1. Embrace a House’s Strengths; Address its Challenges.
She turned the dining room access by way of kitchen to her advantage, making the area visible from the living room at once formal and inviting by pairing a trestle table with big wing chairs.
2. Think Neutral with a Shot of Color Drama.
Kelley mixed textures -- such as sisal, wood, burlap, silk -- to create drama.
And, because she wanted broad appeal, she kept to neutrals and applied deep browns and blacks for effect.
3. Reinvent/Re-purpose the Overlooked and the Ordinary.
A too-leggy console with redeeming classic lines discovered in a consignment shop was chopped down, painted, and outfitted with a marble top. Lamps on the West Elm console used in a NY showhouse were originally black and yellow and taller. Proxmire had them cut down, repainted, and added new shades. A wrought iron outdoor table dressed in burlap became a dining room table. Unmatched junk oak chairs painted white with seats recovered in a leopard print fabric inject relaxation and fun into the formal dining room.
4. Believe in the Power of Personal Accessories.
Personal favorites, arranged thoughtfully and en mass, create a mesmerizing and
attractive vignette. Kelley gravitates to old interesting boxes that she finds
"junking" or at estate sales. “I love boxes,” says Proxmire. “They’re unique. You can put them in any room, stack them, incorporate them with books.”
Kelley also likes to use old china plates to personalize a space.
And she likes to bring in plants that "add life."
“In-town European villa,” Built by Jim Gibson, Gibson Builders, designed by architect Ankie Barnes. Phillips’ Park community off Foxhall Road, NW, Washington, DC. Photo Credit: Erik Johnson.
Kelley is recognized as one of DC’s top designers and highly sought after for her tailored traditional style. She is in the Washington Design Ctr Hall of fame—a coveted honor in the DC market. She was selected to design the Design Ctr lobby last spring, an installation on view for six months. You may see more of her work at www.kelleyinteriordesign.com