Kelly Wearstler

Discover the life and work of Kelly Wearstler (born 1967) — American interior designer, brand-maker, and tastemaker. Explore her journey, style, philosophy, and legacy in the worlds of interiors, hospitality, and lifestyle.

Introduction

Kelly Wearstler is one of the most influential voices in contemporary design. With a bold, eclectic aesthetic and a flair for narrative through space, she has redefined how interiors, hotels, and consumer products can carry identity and drama. From ambitious boutique hotels to bespoke homes and curated product lines, Wearstler’s vision spans scales and disciplines. Her journey—from thrift store explorations with her mother, to founding her own studio, to becoming a global design icon—illustrates how creativity, risk, and storytelling can transform a field.

Early Life and Influences

Kelly Wearstler was born on November 21, 1967 in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

As a child, she accompanied her mother and older sister on trips to flea markets, auctions, and thrift shops. This early exposure to vintage furnishings, art, and varied material culture informed her evolving aesthetic.

Wearstler studied interior and graphic design at the Massachusetts College of Art in Boston. Cambridge Seven Associates in Boston and Milton Glaser’s studio in New York.

Career and Achievements

Early Career & Founding Her Studio

In the mid-1990s, Wearstler moved to Los Angeles with ambitions partly in set decoration and film design. Kelly Wearstler Interior Design (KWID).

Her early commissions came from connections in real estate. Notably, she worked on residences and properties owned by developer Brad Korzen, whom she later married (2002).

Hospitality & Hotel Design

One of Wearstler’s breakthrough arenas was hotel design. Her collaborations with the Viceroy Hotels chain attracted wide attention, especially for properties in Palm Springs and Santa Monica.

As her reputation grew, KWID expanded to include high-end residential interiors, retail, commercial spaces, product design (furniture, lighting, fabrics, accessories), and architecture.

Publications & Media Presence

Wearstler has published several design books that showcase her projects and philosophy:

• Modern Glamour: The Art of Unexpected Style (2004)

• Domicilium Decoratus (2006)

• Hue (2009)

• Rhapsody (2012)

• Evocative Style (2019)

She also served as a judge on Bravo’s Top Design in 2007–2008, bringing her personality and aesthetic tastes to a broader design audience.

In 2020, she became the first interior designer to teach a MasterClass, sharing her design philosophy with a global audience.

Recent Projects & Brand Expansion

In later years, Wearstler has continued expanding her influence through collaborations, product lines, and emerging design realms. Her studio describes its ethos as rooted in “exploration of elemental dichotomies”, combining craft, history, context, and innovation.

She has worked as design partner for Proper Hotels, her husband’s boutique hospitality group.

Wearstler frequently speaks about “material mixology”, the art of combining textures, scales, eras, and materials in dynamic ways that feel layered and expressive.

Design Style & Philosophy

Kelly Wearstler’s design aesthetic is often described as maximalist, layered, and expressive—a contrast to the minimalist trend.

Her philosophy places storytelling at the center: before designing, she often asks clients, “What story do you want to tell? How do you want to feel in the space?”

She values tension—juxtaposing opposites (light/dark, soft/hard, old/new) to create dynamism.

Legacy, Influence & Recognition

Kelly Wearstler’s influence extends well beyond individual interiors:

• Industry Icon: She has been consistently named to lists like Elle Decor A-List, AD100, Wallpaper’s Top Designers, and Time Style & Design 100.

• Trendsetter: Her lush, decorative style helped shift the mainstream conversation in interiors—reviving the decorative, embracing boldness, and pushing beyond minimalism.

• Mentor & Platform Builder: Her collaborations and curated galleries support emerging designers and products she admires.

• Narrative Design: She has helped frame design as narrative, emotion, and experience rather than just function.

• Public Voice: Through books, media, and teaching, she brings interior design into broader cultural discourse.

Notable Quotes & Insights

Here are a few reflections attributed to or paraphrased from Kelly Wearstler’s interviews and writings:

“The best projects are inevitably the ones in which the client has a strong voice and distinctive point of view. My job is to be a good listener and run the clients’ vision through my filter.”

On “material mixology”: her term for how she layers textures, finishes, colors, and forms in interiors in a creative alchemy.

She often emphasizes that she designs “by how it feels” more than by strict rules—instinct plays a large role in her sensibility. (Discussed in Lady of the House profile)

Lessons from Her Journey

1. Trust intuition: Wearstler shows that instinct, not just formula, can lead to bold, beautiful spaces.

2. Mix boundaries: Her work blurs lines between product, interior, architecture, storytelling.

3. Embrace contradictions: Tension and juxtaposition generate depth in design.

4. Build a brand, not just projects: She transformed her name into a lifestyle brand, with extension into products, education, and influence.

5. Stay curious: Her ongoing collaborations and experiments reflect a mindset of growth, not stasis.