Kelly Wearstler's Latest Project Is A Celebration Of Curves And Archways |

Kelly Wearstler, a prominent figure in contemporary American design, views design as an intuitive process akin to falling in love repeatedly. Her distinctive style, characterized by sumptuous and vibrant interiors, is evident in high-end residences and luxury hotels worldwide, from Beverly Hills to the Caribbean. Wearstler's design philosophy is deeply influenced by a wide array of sources, including global travel, nature, architecture, fashion, graphic design, literature, and art, with particular admiration for the works of Pierre Cardin, Oscar Niemeyer, Carlo Scarpa, Louis Kahn, Gio Ponti, and Carlo Mollino. Her eponymous luxury-lifestyle brand encompasses a broad spectrum of design services, including residential, hospitality, and commercial interior design, alongside curated collections of furniture, lighting, rugs, fabrics, wallcoverings, tiles, luxe bedding, fine china, and decorative home accessories. Wearstler's design approach is marked by a sophisticated contrast of raw and refined elements, a harmonious blend of color, and a thoughtful integration of diverse periods of furniture. This unique methodology has earned her recognition on prestigious lists such as Architectural Digest’s Top 100 Architecture & Interior Design, Elle Décor’s A-List, Wallpaper’s Top 20 Designers, and TIME Style & Design’s Design 100. She conceptualizes each project as an opportunity for storytelling, aiming to create evocative, adventurous, and soulful narratives through a rich mix of materials and influences. Her mantra, “love color, take risks, stay curious,” guides her attraction to designs that intelligently utilize materiality, juxtapose various historical styles, and introduce an element of surprise. Born in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, in 1967, Wearstler honed her skills in interior and graphic design at the Massachusetts College of Art. After relocating to the West Coast, she launched her design business, initially gaining traction with the Avalon Hotel in Beverly Hills. This success paved the way for numerous international projects, including the Viceroy Santa Monica, multiple properties for the Viceroy Group, and the Four Seasons Anguilla, where she skillfully merged natural elements like driftwood and petrified wood with global textiles to redefine Caribbean luxury. Her portfolio also features the Bergdorf Goodman restaurant in New York City, which elegantly combines elements from the 1930s to the 1970s, and the Compartés flagship store in Los Angeles, a modern reinterpretation of classic European chocolate shops. Her residential work spans high-profile homes for celebrity clients like Cameron Diaz, Gwen Stefani, and Ben Stiller. A current venture, Proper Hospitality, involves the design of high-end residences and hotels, with completed projects including the Hollywood Proper Residences, Santa Monica Proper Hotel, and San Francisco Proper Hotel. These projects showcase her signature blend of vintage and new furnishings, custom lighting, bespoke elements, and local artworks. Upcoming Proper hotels in Austin and Downtown Los Angeles further demonstrate her expansive vision. Wearstler emphasizes the importance of client collaboration, stating that the most successful projects arise when clients actively voice their vision. Her role is to interpret and filter these ideas, creating spaces that evoke specific moods and tell compelling stories. She stresses the significance of scale and hierarchy within a space, advocating for a thoughtful mix of texture, history, pattern, and color to achieve balance and allow statement pieces to stand out. Her creative process involves deep research into a location's history and architecture, followed by an intuitive selection of art, rugs, and vintage pieces to establish the core vibe. She uses “vibe trays” to visualize how all elements, textures, and colors will harmoniously interact within a space, sourcing unique items from around the globe to curate truly distinctive environments. Wearstler sees windows as framed artworks that integrate external elements and colors into the interior, further enhancing the cohesive design narrative. Throughout her career, Wearstler has continually challenged herself, taking risks and expanding her artistic horizons. She views her clients, particularly those from the film, music, and art industries, as vital partners and teachers, each contributing unique perspectives that enrich her design process. A key distinction in her work is the tailored approach to residential versus hospitality projects; while both receive the same passion and explorative process, hospitality designs require a greater focus on commercial specifications and creating a comfortable, home-like atmosphere unique to the location. Turning points in her career include the Avalon Hotel, the Bergdorf Goodman restaurant, and the large-scale Westfield Century City renovation, all of which pushed her creative boundaries and fostered a sense of accomplishment. Wearstler's home collections target individuals who appreciate art, travel, and thoughtful details, offering environments designed to expand experiences and heighten senses. Her ongoing projects continue to explore new commercial and residential ventures globally, consistently seeking the next design adventure. #KellyWearstler #InteriorDesign #ModernAmericanDesign #LuxuryInteriors #HospitalityDesign #ResidentialDesign #DesignPhilosophy #ArchitecturalDesign #StorytellingInDesign

This article highlights the work of renowned California interior designer Kelly Wearstler, focusing on her furniture collection launched in partnership with E.J. Victor. Wearstler, known for her avant-garde and exciting approach to design, is celebrated for her unique sense of flair, evident in her dramatic lighting and exquisite furniture pieces. The collection, which debuted to significant acclaim, is characterized by its fashion-forward yet expensive nature, catering to a clientele seeking high-end design. The collection emphasizes the use of luxurious materials, including alabaster, burnished bronze, marble, ruched leather, bleached ash, ebonized walnut, cerused wood, fractured glass, and goat fur. These materials are meticulously combined to create pieces that embody a "raw and refined" aesthetic, a signature style of Wearstler. Examples of her distinctive designs include the limited-edition Bejeweled Stool, priced at $28,000, which is adorned with semi-precious stones. Another notable piece is the Trousdale dining table, valued at $17,500, featuring an intricate inlaid top with geometric blocks. The table is presented in both natural oak, which evokes a 1960s aesthetic, and ebonized oak, where the dark parquet creates a rich interplay of grain. The furniture range extends beyond dining tables and stools to include beds, chests, and various upholstery options. Wearstler's design philosophy aims for a modern yet timeless appeal. This is achieved through distinctive details such as rough stone hardware paired with gunmetal, and bronze mirrors encircled with chunks of jewels. The collection also features unlacquered perforated bronze, handcrafted into console and dining tables designed to develop a unique patina over time. Additionally, an architectural side table is crafted from stripes of honed black and white marble, showcasing a striking visual contrast. E.J. Victor, the manufacturing partner, is recognized for its history of producing esteemed collections for prominent designers like Ralph Lauren and Aerin, the granddaughter of Estee Lauder. Wearstler's collaboration with E.J. Victor places her in a distinguished category of designers. Her work is seen as catering to individuals with discerning tastes and the means to acquire high-value design pieces. Some industry observers have credited Wearstler with pioneering a revolution in modern American design, continually pushing boundaries with her innovative and opulent creations. #InteriorDesign #FurnitureDesign #LuxuryInteriors #KellyWearstler #ModernDesign #TimelessDesign #HighEndFurniture #DesignerCollection #HomeDecor

The article details the 'Case Study' house designed by Wheeler Kearns Architects in a prominent Chicago neighborhood. Named by Dan Wheeler, the project aimed to honor the experimental Case Study Houses of mid-century masters like Richard Neutra and Pierre Koenig, while evolving into a structure reminiscent of the Seagram Building, featuring art, sumptuous walnut, limestone, and bronze. The 12,700-square-foot residence emphasizes bespoke details, with even ventilation grilles and ceiling fixtures custom-designed. The project required extensive architectural and engineering drawings, totaling around 700, and involved numerous consultants, including Leslie Jones & Associates for interiors. A significant structural modification was made to eliminate columns in the living and breakfast areas, which would have obstructed the glass curtain wall. This ambitious and costly redesign involved a cantilever spanning over 40 feet and vertical post-tensioning of concrete caissons, extending 35 feet into bedrock. This allowed for vast, column-free public spaces and an impressive expanse of glass, crucial for the clients, who are major modern and contemporary art collectors from a philanthropic Chicago family. The house serves as a departure from the family’s previous Victorian home, adopting multiple modernist influences, including Mexican courtyard houses by Luis Barragán, Alvar Aalto’s Villa Mairea, Carlo Scarpa’s Banca Populare di Verona, and Eero Saarinen’s Indiana house. A key design element is the strong connection to the landscape, with half of the 1/3-acre property dedicated to a south-facing sculpture garden. This garden seamlessly integrates with the interior through low-iron glass walls and bronze-framed doors that open to connect the breakfast area to an outdoor dining arbor with a fireplace. Tawny limestone pavers, quarried near Dijon, France, used both inside and in the garden, further blur the lines between indoor and outdoor spaces. The open-plan house is designed to accommodate both daily family life and large-scale fundraisers for up to 200 guests, boasting museum-quality detailing. The ground level features a 10 ½-foot ceiling and extensive glass, while the double-height dining area is flanked by towering bookshelves made of oil-rubbed bronze. In contrast, the two upstairs bedroom levels are inwardly focused and concealed behind stucco walls, with light wells and interior courtyards providing natural light. Natural materials like stained American walnut for interior walls and ubiquitous bronze elements—from door pulls to sliding panels—connect the interior with the exterior palette. Furnishings, chosen by Leslie Jones, feature organic colors and forms, with wool rugs echoing the sculpture garden's layout. The furniture ranges from Wiener Werkstätte pieces to mid-century chairs by Franco Albini and Osvaldo Borsani, alongside custom seating in luxurious materials such as eel skin, goatskin, suede, and mohair. Jones deliberately kept furniture profiles simple to complement the diverse art collection, ensuring that the furnishings acted as sculptures themselves, mirroring the house's overall artistic integrity. #Architecture #ModernDesign #CaseStudyHouse #ChicagoArchitecture #LuxuryHomes #ArtCollection #LandscapeIntegration #InteriorDesign

Kelly Wearstler, a renowned designer, recently showcased a unique approach to decorating a kitchen island for entertaining, moving beyond traditional fruit bowls or lazy Susans. She shared an 18-second TikTok video demonstrating how to create a captivating centerpiece using a mix of vessels and natural elements. Wearstler's design features an arrangement of oversized branches, artichokes, and wispy flowers, creating a whimsical and impactful display on her large marble countertop. This method is presented as an accessible way for others to replicate her distinctive aesthetic. The tutorial emphasizes three key principles for achieving this look. First, it recommends mixing and matching different types of vases, specifically glass, stone, and ceramic, to build an engaging vignette. This variety in materials adds texture and visual interest to the arrangement. Wearstler suggests that chic stoneware, for instance, can be sourced relatively easily, even from online retailers like Amazon, highlighting that elevated decor doesn't always require exclusive or high-end purchases. Second, the article stresses the importance of playing with scale. Utilizing vases of varying heights, widths, and shapes contributes to a more dynamic visual presentation. This diversity in vessel size also serves a practical purpose: it accommodates different types of flora. Smaller vases are suitable for more flexible stems, while wider, heavier containers provide better support for stiffer stalks, such as fruit branches, preventing them from toppling over and maintaining the integrity of the display. Third, the designer advises staying in season when selecting botanicals. This involves drawing inspiration from naturally growing elements available during the current time of year. Wearstler herself demonstrates this by foraging for wildflowers or other greenery from her own backyard, suggesting a zero-cost method to acquire materials for the centerpiece. This approach not only makes the design more sustainable but also ensures the arrangement feels fresh and connected to its environment. By following these straightforward tips, individuals can emulate Wearstler's innovative and budget-friendly party-ready kitchen island aesthetic. #KellyWearstler #KitchenIsland #CenterpieceIdeas #HomeDecor #InteriorDesign #FloralArrangements #EntertainingTips #DIYDecor #SeasonalDecor