At Houston Design Center Nov. 8
It's not all Black & White: Interior designer Celerie Kemble believes comfort iskey to a great room
Celerie Kemble
Black & White (And a Bit In Between) by Celerie Kemble
Celerie Kemble is a Florida-born Harvard graduate, a wife and mother, a socialite and J. Crew it-girl, and an NYC-based interior designer for Kemble Interiors. She has published one design book, To Your Taste: Creating Modern Rooms with a Traditional Twist, and another — Black and White (and a Bit in Between): Timeless Interiors, Dramatic Accents, and Stylish Collections — is set for release on Tuesday.
Kemble will be at the Houston Design Center on Nov. 8 and at Greenwood King on Nov. 10. At both events, she will discuss her book and sign copies.
CultureMap: You graduated from Harvard (with a concentration in English literature) and worked as a film producer. How did you transition from film to interior design? Did you ever expect to make that change?
Celerie Kemble: Right out of college, I moved to New York City, thinking that I'd find my way to LA eventually. I started with decorating my own apartment, shopping at flea markets and dumpster diving. My friends saw that I was willing to scrounge and hunt, and they asked for my help decorating, so I worked on decorating their rooms. I was doing that on the nights and weekends for fun, and working a regular job at a film production company during the day. Finally, a light bulb went off in my head and I was like, "People do this professionally!"
I encourage my clients to think primally before they decide. Managing light and temperature, things that your body comes into direct contact with. Close your eyes, take a sensual survey of the room. . . Think with your nerves, not with your brain.
CM: What is it like working with your mother - Mimi McMakin, founder of Kemble Interiors?
CK: It's funny, because I didn't want to follow in my mother's footsteps. Now my mother and I are incredibly close, and I'm glad to be compared and contrasted with her. My mom owns the business in Palm Beach, Fla., and I am a partner in the New York office. We don't work on the same projects. . . but we commiserate, and share ideas and inspiration all of the time. I talk to her over the phone at least three times a day.
Our aesthetics are not vastly different, it's just that our clients are different. We're both creatures of the same media world. We both share a backbone of traditional comforts and scale. If anything, I would say that I am a tad trendier than she is, but only because I'm naive enough to believe that every time something comes into style, it's the first time.
CM: Tell me about your new book, Black and White (and a Bit in Between).
CK: The book is an array of other designers' work, sort of as historical reference. It's all about the use of black and white in interior design, but it quickly began to incorporate color, because I'm still very attracted to color. And nothing is really black and white — there is an array of other neutrals and shades of gray that play a part in a design as well.
This was my conceit to look at design differently. To take a step back and focus on form, function, durability and integrity. It was a way of approaching my business with a new set of eyes, by curating an inspiration board and a lesson plan. . . The book is more about topic than any particular method. For me, it is very important to always be studying other designers' work.
CM: I understand that you've visited Houston before - what are some places that you'd like to revisit while you're here in November?
CK: I've been working on a project in Houston for a while, and I love the town! There are great resources, really good crafts people and paint finishers. Ruth Gay at Chateau Domingue has the most delicious array of materials I've ever seen.
CM: What is your idea of comfort? Do you have any quick tips to cozy up a space?
CK: Comfort is always having somewhere to rest your drink or put your book down. It's wonderfully upholstered furniture, a nice sink into down, a pleasant pitch to a chair. Comfort is a soft fabric and the ability to regulate temperature with ease - fans, or a throw blanket, or windows with screens.
I encourage my clients to think primally before they decide. Managing light and temperature, things that your body comes into direct contact with. Close your eyes, take a sensual survey of the room. . . Think with your nerves, not with your brain. Part of the design process shouldn't focus on aesthetics. You should conduct a review that's visceral and sensual before you only commit to things based on the aesthetic.
Both Houston events are free and open to the public. Seating is limited and reservations are required. Call (713) 864-2660, or visit the Houston Design Center website for the Nov. 8 event. RSVP to thelobby@greenwoodking.com for the Nov. 10 event.
