Photo by Danny Fulgencio
Kyle Knight: Photo by Danny Fulgencio
Kyle Knight doesn’t have an interior design degree, but her stylish Preston Hollow home became the portfolio that launched her career.
“Friends started asking me to design their houses,” she says. “I knew that people wanted to hire me before I even began telling people I was for hire.”
She moved to the neighborhood from Lakewood in 2009 and started a blog, knightmovesblog.blogspot.com. There, she chronicled the redesign of her new abode, which is full of clean lines, fresh color palates and unexpected pattern mixing.
Drawing from a strong art background, Knight exhibits in her home a style all her own (if you ask her where she found a certain piece, chances are she had it specially made). You don’t have to be an expert to break the mold of the Pottery Barn catalog. Knight shows us how:
Build on a neutral color palate.
Knight’s muted gray walls and ivory sectional give her freedom to accessorize with bold colors and patterns — from area rugs to reupholstered armchairs to intricately designed lamps. She combs estate sales, consignment stores and even Craigslist for one-of-a-kind pieces that she can re-create for her space. “This is such a design town,” she says. “There are a lot of great resources.”
It’s OK to mix patterns.
But don’t go crazy with it. “There’s definitely a formula,” Knight says. Stick with complementary colors, and pair large-scale patterns with small-scale ones. “If you keep consistent colors, those patterns won’t fight with each other. And you also need a healthy dose of non-patterned things.”
Wallpaper is back.
It’s been back for a few years, actually. But it’s no longer limited to the loud, floral designs our grandparents had. It can add a subtle hint of glamour to a room. Knight’s home office is covered with light-gray-and-white zebra print, and somehow, it works.
Art shouldn’t be an afterthought.
Knight developed an appreciation for art early in life and worked in a gallery after college. “My taste in design is highly influenced by my taste in art.” Art is the soul of good interior design, so don’t choose a piece just because it fits an overall aesthetic, she advises; make sure it has meaning and provokes feeling. Otherwise, you might end up with a nice-looking room full of lifeless images.
