Interior designer and lifestyle expert Kerrie Kelly is known for her distinctive California-inspired design philosophy. She got her start at Ralph Lauren Home and then moved to Del Webb Corporation where she was a boots-on-the-ground high-volume designer of homes, before founding her multi-faceted design studio, Kerrie Kelly Design Lab, in 1995. A graduate of both design and business school, she blends both of these skill sets in her work as an interior designer, trendspotter, and brand partner. She’s driven by a commitment to bringing thoughtful design into everyday life, which for Kerrie means blending beauty with functionality and translating that through a palette of luxurious and organic materiality.

Learn more about Kerrie Kelly on her website.

Kerrie Kelly: what is the story that I can tell to a homeowner or a potential client about the product beyond what you look, touch and feel already. I want to tell you the romance.
Amy Devers: Hi everyone, I’m Amy Devers and this is Clever. Today I’m talking to Kerrie Kelly - a renowned interior designer and lifestyle expert known for her distinctive California-inspired design philosophy.She founded the Kerrie Kelly Design Lab in 1995 with the goal of making great design more accessible, which over time has evolved into a commitment to bringing thoughtful design into everyday life. As CEO & Creative Director, Kerrie has received national recognition for her expertise in interior design. She is a Fellow, Design Luminary Award recipient, and Past-Chair to the National Board for American Society of Interior Designers or ASID; a National Kitchen & Bath Association Board Member; and Houzz Advisory Board Member. Her insights on the latest design trends and new products have been featured in The Washington Post, Real Simple, and Houzz, among other publications. And she’s been interviewed and featured by media outlets such as Forbes, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and USA Today. In addition to Interior Design, a big part of Kerrie’s work involves brand partnerships in which she provides strategic insight to develop and execute marketing strategies, and connects the brand partner to the design & lifestyle communities in ways that truly resonate. So with her creative outputs spanning interior design, marketing strategy, trendspotting, and multimedia content creation - Kerrie is a genuine force, and… an absolute ray of sunshine… Here’s Kerrie…
Kerrie Kelly: Hi there, I’m Kerrie Kelly from Kerrie Kelly Design Studio, I’m in Sacramento, California and I’m an interior designer and lifestyle expert because I just can’t stop! (Laughter)
Amy: That’s great. I want to know not only why you can’t stop, but how you got started?
Kerrie: Well, how I got started, I went to school for interior design and for business and once I graduated from Cal Poly in San Louis Obispo I worked for Ralph Lauren Home Collection. And it was there that I really honed the eye for just a timelessness aesthetic, a timeless aesthetic I guess I would say. A classic look and feel and a certain elegance and attention to detail.
Amy: I think that’s so interesting that you studied design and business at the same time and I think that’s really, really smart. And what a profound and formative first work experience working for Ralph Lauren Home Collection. How long were you there for?
Kerrie: So I was at Ralph Lauren Home Collection for five years and while I went to school for interior design and business, and not at the same time, business was after the fact, I feel like my real education was at Ralph Lauren, for sure, and then with that, in working at the Home Collection, I had the opportunity to do many residential homes for people and that’s where my career moved into working for Del Webb Corporation and so that was my other ‘education’ in this home builder, production home building scenario where we were building a thousand homes a year, each home built in 86 days. We did tens of thousands of homes throughout Northern California, Central California and Western Nevada. This girl put boots on and got out in the field and understood exactly when we design something on paper, how that translates out in the field. And really developed my appreciation for our trade contractors and partners that we have in our industry, for sure.
Amy: That makes a lot of sense. That’s a lot of volume in terms of housing. And you were spec’ing all of the materials on the interiors and were you also spec’ing the façades and… wow, so you were designing neighborhoods, not just homes.
Kerrie: Yeah. Communities, for sure.
Amy: Communities!
Kerrie: It’s a definite mind shift and I’m glad I started on the Ralph Lauren side because that was luxury and layers and just a real lifestyle brand. So then to move into the other end of the spectrum for production home building where accessible to many people, we were building for an active adult demographic. So in their mind this was the last home that they were ever going to have, the home they had saved up for their whole life. But at the same time they’re going into a phase of life where it needed to be very functional, very liveable and one story, it was just a different time. Empty nesters who had worked and they were ready to have a good time, make a new set of friends and just really enjoy life.
Amy: Wow. Those are two actually really amazing experiences in terms of one, understanding people’s aspirational desires and what they can spend their discretionary income on, and then the other, like really getting down and dirty with what does life look like as it morphs through the stages? And what do we need at certain stages of our life and how can we set up these areas and these homes so that people can gracefully move through their life in a way that this home is supporting them. That’s so cool.
Kerrie: For sure, and that’s where I would say that concept of thoughtful design really came to me as a designer. It’s interesting all those things that you mentioned and you talked about specifying materials that are going to support a lifestyle and that sort of thing. Also how do we make these homes that are in a production situation and if there are 7,000 of them in one community, how does that person feel unique, special, how are we personalizing it for them? And on the exterior, it was with a color palette and with a stone selection just to have that curb appeal. And then when it came to the interior it was backsplashes and countertops and paint colors and flooring types, where we could have maybe a set of 27 different plans for a community, but have everyone feel like they had their personal version of it. So that when they came over for the wine party it wasn’t that Sandy had the same situation as Billy had in her home kind of thing.
Amy: Yes, got it! I’m glad you brought up the idea of thoughtful design because as I was researching this, I understand you founded Kerry Kelly Design Lab in 1995 and you currently serve as CEO and creative director and lead a team with a commitment of bringing thoughtful design into everyday life. And so you already started talking about it a bit and I’m starting to understand, but I’m wondering now in your current role, what does ‘thoughtful’ mean to you and what does it look like in a practical sense, in terms of bringing it into people’s everyday lives?
Kerrie: Yeah, it truly is bringing the beautiful together with the functional. And so a lot of times I think when someone thinks of a designer, they think oh, I want them to make my house pretty. But that means nothing if we can’t make it functional for you and have it support your lifestyle.
Amy: A hundred percent.
Kerrie: We want to tailor it for these unique needs that every client has. And with that, we’re listening to them, we’re paying attention to every detail, we’re thinking about sustainability, we’re also thinking about their wellbeing and what do they do in their house every day that we may be able to make it a little bit easier with our specification. So if we have a countertop, let’s say, maybe we aren’t going to have a tiled countertop in the kitchen because who wants to clean that grout? We’re going to do something low maintenance, low maintenance quartz that the kids can sit up at and if a sharpie hits the countertop it’s okay. If the wine gets spilled on the countertop, it’s okay.
Amy: Wine and sharpies, that’s my life! (Laughs)
Kerrie: Right? And maybe a dog or two, we want to have performance fabric and really just have your home support what you’re doing there every day. And that means for everyone, that’s the two year old to the 102 year old and I think that was part of what I learned at Del Webb, to have… a gracious home really involves a sense of visitability, so where anyone can come and visit and feel comfortable. But also liveability where we all just feel that we can be a part of the action in the action, in the outdoor space, in all these common areas.
Amy: I love to hear you celebrate function like that because I’m a designer/maker, not interior designer, but my focus has always been on custom design build, interiors and furniture. So often I see designs that look beautiful and I’m like, it only looks beautiful in the photo because the minute you start living in that space, there’s no storage, so all your clutter is going to be everywhere, that kitchen is totally not functional, so you’re going to have spices and your dry goods out on the counter. Why don’t we actually think about what people need so that when their home is in its natural state, not in its photo-ready state, but in its natural state, it feels as good and as aspirational as you want it to. And so hearing you pay attention to the function underneath the beauty or with the beauty, in concert with the beauty gives me chills in the best possible way.
Kerrie: Well good, we’re doing our job then, good, good.
Amy: So happy to hear that! I’m interested, you studied business in addition to design and you’ve built out this really robust practice now that also includes designing interiors, product development and working with brands and you are a design partner with brands. So I’m wondering if you can maybe just describe for me what kind of the high level overview of your studio practice looks like?
Kerrie: Yeah, it’s moved more into working with the brand partners. And I think after you specify something in a certain vertical so many times again and again from a specific brand, those relationships are very easily formed. And for me, I’m digging a little deeper to say, who is behind this brand? And is there a family story here? And wow, I really believe in that. As far as creating the value of an interior designer where everything is so transparent, especially when it comes to pricing, what is the story that I can tell to a homeowner or a potential client about the product beyond what you look, touch and feel already. I want to tell you… and I learned a little bit of that about that storytelling at Ralph Lauren, where every piece of furniture had a story to tell, the distressed leather, the nail heads, the romance of it. So I really fell in love with that aspect of design and it’s translated with my brand partners. Sometimes they have a great product, but they aren’t necessarily speaking designer to have their product reach the design community as it should. And so I’m able to push that along and help them tell that story and share how I’ve used a product and have another designer relate to that or another homeowner say wow, I could fold that in really easily, that speaks to me.
Amy: It sounds like you’re sort of the…the bridge between the brand really understanding their end users and how to design for their end user, and the end user really understanding their materials and where they’re coming from and how they’re manufactured and if they’re sustainable and why they’re important and if they have a soul.
Kerrie: Yeah, for sure, it involves collaborating with the brands to highlight their products in innovative ways and really demonstrating that through the practical benefits and just so many of them are doing… not only innovative things, but responsible things when it comes to sustainability. So we want to make sure all of that is getting out into the world and that story is being told.
Amy: Speaking of that story, I’m really glad you brought that up because I understand one of the things that you do is you report on trends. And so I would love to touch on that quickly, and I’ll be transparent, upfront, like I sometimes bristle at the word ‘trends,’ especially when people think of it as just superficial style fads. But frequently what trends really are referring to is this reflection of society and this reflection of technological advancements where real progress is being made in terms of innovation, sustainability, things like that. So considering that you’re really up to date in everything, I wonder if you can tell me about a few trends that you’ve noticed that actually represent real progress?
Kerrie: Yeah. I just got back from Milan, so typically whatever I see in Milan at Design Week translates to the United States in about three years, so I love being on that cutting edge. I can tell you there’s lots of curves ahead when it comes to furnishings and soft fabrics and really leaning into the comfort of home. But I think the innovation and sustainability story is also quite important. And just as an example, bringing something… recently Eldorado Stone has launched many products and there’s a lightweight stone product that has been amazing for our trade contractors to work with. But what I love is it’s offering this ecofriendly solution. It combines an aesthetic appeal with a texture and an interest and so often we’re talking about biophilic design and bringing nature indoors or having more texture and interest outdoors. And products like this are really coming to light and they’re durable too. Imagine going back to the conversation that we had about the Del Webb Communities, being able to put an interesting stack stone on the outside of one of those houses to personalize it, but then also walking through the home and not necessarily having something matchy-matchy on the fireplace, but something that complements that front stone. And then going out to the backyard and having our outdoor environment accent, that texture in some way as well. All of a sudden from our curb, all the way to the backyard fence, we have a thread of interest, texture, again, that ecofriendly feeling and something that’s very grounding through our home. I just don’t see that going away. I think any time we’re taking something from nature, it’s very relatable to be able to fold that into our homes design.
Amy: I 100% agree with that and I also feel that homes that actually make use or address nature through materiality, but also through the landscape and the site that they’re on, they just have a more organic sense of tranquility I think. And so I’m interested in this lightweight feature, the sustainability is really born of its lightweightness, because shipping…
Kerrie: Yeah, you took the words out of my mouth.
Amy: Okay. (Laughs)
Kerrie: Definitely shipping and transporting that, but also on the other side as far as the installation.
Amy: Yes! The workers, also…
Kerrie: Keeping everyone happy in the equation. I’m getting the aesthetic I want; my team is happy in installing it and then the end result, the homeowner being happy too. Yeah, I don’t think everything in our home, and we’re seeing this beautiful continuous kind of palette going, but I don’t think everything or every room in your home needs an accent wall necessarily, or needs that splash of color, you know? I think sometimes, and you’ve seen the trend of quiet luxury, we can just be a little quiet about it, a bit sophisticated about it, change the texture up a bit. And you were talking about technology, having so many inputs, just truly taking a moment to celebrate nature, that organic design and walk into a space and kind of soak it all in and maybe reset (laughs), grab that bubbly water and move on out to the backyard and just soak it all in. I think that is something that is great for wellbeing and something that we can all do for ourselves and enjoy in our homes.
Amy: You’re fantastic at painting verbal pictures.
Kerrie: Oh good, good! (Laughs)
Amy: I was right there with you. You said ‘bubbly water,’ I had champagne in my glass. (Laughter)
Kerrie: I’m there with you, I was trying to be, you know, PC here I guess. (Laughter)
Amy: I’m really interested in your creative process. You’re painting these verbal pictures, I’m right there with you, I’m feeling the pull together or function. I hear you listening upfront so that you can design the function and then augment it with this really sensuous materiality. I just think that’s such an art. I’m wondering if you can talk me through a creative process, if you’re designing let’s say a residence for a client, what that might look like in terms of how you first understand their needs and then starting putting materials and thinking about space and everything that you think about?
Kerrie: Yeah, you’re right on point. I mean we want to know their aspirations and we want their design to be not only personalized, but meaningful. And so often my first question is, is there anywhere you’ve been as a child or recently on vacation that just sticks in your mind, that you thought, if I could have this at home, all the time, some element of it, what would that be? And so I always love hearing the answers about how they respond to that and how we maybe incorporate that into their design. But there are conversations about travel and about really making the space their own and I’ve found over the years, you know, back in the day housing boom, I guess that would be early 2000s, people would open up a magazine and say, “I want my house to look like this.” And I always felt like, that’s some celebrities house…
Amy: Yeah, that’s somebody else’s house.
Kerrie: That doesn’t feel good. I don’t want you to open up a catalogue and have your house necessarily look like that. That’s when I really started peeling back the layers, getting up in people’s attics. What can we reframe? What can we reupholster? What can we repurpose? So that always helped with the budget conversation, that they knew I was conscious about that.
Amy: Yes!
Kerrie: But then also getting creative as people hunker down in their homes thee past few years, these past five years, and dug a little deeper on who am I, what do I want to celebrate in my home, what do I want to feature when it comes to my travels? My kids work, our spaces and how we use them. Gone is the day, in my life, that there were vacuum marks in the living room, that that room was not to be used. We’re looking at multifunction and again, I just keep going back to supporting the lifestyle of the people that live there and how they truly use their home.
Amy: Can you give me a couple of concrete examples of if somebody tells you about their vacation, how does that translate into your design process?
Kerrie: You know, again, this isn’t for everyone, but we had had this family that had collected all of these masks from their travels, and so there was a feature wall in their home and instead of painting it an accent color, we used it more like a gallery, the whole house was in our Sherwin Williams Snowbound. So the perfect clean backdrop that these dramatic masks that were just repeated down the hallway, again, it felt like a gallery. It told the story of one of their favorite trips and it allowed them, as they travel more, to add to it over time. We do a similar thing throughout many of our homes in using art ledgers. At some point in the family’s life that will feature their kid’s art in frames, but it’s not nailed to the wall in any way. It’s evolving and it can grow with you. And I think when we have things that have that flexibility in our home, the story can change and evolve and not be complicated or frustrating to deal with it. It really can be something that the whole family can be a part of.
Amy: That’s really beautiful. I’m thinking about those masks in the hallway. We had photos and frames, but there were artifacts from travels all over the house, maybe not in an organized way. But those were always the conversation starters, those were the things that we talked about when people came over. When you design your life into your home, it does some of the entertaining for you. It starts the conversations; it also helps people know you without having to ask invasive questions. So there’s something really beautiful about that. Underneath all of that are these really important material choices and when it comes to materiality I’m thinking, you know, there are surface finishes for sure, but underneath so much of the design, or at least anchoring it are things like the moldings, the cabinetry, the flooring, the façades, the countertops, the backsplashes and the hardscaping and the outdoors. And I’ve heard you talk about all of these things and you have such a gift for bringing together a mix of materials that I really want to do a deep dive on materiality with you. You’ve already mentioned stone a couple of times and that’s something I don’t have a lot of experience with. So maybe we can just go deep on stone, like how do you know when to deploy it, where to deploy it, what to choose and what kinds of textures… it’s a big field and I think it’s a really interesting material to be able to compose with, as you do.
Kerrie: Yeah, and as you’re talking, I like talking to you (laughter) and I like how you draw a picture as well. What came to mind for me is this home that we did in Chico and it was a Spanish revival farmhouse which we felt like… this was a few years ago now. We felt like that had never been done before. But with that, again, having, as you would think about as far as your Spanish revival design, a very white stucco exterior and think of that barrel tile roof, that red terracotta looking roof that complements it and even the doors, they were custom made, doors and windows that had the iron detail on it. And again, that stone and tile element that started with that… that’s what the curb appeal was all about, adding that texture, giving a sense of way-finding and a bit of contrast along the way that led us to the front door area. And then walking into the house and with that I remember wanting to create architecture in a way. The style was fairly simplistic, but we wanted to have some sort of a feature wall and that’s where we chose at the fireplace area to have a stone floor to ceiling fireplace that incorporated the television as well.
So we niched that in. It could be artwork, when the television wasn’t on, but when game day came along we could absolutely put that on as well. And then needing to create some architecture and interest on the other side of that room, which was where we put tile on the face of the bar at the kitchen. But because we had so much natural light coming through those custom doors and windows, it was easy to have it seamlessly translate to the outdoor area where we did another feature wall with stone and then we had seat walls and it just really became a seamless… talk about blurring the lines between indoors and outdoors and really feeling like a resort in your own home. It was just a beautiful space and a lot of that, like you mentioned, was done by using stone and having a real… thoughtfulness about that materiality. And I’m talking white walls on the inside and white walls on the outside, but still achieving this drama and architectural beauty.
Amy: What kind of stone did you choose?
Kerrie: So we had a larger stone on the fireplace, very few grout lines. I mean it was Eldorado Stone, it had a white body to it, so it was complementing the walls, it wasn’t stark white like the walls, so it gave just enough interest and intrigue.
Amy: Kind of earthy and warm…
Kerrie: Yeah, you look at that with the fire going or with the television on, not distracting, just complementary, again, that quiet kind of moment that incorporates nature and then outside we went a little bit more bold with our stone choices, a little bit more texture, again complementing the landscape that was outside and that was Eldorado Stone as well. I find it funny in having these conversations, that whether it’s the Del Webb production home building, creating this personality or a total custom home inside and out, using the same product line, but just putting it together in a different way and not using the same stone on the inside as the outside, having it be complementary. I think when you’re using natural materials there’s much more success in achieving the interest without it being matchy-matchy.
Amy: Gosh, you painted such a beautiful picture. When you have such a gorgeous stone situation happening, you talked about the architectural contrast and then we moved in to the complementary stone at the fireplace, what do you do with a kitchen? How do you work a kitchen into that whole program? It seems like the kitchen might be calling out for something a little more functional?
Kerrie: Oh yeah, for sure. Well this particular plan was an open plan and that’s where… just like we were anchoring that fireplace area with the Eldorado Stone, when it came to the kitchen we were anchoring it with the lighting over the island, with the patterned Spanish tile on the front face of the bar area and then with some just beautiful distressed leather bar stools at that barstool area. So just using different elements that still have some weight, in a way, but again, I think that’s… even with the personality of those tiles and even with the lighting and that sort of thing, that spacious feeling and then just imagine jute rugs and natural linen sofas and those layers, we go back to our Ralph Lauren experience, those layers of building that comfort and liveability to the home, that’s where it’s just this thread of every area speaking to each other.
Amy: That sounds so luxurious. Are there other types of stone that you might have applied in completely different situations?
Kerrie: Yeah! There’s one stone that I love, it’s called Rivenwood and it looks like weathered wood and what I love about the product is it shows the actual nail holes and imperfections in it. So I think part of the innovation conversation that you and I were having, to really go deep on what are the details we love about rustic barnwood? What makes that so charming and let’s put on our denim and talk about it kind of thing. (Laughs) To be able to achieve those details and have someone have to touch and say ‘that is definitely wood.’ You don’t know until you truly know what it is. I think that is… I can’t clad a house in barnwood necessarily and have that work out, but I could use this material and have it last for 50 years and have that ecofriendly story, that personality…
Amy: That’s so interesting.
Kerrie: Those detailed elements to be part of what we fall in love with.
Amy: Wait, you’re telling me that there’s a stone façade that looks like wood, but it’s stone? So you get all the benefits of wood, home, that lasts the way stone does?
Kerrie: Absolutely. That’s what I’m talking about. This is where the innovation comes in, I love it. Reading our mind of our favorite things, but putting them in applications where we can confidently specify product and achieve a look at the same time that is all their own. Injecting that personality that we’re talking about of a homeowner.
Amy: How long did it take you, do you think, to get confident with stone? Because you are confident! (Laughs)
Kerrie: Oh gosh, well, I feel like, again, leaning back on that education of did you go to school for interior design or did you put on your boots and go out in the field with Del Webb? And putting on the boots really helped with hundreds of thousands of homes, and I will say both Cultured Stone and Eldorado Stone were the two product lines I relied on for all of those… so for over seven years, I was specifying that, trying to create that elevation, that was different. How many ways can we put this together so people can choose their stone that fits their personality? Have them feel like they had something special in their home and Eldorado Stone and Cultured Stone were what did that for me. So that was 25 years ago and…
Amy: That’s what I was going to ask, I was going to ask… you’ve also seen how they’ve endured, how they’re sort of weathered the test of time, let’s say, both aesthetically and durability-wise and what’s your take on that?
Kerrie: Well my take on that is, it has become quite evident to me and obviously I’ve had the access of a factory tour and that sort of thing, but to see the people behind the product, so like I was saying, really digging on, okay who is behind this? Who is making this product, what does this look like? I think the part that we fall in love with is yeah, it’s made in a factory, that is what it is. But there are people touching, you as an artist and you know exactly what I mean when I say this, there’s a handmade quality to it because there are hands on every single piece. You’re not going to find pieces that are the same. There are pieces that are unique and individual and a collection of course all complements itself and you have a consistency within that coloration and that sort of thing. But people are brushing on the color and touching it and giving that maker feel and that’s where the authenticity comes in. And in talking to the people who work there, they’ve worked there 35 years and oh by the way my sister, and oh by the way my son… you start to feel that through a product. So that’s really what I’ve come to understand over the years beyond specifying it for an exterior. There is a deeper story to be told and it can be felt through the product.
Amy: It can be felt. It can be felt in the materials and I’m so glad to hear you say that. So you’ve got homes out there that have been standing for over 25 years and I love to hear that you’ve done factory tours because I don’t think it’s okay to just blindly specify products that you don’t have full faith in. So like you have to do your homework. And I guess when you start to understand where something is coming from and how it’s made, then you also have a deeper understanding of how you might deploy it out in different ways. But it also sounds like you have now 25 years of relationship with some of the vendors that you specify from, some of the manufacturers. And I’m really interested in the relationships aspect of a design practice. I’ve already heard a bit about how you establish a relationship with a client in terms of really, really trying to understand what their life is like so that you can design to support their life. I’m wondering these other relationships that are so crucial to supporting your business, including with the manufacturers that you specify, what’s your take on relationships and cultivating them and how do you cultivate them so that they can support your business and ultimately the end user?
Kerrie: Yeah, I mean to me relationships are everything and I think the older you get the more you realize that.
Amy: Yeah, and I don’t want to work with anybody that I don’t wanna work with anymore, you know? And I make that choice. I’m like, hmm, I don’t think so…
Kerrie: I know, but there was a time in your life where you needed to say yes to a lot of things that were like, okay. (Laughter)
Amy: For now. (Laughter)
Kerrie: I think you’re younger than me, but we must be similar in age because I have the same thought. We are not doing this unless this is fun and I’m surrounded by people that I love working with and that is a luxury and I’m here to say, great. (Laughs) I love it! I think there are so many interesting things in our interior design industry that we never went to school for, we never knew what this path was going to be. There’s so many different opportunities. It’s one thing to be an interior designer, but guess what, there’s a million versions of what that looks like. And with the relationships that you can build over time, with the client, with your team, the manufacturers, and our organizations like ASID and KBA, it’s priceless. And to be able to pick up the phone to anyone in that network and when you don’t know something or you need a recommendation or a wallpaper hanger in Detroit, whatever, (laughs) to have that network is priceless. And I will say, especially as you pivot through your life, and change and evolve yourself, to have those relationships intact where you can have the measured guardrails to help introduce you to new people and have you think of something in a different way, or collaborate with you is truly a gift. And something of the highest value in my world, for sure, the relationship.
Amy: Yes, I’m hearing that. And I’m also imagining that trust and reliability in terms of who you work with, I mean team members and brand partners and manufacturers, if you can’t trust that the product is going to be of a certain quality or that it’s going to get to you as promised, everything… like dominoes starts to cascade from there. And so you have the benefit now of having been in business for a while that you can weed out the partners that you don’t trust. And so I guess it’s really saying something, the people that you continue to work with now…
Kerrie: Yeah, for sure. It’s multiple times of doing the right thing over and over and over again and watching that, and it’s inspiring and its beautiful see. And to watch these businesses grow too, because it’s wonderful to watch and we cheer them all on. It’s very exciting.
Amy: Where do you see your particular practice heading? It sounds to me like you have a robust and satisfying creative practice. Is there any direction you’re pointing it in or something you’re hoping to do more of?
Kerrie: Yeah, we’ve done a lot of work in the brand partnership area, whether it’s like a brand ambassador or design partner and that sort of thing, and I really know that I love that work. I don’t think it’s as obvious how to do that work and so I think my job moving forward is to bring other designers, younger designers into that fold and highlight some of their talent, some of their work and give them the opportunity to be able to collaborate with these brands, like school never taught them. They thought they were going to be drafting their whole life, but there are some other avenues that could be considered and I think it would be an area where many young designers would thrive and I’m happy to help share that with them.
Amy: I love to hear you say that because I firmly believe that one of the most satisfying, greatest joys there is in life is helping to give a leg up to those that are coming next.
Kerrie: Well, we loved our mentors, right?
Amy: Yes, yes. (Laughs)
Kerrie: I still talk to my instructor at Cal Poly, she lives in San Luis Obispo and I still talk to her today, however many years later. We won’t put the years on that, but it’s a long relationship and my mentor at Del Webb as well. So it’s wonderful to have them in our lives as our extended family.
Amy: You are solid Kerrie Kelly, thank you so much for sharing your story with me, I loved this.
Kerrie: Thanks Amy, you made it so easy and I can talk forever, so next time I will bring the bubbles, and you know what I mean when I say that? (laughter)
Amy: Yes I do! Hey, thanks so much for listening. Thanks again to Westlake Royal Stone Solutions - home to premium stone brands Eldorado Stone and Cultured Stone for sponsoring this episode. For a transcript of this episode, and more about Kerrie Kelly, including links, and images of her work - head to our website - cleverpodcast.com. While you’re there, check out our Resources page for books, info, and special offers from our guests, partners and sponsors. And sign-up for our free substack newsletter - which includes a bonus q&a from Kerrie. If you like Clever, we would love your support: - share Clever with your friends, leave us a 5 star rating, or a kind review, support our sponsors, and hit the follow or subscribe button in your podcast app so that our new episodes will turn up in your feed. We love to hear from you on LinkedIn, Instagram and X - you can find us @cleverpodcast and you can find me @amydevers.Clever is hosted & produced by me, Amy Devers. With editing by Mark Zurawinski, production assistance from Ilana Nevins and Anouchka Stephan and music by El Ten Eleven. Clever is a proud member of the Surround podcast network. Visit surroundpodcasts.com to discover more of the Architecture and Design industry’s premier shows.

Thanks to Westlake Royal Stone Solutions, home of premium stone brands Cultured Stone and Eldorado Stone for sponsoring this episode.

Stunning Spanish Farmhouse (pictured above) Kerrie Kelly Studio

Clever is produced and hosted by Amy Devers with editing by Mark Zurawinski, production assistance from Ilana Nevins and Anouchka Stephan, and music by El Ten Eleven.