At the recent Surfaces Expo (part of TISE, The International Surface Event) in Las Vegas, we held several in-booth educational sessions on a variety of of topics. One session, “Mix with the Masters”, was a lively designer panel discussion with interior designers Kerrie Kelly and Christopher Kennedy. Facilitated by our own Lindsey Waldrep, VP of Marketing, the discussion focused on mixing interior design styles across decades of design. Here’s a look at some of the insights these talented designers had to offer.
Bold Blends in Modernism
Since our “Bold Blends” theme for Surfaces—and for our approach to product development—was all about mixing styles, colors, and textures to make a statement in interior design, we asked Christopher Kennedy (the author of Making Midcentury Modern) how he blends the iconic looks of 1950s Palm Springs with today’s tastes to keep things contemporary. Christopher was quick to point out that because many of his clients actually lived in the midcentury, they do not want their homes to look like they have gone back in time or to feel like they live in a time capsule. “For me, it’s all about being inspired by the past, mixing in pieces from today,” Christopher explained. He also shared one of his secrets for achieving a successful mix: use clean, modern Italian upholstery mixed with case goods and chairs from the era to create a look that’s fresh and now.
For last year’s Christopher Kennedy Compound (the showhouse of Modernism Week in Palm Springs), our Altered State in a two-color herringbone pattern offered the minimalist look needed for or this modernist space designed by Michel Smith Boyd.
Blending in Wine Country Style
We also turned to Kerrie Kelly, Northern California designer and author of the upcoming California Style: A Wine + Design Tour, for insights on blending the elements of wine country style in designs coast to coast. California style is about stylish, easy-to-live-in interiors and a seamless blend of outdoor living spaces with the indoors. Mixing things up wine country style means incorporating timeless farmhouse looks and white kitchens with touches that make things interesting. For example, Kerrie takes on neutrals-–just in a different way, turning to more modern staples like navy, charcoal, and honey to play the role of neutrals in fresh, mix-and-match style. She’s an advocate of texture and finds that many Crossville tile collections have the tactile, nuanced finishes she wants, yet with the easy-to-clean and simple maintenance characteristics that exemplify laid-back, wine country living.
New Looks to Love
Both Christopher and Kerrie are fans of our gauged porcelain tile panels, saying that clients are really responding to the ease, durability, and cleaniblility of the “big panels.” Christopher says he “can’t get enough of them,” and Kerrie loves the fact that our porcelain tile panels are easy to customize, making it simple to carry the same product from expansive walls into smaller areas like shower pans.
Kerrie was especially enamored with our soon-to-launch Convergence glass tile that we previewed at Surfaces. This new tile collection, slated to debut at Coverings in May, combines the natural look of a wood end-grain with jewel tones and neutrals. This shimmering glass tile has a beautiful sheen and will incorporate bold colors like teal, burgundy, and purple, as well as neutral, with the look of cross sectional slices of wood. Kerrie pointed out that this new take on a wood look really creates interest and is more decorative than the wood-look porcelain tiles we already count as staples in interior design.
Old Looks that Should Make a Comeback
True to his Modernist roots, Christopher loves mosaic glass tile applied in old school style, “like the Romans would have done” and how it was done in the 1950s: using a single mosaic tile product everywhere to create a spa-like look from the floor to the shower and up the walls. “I like to take one beautiful material and use it everywhere.” explained Christopher.
Our Glass Blox mosaics are used everywhere in this bath at the 2014 Christopher Kennedy Compound in Palm Springs!
Mixing Tile With Other Surfaces
When it comes to interplaying surfacing materials, Kerrie is truly a mix master. She shared that she particularly loves to design with wood and marble looks, such as a “beautiful walnut butting up to a marble-look surface”. The contrast of materials and color can be spectacular, especially when used for large scale design elements such as kitchen islands and shelving. Christopher is also a skillful master at mixing materials. He shared that a blend of classic, white marble with lacquer furnishings is a favorite, and in example, he described a recent project that incorporated our white marble-like porcelain tile panels, gray lacquer cabinets, and gold accents. Sounds fabulous!
Selecting Tile For Projects
Both designers have participated in Traditional Home designer showhouses in which Crossville has been a sponsor and tile supplier, so we wanted to know how they selected the products for their projects and get insights on the thought processes behind their selections. Both Kerrie and Christopher agreed hands down that the tile is an important first selection, as it serves as the foundation and backdrop for the rooms they’re designing. They typically identify their tile selections right after interviewing the clients (because even though these are showhouses, they’re still real homes for real people!) to learn about their lifestyles and design preferences.
Kerrie brought a blend of stately elegance and livability to her stunningly designed guest suite for the 2016 Napa Valley showhouse.
These are just some of the highlights from the Mix with the Masters designer panel discussion with Kerrie Kelly and Christopher Kennedy. Check out the video to view the entire session and get more fabulous designer insights!
