Oct.

9

Kelly Wearstler Rhapsody

Why do we admire KELLY WEARSTLER so much? I’ve thought about this alot the past few days and I believe it can be summed up in one word: fearlessness. Without a doubt, Kelly is the master of her universe and lives in a fantastical world of technicolor, texture, pattern and metallics. We’ve all studied her designs and I’ve written about her on Zavvi Rodaine, but the one question I always had: What is the method to her brilliant madness?

I got my answer in her new book Rhapsody. Thanks to Rizzoli I spent this past weekend behind-the-scenes in Kelly’s world and I was thrilled that she shared the details of her creative process. Since I know you’re curious about Kelly’s design process here are a few of Kelly’s “tricks of the trade” and thoughts on design with photos from Rhapsody to encourage you to live fearlessly too!

“When your eye travels around the space, it should be captivated by every view.”

“There is no place for rigidity in design.”

“The organic sweep of the staircase juxtaposed against the graphic features of the grand stair vestibule manifests a kind of sexual tension.”

“A graphic pattern can ignite a small room, or make a tiny vestibule come alive.”

“I take hundreds of photos a week.”

“My inspiration tray is a library of all the elements in a given room, each piece is loose and free-floating to accommodate the inevitable changes that arise over the course of a project.”

“I am fearless in my approach and I encourage my clients to be the same.”

“Sometimes more is more.”

“A space that is entirely new and uniform lacks the soulfulness that can make a room feel like a brilliantly engaging old friend, rather than a cool unapproachable acquaintance.”

“Every element requires thoughtful attention.”

“Contrast and contradiction are what create drama and excitement.”

“Wherever the spirit moves you, follow it. Toss aside convention, eschew the derivative, and never be afraid of bold colors.”

“In some cases, a pared down vignette can make a powerful statement, a single, important chair, set against a beautiful wall, creates a striking image.”