Q + A with Kelley
Charlie here, the other half of Kelley Lively. I’m sitting down with my super talented wife of almost 10 years to discuss the ins and outs of the business and design process, as well as life as a business owner/designer/wife/mom…
Why did you get into interior design?
I’ve always noticed the details. Put me in a room where something is not symmetrical, level or balanced and I start rearranging everything. I grew up in the building industry and have always been so inspired by beautiful spaces taking note of all the finishing details and dreaming of how I’d do things in my own home. After college and the corporate world, I decided to return to my roots and work in the family business. It’s there where I found how much I loved working with clients in their homes, helping them make selections, contributing to their own dream homes coming true. In 2013, we started Interiors by Kelley Lively and have grown from there. Project after project the design passion just burns stronger and I can’t get enough of it.
What is your favorite part of the design process?
All of it. No really, if I had to pick one, it’s seeing the space all come together at the end. There’s so much anticipation and excitement. Installation day is such a wonderful chaos with our team and I love working toward something beautiful together.
What’s your least favorite part?
Waiting. I’m not very patient and encouraging my clients to do something I’m not great at either is hard to do. Quick design is never good so it’s always a lesson in patience. But always worth it.
If you could describe your style aesthetic in one word, what would it be?
Simple. I don’t like to overcomplicate anything, especially design.
How have your designs changed over the years?
I’ve always tried to keep things simple and neutral but I’ve slowly incorporated different styles over time curating a more custom look. It takes a little more boldness to mix and match styles and keep a balanced space but overall it ends up feeling unique to our clients and that’s the goal.
Speaking of clients, how do you think they’d describe you?
I’ve been told I have good energy :) I do get really excited about design so I guess that’s accurate. I’ve found I’ve been able to gain my clients trust early in the process so that during those times we are waiting on furniture or seeing half of a project complete, they can maintain the vision we created together because of trust. Those are always the best working relationships in my experience.
How do you balance work, life, and family?
It’s not easy, as you know. I was raised to be an early riser, my dad always said that to be successful and have fun you have to get up early. I feel like that helps me steal hours of the day. Utilizing resources available to us have been key. We try to delegate and outsource to people who are more skilled or efficient at something when we can so that we can have time with our family and not try to do it all. There’s a lot of tag teaming between us and times when we have to be intentional to take a break to keep the balance.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
I like the organic growth our firm has seen recently and I’d like to continue to do so in a way that feels natural by doing what I love. I enjoy large scale renovations where I can get to know my clients well and design their home room by room and design additional vacation or second homes for them. We’ve also had a couple of commercial projects come up for our firm that I’m excited to work on in the near future. The sky’s the limit but I’m dedicated to being mindful about our growth and making educated decisions about growing our team and projects.