Glamour queen Kelly Wearstler gets it done. From her Georg Jensen homewares collection and eponymous lighting and furniture brand to high-end hotels, Hollywood’s favourite designer is a prolific dream weaver. The American mother of two is responsible for the kaleidoscopic cool at the Viceroy hotel, Santa Monica, the raw exuberance of the Four Seasons Anguilla Resort, and countless A-lister homes (Cameron Diaz and Gwen Stefani are clients).
Catching eyes all over the globe, Wearstler has built her business into a multi-platform design empire. “I’ve always stayed true to myself, strived to remain authentic and have never followed trends,” she says. “My philosophy – in both life and work – is to stay curious, take risks and live with passion.”
The interior designer approaches every project – whether it’s a hotel, a piece of furniture or a collection of fabric – with the same dedication. “They all play an important part of the evolution of my design story.” As passionate about design as she is, her role as mother to Elliott and Oliver takes priority. “At the end of the day, I want my boys to see me happy and fulfilled in all parts of my life.”
The family hub is a grand five-bedroom Beverly Hills mansion on 5260 sq m, which epitomises the Wearstler brand – opulent and edgy, tailored and uninhibited all at once. In true Wearstler style, the look is fearless, balancing surrealism, graphic detail and overarching glitz. Aesthetics aside, home is a work-free zone. “Accomplishing so much during the day allows me to dedicate as much of my home time to the personal as possible.”
The house was originally built in 1926 as a Spanish Colonial, which took on a Georgian feel after a ’30s renovation. Before Wearstler and her husband, CEO Brad Korzen, bought the home, it belonged to the family of Albert R. Broccoli, producer of the James Bond lms. “We are a family of huge Bond fans. It is fun to think of all of the amazing Hollywood personalities who have passed through [here].”
For the designer, who thrives on the tension of opposites, tailoring the classic piece of architecture to her family required a big contemporary counterpoint. This came in the form of new marble oors to the entry and a bigger, more refined floor plan throughout. Outside, a swimming pool and pavilion is the entertaining hotspot – and Beverly Hills dream.
Throughout the process, Korzen and the kids took their role of client very seriously in the ultimate collision of Wearstler’s two worlds. “Educating my sons’ eyes, taking them to auctions and choosing furniture is a great joy,” she says. “As with any project, the ones where the client has a strong voice turn out the best.” Here, the message is loud and clear. “Our home feels like our family.”
KELLY WEARSTLER’S STYLE RULES
1. To achieve balance, there must be a thoughtful mix of texture, history, pattern and colour.
2. Scale is imperative. Quieter details are necessary to ground bigger voices and allow statement pieces to shine.
3. The elements within the space should have a dialogue with one another. There has to be a hierarchy within a space.
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