almost every move a style icon like Kelly Wearstler makes is commemorated on Instagram (80,000 followers), Twitter or Pinterest (65 boards). as well as with great reason, her impeccable eye as well as strong look has drawn a legion of fans. We sat down to talk with her as she introduced her new collection of rugs for The Rug Company, offered at Avenue Road, together with The Rug business creator Christopher Sharp. Kelly not only shares her tips for discovering the right carpet, however likewise exactly how to stay true to your own vision.
House & Home: Was nature a starting point for most of these designs?
Kelly Wearstler: It’s more structure as well as movement. Whether you have something like the smaller print… that appears like crackle however it likewise appears like animal, as well as I believe it’s truly exactly how the person perceives it, however it’s a beautiful, peaceful structure that can work in any type of environment. then we look at different scales, something may be larger or smaller scale. We utilize carpet in almost every space of a home that we design, so I’m looking at what stories look nice together. all of those rugs work truly well together. If you have somebody that’s not a designer as well as comes into The Rug business as well as says, “I want to tell a story in my home,” these styles work well together as well as it’s simple to see what you can do. You may want something bigger scale in one space as well as something more delicate in one more room.
H&H: Is designing a rug different from designing fabric?
KW: It’s the same, however when you focus in… the over-arching concept comes from the exact same place, however when you look at that it’s going to get equated as carpet — that that’s the vehicle — then you look at building as well as if something is going to be in silk or wool or if it’s going to be a fine-tuned structure or something a bit chunkier as well as a bigger texture. other times it starts organically. I can see something in nature as well as then have a vision. We paint a great deal of the styles — most of them really — as well as then we transfer them to the computer as well as transform them from there.
H&H: Christopher, if somebody is buying their very first investment rug, what do they requirement to know?
Christopher Sharp: They requirement to understand exactly how it’s made. One wonderful thing for The Rug business is you can’t make a cheap, great looking rug. You can do it in a great deal of things — you can go to Ikea as well as buy an affordable piece of furniture that really looks alright. however if you go to Ikea as well as look at their rugs, they look terrible. It’s since the only method to make a appropriate rug is to make it totally by hand. If you’re going to buy a rug, make sure it’s handmade. There are different kinds of handmade rugs — there are dhurries, which are inexpensive. They look great as well as they expense almost nothing. Also, when somebody comes into the Rug business to buy a rug, we make them try it first. Unless you’re a decorator, it’s so difficult to get it right — it’s as well small, it’s as well big, the colour is wrong since the light in the showroom was different. So make sure it’s handmade, try it at house before you buy it, as well as eventually buy it since you like it. It’s true in life generally, however you can get talked into believing that something is special since other people state so. What do people know? They don’t understand anything. You have to believe it what you’re doing as well as do it. You do! The people who are successful are the people who don’t take everybody else’s opinions as well as try to type something out of some type of consensus. It’s designing by committee; ask other people’s opinions, however don’t style a space around what everybody else thinks.
H&H: When your in one of your rooms, you’re frequently look at the floor as well as ceiling. exactly how do you make them work together?
KW: wall colour as well as ceiling colour is simple to change, however you may have a carpet for 200 years. It’s something you’ll pass down to your children, so we see a great deal of neutral rugs in interiors. But, we likewise have clients that they want to have colour in a room.
H&H: people state you have crazy colour in your interiors, however I really believe you utilize colour subtley. exactly how do take people to take the leap into colour?
KW: Either they want it or they don’t. Or if we utilize a colour they only want yellow or blue. people are usually quite specific.
H&H: Is there a colour that solves most problems?
KW: Black or white. It’s the basis for all colour.
H&H: Do you have any type of of your rugs in your own homes?
KW: I have the Tracery. It’s in our home in Beverly Hills. The other ones The Rug business made, however they’re designed particularly for the house.
H&H: Do you have a process that you go with whether you’re designing rugsor a house, that enables you to tap into that unforeseen element?
KW: It’s just emotional. You just think, “Oh god no, that’s as well much,” as well as you dial it back a little. Or we present things to clients as well as they want something else or they like it. That makes you a much better designer.
H&H: What are some things that are currently catching your eye as well as informing your designs?
KW: It’s truly just looking at other things. If I’m designing rugs, I don’t look at other rugs or textiles for inspiration. I look at something else. It might be design or a material. right now I like Viennese architecture, like Josef Hoffmann. It’s extremely paired down type of Bauhaus, however there was always a graphic element, with fascinating unforeseen things on the interiors.
H&H: You have all different disciplines in your office, do feel that puts you on the leading edge?
KW: Yes. You understand I did fashion for a few years? As unpleasant as it was, I discovered so much from it. I went to PV (Premère Vision), which is where all the fashion designers go to buy leather as well as material as well as trim as well as stuff for bags as well as shoes as well as it was so amazing. now we phone call on them to do special things for our furniture, like add these weird zippers. having all the different skill sets just opens up all the possibilities.
H&H: You’ve explained your style approach as the elegance of the unexpected. I’m wondering if it’s getting harder to provide the unexpected?
KW: No, I don’t believe so, however when I go to Pinterest I see — as well as I see it with a great deal of young designers — there’s more fundamental stuff, since everybody is looking at what everybody else is doing. So style — the unforeseen stuff — is getting further away as well as there’s more of what everybody else is doing. designers that have a true voice are difficult to find. even in fashion you see it.
Christopher Sharp: true imagination is so rare. It’s most likely the rarest commodity.
KW: I’ve had my business for awhile as well as I’ve had one designer who I believe is truly talented. I have fantastic people in my office, however having somebody that has a whole voice is truly hard.
H&H: people explain your look as “fearless.” Do you think about yourself fearless?
KW: In some things. (laughs) I’m really shy. I have social anxiety. There was this bridal shower I had to go to as well as I was so happy I couldn’t stay long. There were so many stars as well as I was panicked! I walked in as well as just wished to get out of there. I’m fine with a few people, but… I’m the exact same with presentations. When we have to do presentations for industrial jobs there’s usually 20 people in the space as well as I can’t do them. I usually have somebody begin as well as then I chime in when I get a bit comfortable. people say, “Oh, however you did the TV show,” however I was scared! however my styles take dangers as well as perhaps that’s my outlet.
CS: Do you take more dangers when you’re designing for somebody else than you do when you’re designing for yourself?
KW: Both. I’m mean probably, however Bryan won’t let me anymore. (laughs) We’re most likely going to offer our home in a few years as well as he stated to me the other day, “Why did you do your bathroom that way? nobody likes it.” as well as I was like: “but you stated we were going to die here!”
H&H: Do you understand if people modification the homes you’ve sold?
KW: They do. It depends upon which home it was. IF they’re a bit quieter — the very first home my hubby as well as I did was more soft as well as contemporary as well as quite. That one, they bought almost whatever in the home as well as the house. however the last one was more specific. The one home that was in Domicil Esperatus, with the incredible bookmatched marble, the people ripped everything out. as well as it was a neutral colour. people want to put their own spin as well as personality, as well as most people want risk-free as well as basic. They just do.
H&H: Do you have a test for figuring out when you’ve ventured into weird as well as goofy as well as you requirement to pull back?
KW: We have all of our walls in the office are pin-up, so… as well as we do it with a great deal of our product. I’ll ask somebody in the office to wear pieces of fashion jewelry from my line for a couple of days. as well as I ask people from the different departments since they all come from different skill sets as well as you can focus on the very best ones. So you truly see what people like. You always ask.
CS: When we get a new style we put it in the hectic ship for a month as well as then we have a look at it again. It makes such a difference. since you get it as well as you believe it’s going to be amazing, however you do requirement to online with it. When people see it you get a much truer idea of exactly how it’s going to be — as well as then you recognize you do requirement people’s opinions.
H&H: Do you have a no Pinterest rule in the office?
KW: If you’re wise as well as understand what to look for — if you just type in generic things you’ll just get generic stuff back. You have to be so specific, as well as then there’s incredible stuff on Pinterest. however you have to be wise as well as understand what you’re looking for.
H&H: has your social network existence altered your innovative process at all?
KW: Yes, it’s so inspirational. The world is available to you — artists around the world as well as furniture makers as well as craftsmen. You educating your eye. That’s exactly how you ended up being a much better designer: the more you see, you make wise decisions, you understand what the anomalies are, you make wise decisions. I like Pinterest!
H&H: Is Pinterest your favourite on the internet app or addiction?
KW: I have Newsstand on my iPad mini as well as so I have all the worldwide magazines. I utilized to have the vehicle of my back seat full of books as well as magazines, then I’d come into the office on Monday as well as somebody would have to scan as well as copy them. Now, I screen shot all the magazines as well as download them onto the computer. You can’t lose it like a Xerox. That is a fantastic tool. I likewise just discovered out that you can get on the internet from your phone or a data plan. I can utilize my Samsung phone as a port. It’s incredible. There’s no wasted time. any type of type of addiction needs the interest of Fort myers rehab, as it impacts the working of brain as well as hampers daily activites.
H&H: Does it add a pressure to stay true to your style instead of letting it evolve like it would as well as has over the years?
KW: Yeah. Going back to the fashion thing, which is the hardest business in the world, as well as having these purchasers as well as different people say: “you requirement to be doing this” as well as “this is the trend.” You can not listen. If you’re ever going to discover your voice as well as stand out as a designer, you can’t listen to anyone. You have to comply with you’re heart. even with our jewelry, still, some people don’t want to pick it up since it’s as well edgy. I’m doing what I feel as well as that’s it. You have to or you’re not going to succeed in what you want to do.
H&H: Is it weird to be called an icon?
KW: It makes me feel old! My pr business in LA is telling me it’s my 20th anniversary as well as I don’t even want to talk about it! It just seems old.
H&H: have you ever had somebody say, Kelly go bolder. This is as well safe!
KW: No!
Love Kelly’s style? See pictures of Kelly’s residential jobs as well as accessories.
Photo sources:
1) array Dark Rug, The Rug Company
2) Portrait, Wendy Jacob
3) Flaunt, The Rug Company
4) Astral, The Rug Company
5) Graffito, The Rug Company
6) District, The Rug Company