We recently connected with Kelly Knight and have shared our conversation below.
Kelly, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?
I studied interior design at the Savannah College of Art and Design and received a BFA degree that was a great foundation for the industry. At first, I was really interested in commercial work and thought residential design and decorating wasn’t my career path. However, the more I worked in commercial the less I liked it because there were so many people involved. I wish I had figured this out sooner. When I was offered a position with Hamilton Design Associates as a residential designer working on a Thai themed residence for a billionaire, that really changed my mind. Working on a smaller scale project with a big budget where the details mattered really taught me a lot about design and how important designers are on residential projects. Later, I went on to work for Stephen Sills Associates, and learned more about scale, proportion and editing. This has been key to developing my skill as a designer and my taste level changed substantially. When I was in college, I didn’t have an internship, and I feel that would have provided some insight into my preference of residential to commercial, but many of the skills you need aren’t taught in school and are learned on the job. The most important piece of advice I can give is to listen to your gut and it will lead you to do what you love.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
I grew up in Carmel Indiana and always had a love for the creative side of things in school. I even took a class on interior design, jewelry and photography in high school. After working for many years in interior design, I recently returned to Savannah from New York City, where I worked in residential design for Stephen Sills Associates for the last 14 years. I loved every minute of working with Stephen, but I wanted more, a business for myself. Several projects I worked on with Stephen have been published in Architectural Digest, World of Interiors, Elle Decor and as well as Stephen’s books, Stephen Sills: Decoration, and Stephen Sills: A Vision for Design. This experience included assisting homeowners with renovations, new construction, as well as decorating and installation. I’m also well-versed in collaborations with architects, contractors, and fabricators, and I’m currently looking to take on projects from one room to an entire house. What makes my talent unique is taking risks and put things together in unique ways. Sprinkling in some antique or vintage pieces, or painting something differently can create an interior that’s unique to your taste and most importantly you look forward to being at home. Knowing I’ve accomplished this is what motivates me as a designer.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
I think living and working in New York City really makes you resilient to the challenges and difficulties that are faced in interior design. It certainly thickened my skin. When you’re working on a project, there are always what I call, ‘unforeseen circumstances’. We are all human, and things in person are different than they are on paper or in a rendering. And most of the time, this makes for a better design. When I was working for Stephen, we had a client who insisted on buying a chandelier she had found in Paris. When the crate arrived, it wouldn’t fit thru the elevator door (thankfully this was not my fault! ) or thru any door to get it into the apartment. Rolling with the punches, I had to figure out how to get this chandelier into their apartment. Stephen and the client were insistent the chandelier was going to be hung in that dining room and he gently sawed off two arms on the chandelier leaving them dangling by their electrical wires. I coordinated the temporary storage, hired a company to crane it up to the 8th floor in the middle of Manhattan, have the window of the dining room removed, and we shimmied it into the opening. Once it was in, the arms were reattached, a decorative artist touched it up, and the window was put back in. Problem solved.
Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?
In interior design, it’s so rewarding to know that someone loves their home more because of what I helped them create from their vision. 
Contact Info:
- Website: kellyknightdesign.com
- Instagram: kellyknight.design kellyknightjewelry
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100090254135169
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelly-knight-724623171/
- Other: https://www.pinterest.com/kellyknightdesign
- https://www.behance.net/kellyknight1
Image Credits:
Last photo design by Stephen Sills Associates and photo by Francois Hallard