Kelly Wearstler has built a design language around contrast. Her interiors can be glamorous and raw, playful and sophisticated, historical and unmistakably contemporary, often within the same room. From her Los Angeles studio, she works across residential, hospitality, commercial, and product design, creating spaces where architecture, art, furniture, and materials are treated as parts of one larger composition. The result is immediately recognisable, yet rarely predictable.

The Beauty of the Unexpected

Wearstler’s interiors are rarely built around matching pieces or a single decorative idea. Instead, she creates tension by placing unexpected elements next to one another. A sculptural contemporary chair might sit beside an antique table, while rough stone, polished metal, richly patterned textiles, and expressive artwork occupy the same space. This willingness to experiment gives her rooms a sense of movement, as though every object has been deliberately chosen to challenge something else around it.

Colour with Character

Colour is another important part of Wearstler’s visual vocabulary, but it is rarely used simply to make a room feel cheerful. Deep greens, ochres, burgundy, cobalt, terracotta, soft pinks, and earthy neutrals can appear together, creating palettes that feel both dramatic and grounded. She often allows colour to interact with the natural character of materials, from richly veined marble to timber, plaster, velvet, and stone. The effect is layered rather than polished to perfection, giving her interiors a sense of depth and personality.

Rooms as Collections

There is something almost curatorial about the way Wearstler approaches an interior. Artwork, furniture, ceramics, lighting, textiles, and architectural details are assembled almost like pieces within a private collection. Vintage objects sit comfortably alongside contemporary designs, while bespoke elements give the spaces something that cannot simply be reproduced elsewhere. Her own interest in collecting and her extensive collaborations with artists and designers have helped shape this approach, where individuality matters as much as visual harmony.

Hospitality as Storytelling

Wearstler’s hospitality interiors demonstrate her ability to give an entire building its own personality. The Proper Hotels in Santa Monica, Austin, and other cities combine local references with her highly expressive visual language, while projects such as The Maybourne Beverly Hills bring together historic architecture, contemporary art, rich materials, and custom furniture. These spaces are not designed simply to look impressive in photographs. They are constructed as experiences, with different rooms and details gradually revealing themselves as guests move through them.

Designing Beyond Trends

Perhaps the most enduring quality of Wearstler’s work is its confidence in individuality. Her interiors do not rely on a single period, colour palette, or design movement, and they are rarely concerned with looking fashionable for one particular moment. Instead, they draw from decades of design history while introducing contemporary art, craftsmanship, and unexpected combinations. The result is a style that feels collected, expressive, and deeply personal, proving that the most memorable interiors are often the ones willing to take a few risks.

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