a powder-blue-painted living room, with participants seated on a mix of furniture, including a dusty-pink velveteen sofa. The diverse group of attendees included a mix of ages and backgrounds, from established interior designers and those considering the field to long-time fans who followed Konig's columns in *Domino* magazine and *House & Garden UK*. The day-long workshop was divided into two sessions, with a homemade lunch provided. Key topics covered included room layout, electrical planning and lighting, kitchen design, glassware, bathrooms, color schemes, and art placement. A highlight for many attendees was learning about Konig's preferred suppliers. The author took extensive notes, including practical advice like planning furniture layout before electrical installations and painting walls with a brush for better texture. She also noted Konig's philosophy that decorating should involve existing pieces and that buying well over time ensures a collection of quality items. Konig emphasized that not every piece needs to be an absolute favorite, and that flexibility—moving furniture or repainting walls—is key. A home should feel lived-in and functional for its inhabitants, not overly staged or austere. Konig’s advice extended to practical tips for various rooms. For layout, she suggested bringing furniture into the middle of the room to add depth and layering, emphasizing that a surface should always be available near seating for drinks and that chairs should encourage conversation. She also advised against strict symmetry and encouraged allowing furniture to extend slightly into hallways to create a sense of activity. In kitchens, she recommended repurposing old tables with marble slabs instead of expensive islands, highlighting that styling with kitchen tools and beautiful china can enhance the space. For bathrooms, Konig suggested using chairs for towel storage and incorporating wallpaper to create a more intimate 'powder room' feel. Regarding color, she advocated using paint, wallpaper, furniture, and art to liven up a room, noting that wallpaper can make small rooms appear larger due to depth. She encouraged balancing pastels with heavier furniture, experimenting with bold colors in transitional spaces, and not being afraid of pink. For art, Konig advised hanging pictures immediately, whether snapshots or framed prints, and emphasized that frame choice is flexible. She suggested laying out art on the floor before hanging and avoiding rigid grids, even stacking pictures on the floor or nailing them to bookshelves. The author left the workshop feeling motivated to implement these design principles, starting with purchasing a vintage movie poster and more lamps, and considering wallpapering her own bedroom. #InteriorDesign #HomeDecor #RitaKonig #DecoratingTips #SmallSpaceDesign #HomeStyling #DesignWorkshop #RoomLayout #ColorSchemes

The author, an ELLE DECOR A-List designer, details her recent experience renovating and extending her London apartment. She notes that while designers' own homes often turn out to be their best work due to the absence of client-imposed visual compromises, designing for oneself can present its own set of challenges. Initially exciting, the project often gets pushed aside in favor of client work, leading to the 'cobbler-with-no-shoes' phenomenon. The collaboration aspect, crucial in client projects, is largely missing when working on one's own space, sometimes leading to a sense of loneliness as the only push-and-pull comes from one's own team, who may be reluctant to offer contradictory opinions. Despite these challenges, the author appreciated the flexibility and speed with which decisions could be made and adjusted. Design changes could be implemented swiftly, or even reversed, without the need for multiple client meetings, presentations, or extensive persuasion. This freedom allowed for bold choices that might be difficult to sell to a client, such as applying tobacco linen to north-facing sitting room walls or painting window frames and trim in a unique 'Toad' green. These bold design elements, while adding to the expense and timeline, ultimately created a high-impact, calming atmosphere, evoking a country feel for guests. She draws a parallel to Albert Hadley, who famously used his own apartment as a design laboratory, experimenting with unique elements like lacquered chocolate-syrup-colored walls and ceilings. This illustrates how designers' personal spaces become arenas for unconstrained creativity and experimentation, free from the pressure of client approval. When making daring design choices for her own home, the author experiences less anxiety about the outcome, knowing she can live with and adjust the results if necessary. This contrasts with client projects, where bold decisions carry significant financial implications or risk a loss of trust if initial iterations don't meet expectations, potentially stifling creativity. The article also touches on the differing nature of budgets when designing for oneself versus for clients. While client budgets always have boundaries, personal projects offer a different spirit of allocation. The author found value in things that might be considered extravagant for a client, such as a four-poster bed requiring 90 yards of fabric, which she expresses no regret for, despite it being a budget-buster. This highlights the personal satisfaction derived from investing in specific design elements for one's own enjoyment. Ultimately, the author concludes that the process of designing her own home, despite its inherent 'pain,' was a rewarding experience, allowing for a level of creative freedom and personal expression that is often tempered in client-focused work. The outcomes, particularly the bold and distinctive design choices, have brought significant personal satisfaction and validation, reaffirming the unique benefits and challenges of being one's own design client. #InteriorDesign #HomeRenovation #DesignerLife #LondonApartment #CreativeFreedom #BudgetManagement #PersonalStyle #DesignChallenges