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The beginning of fashion season in New York also marks a major milestone for one of interior designs most beloved talents, Kelly Wearstler. For the past decade Kelly has dominated the design scene with her bold and expressive interiors and in the process we’ve learned so much about her personality and her willingness to experiment with everything from her hair to funky 1970s color combinations. Design rules be damned, the Kelly Wearstler we grew to love and admire was all about breaking paradigms to create interior vibes that were 100% pure modern drama.

Goethe is often credited with saying that “Boldness has genius, power and magic in it.” So I guess it shouldn’t surprise us that Kelly has taken the rather bold and unprecedented step to reduce her interior design projects to just five a year so that she can pursue a career in fashion design. In fact, Kelly will open her first boutique on Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles this month with an eye on New York City in the near future. A swift and gutsy move, but somehow because it’s Kelly it just feels like a natural progression.

Like many of you, I will miss Kelly’s design innovations, but I look forward to following her fashion pursuits. Kelly remains at the top of my wish list of creative people I would like to interview, but until that happens, I thought I would share my Top 10 Kelly Wearstler interiors with you. Enjoy!

I am the proud owner of Domicilium Decoratus #2885 (of 3000) and this entry vestibule  in the 1956 Hal Levitt house has always been one of my favorite rooms in the book with its eclectic mix of neoclassical and Moorish furniture and accessories.

Kelly has said that one small item can give rise to a bigger story and I love the horse sculpture’s pride of placement in this refined living room setting.

This is the first of several rooms in a Brentwood Estate that made my Top 10. Did you know that this circular dining room with bright yellow walls, rock crystal chandelier, starburst ceiling and custom furniture and rugs designed by Kelly was inspired by André Arbus?

The library in the Brentwood Estate features custom red bookshelves trimmed in black and gold. The chairs are Provençal and the antique desk is from Harris Kratz.

The living room in the Brentwood Estate is decorated in a pearl gray and yellow combination that was considered rather subdued for Kelly. The geometric carpet was designed by Kelly and she topped it with a vintage Jean de Merry coffee table that I love.

I love the mix of charcoal gray and cream with vintage brass floor lamps in the den of the Hillcrest Estate. And I love Kelly’s decision not to cover the bay window to allow plenty of light into the room.

The Hillcrest foyer is quintessential Kelly. Bold pattern, vibrant color, texture and interesting details combined fearlessly for immediate impact.

The Hillcrest master bedroom features custom carpet designed by Kelly, an antique glass chandelier, sculptural vintage furnishings, and she orchestrates a color combination of pyrite, alabaster and onyx. I would move in tomorrow. I love this room.

I don’t pretend to be an interior designer, but if given the opportunity to design a boutique hotel, I would not say no. In fact, I would go big and make every corner special, just as Kelly does at the Viceroy Anquilla. This lobby is inviting and insures that guests will gather and have a few cocktails.

Again, at the Viceroy Santa Monica, Kelly nails the idea that creating spaces where guests feel welcome in a hotel is always a good thing. A major draw in this library are the books and comfortable seating areas where guests can spend a leisurely afternoon.

Photos courtesy of Kelly Wearstler, Inc.

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