A Curated Home

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14 Nov

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Interior design goes hand in hand with good organisation when it comes to creating a curated home that you love.

I was so delighted to interview an inspiring friend of mine Mollie Kohn, owner of Mollie Kohn Interiors about what it takes to create the home of your dreams.

As a fellow female who decided to exit her corporate career and start her own business, Mollie, I'd love to know what made you take the leap from corporate executive to Interior Designer?

When I was pretty young, maybe about ten years old, I had a project to decorate a home. I grew up in the Midwest of the United States in a middle class, traditional home, so I chose to decorate a New York apartment – not sure if I'd ever been in a tall building or an apartment at that point! I collected Architectural Digests and clipped photos of gorgeous furniture, and drew floor plans. I loved every minute of it – and that was way before we had all these TV shows about design. I remember saying to my family that I wanted to be an Interior Designer, and they were like, "People don't hire people to decorate their homes…." And, I guess in the 70s, where we lived, they didn't.

So, I decided to pursue something different. I was always fascinated by psychology but was from a family of small business owners, so I also felt that management was practical, so I went on to become an Organisational Psychologist and work in corporate consulting. I certainly enjoyed my career, the travel, the people. Still, I never felt the same energy as I did when I did renovations on my homes, decorated new homes, or did any project related to my house. We moved about 15 times during my corporate career, so I had many opportunities to start over and decorate different types of homes in different environments. I loved every minute of that.

I had been in my corporate job for nearly 20 years and was approaching 50. I was working on a significant global divestiture, so the change was imminent for me – either go to a new company and do a similar job or completely start over. I decided to be brave and go with the latter and went back to school and started my second career and business. It's been a blast, and it's been crazy! I wouldn't change a minute of it.

How would you describe your design style, and where do you get inspiration from?

My design style is different from how I work with clients. I like to say that my style doesn't matter because what gets me most excited is getting to know my clients and bringing out their unique style, which is rarely wholly one thing. For example, working with a busy couple who lived near the beach and loved the coastal, natural vibe. Still, they also really loved organic and minimalist pieces, so together, we created a kind of Scandi Coastal vibe.

First, it's important to honour your home, and that's why my Leichhardt home looked very different from my Singapore home and my Mittagong home. What is consistent in my style is the fact that it is eclectic, bringing things together from my travels; it is warm, and people feel comfortable and welcomed; and there is colour, maybe not loads of different colours, but pops of colour reflected in the design and sometimes bold choices. I also like to create different moods in other rooms. For example, to me, the Master Bedroom can be dark and cocooning, but that's not how I like my lounge to feel. So, I guess eclectic, warm, inspired by nature, and lots of textures and layers.

I'm all about creating more functional homes and helping people relax through decluttering and organisation. Still, I know that good interior design can also have a huge impact on how our homes function and how we feel in them. What would you say are the most important factors to consider when designing our spaces?

I think the most important thing to consider when designing a space is 1, how you want to feel in that space and 2, what you want to do in that space. Many times, people come to me, probably similar to in your decluttering business because their current home keeps them from doing what they want to do in their homes. For example, a recent client wanted to work at home full time (both parents), and they didn't have a good place to do that, expanding wasn't a real option. So, we created office space within a bedroom through joinery and storage options. Similarly, I had a recent client whose kids were growing up, and they wanted to "future-proof" their home. They didn't know what that looked like, but they were on a small block and couldn't expand and didn't want to move. We ultimately worked together to reconfigure the kitchen, add joinery and new storage options to several rooms, and custom-built some furniture to suit their needs better.

For someone who has never used an Interior Designer, can you explain a little about how the process works?

Over half of my clients haven't worked with an Interior Designer. Interior design is something many people are interested in, and they absolutely can do it on their own. I am not a design snob because I think that my taste is better than anyone else's. What makes me a designer is my education, experience, tools, and processes to help clients. And why someone should hire a designer is because they want support, collaboration, experience and expertise.

The process starts with a free phone chat. We talk about what you want to do (and it is more about what you need versus the I want new carpet kind of thing) and how you want to partner. Then, we discuss whether this is something I can best help with. If I'm not good at something, I don't do it, and I will happily refer you to someone else I trust – like you, Lisa! From there, I do a home design consultation and share with you a document that outlines your wish list, initial inspiration, my thoughts on your home and how we can meet your needs, and how I can help you. This is the starting point.

It all varies from there – it could be a simple colour scheme, a personal shopper for some furniture, 3D models to determine layout options or even renovation plans. It depends on what you are trying to do. And, there are lots of ways we can work together. I sometimes do small projects – that are just half a day and have worked with some clients for over a year, being much more hands-on, including project coordination. And, I love both the small and the large projects.

I would imagine that just like using a Professional Organiser, time is a significant saving for people using an Interior Designer rather than trying to do it themselves. What other advantages are there?

Time savings are real. Most people are too busy to do it all themselves. And, I can do things more efficiently because this is what I do all day, every day. But, believe it or not, saving money is something I do too. I love keeping my clients on budget – if that is important to them. I also love getting them the most for their money. Most designers have relationships with suppliers where we get savings on furniture and fixtures we purchase. And, for me, I pass all those saving directly onto my client, versus earning a commission. I only charge for my fees – and being transparent about those.

Another area I think I add value is in getting something unique for you. I once had a client who said, "I'd like my whole house to look like the freedom furniture showroom." That's great, then go there and work with their in-house designers. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that, but I look at myself as a curator, to intimately understand what you love, find it, and maybe even challenge you a bit to get something you love (and may not have known you would).

And, I know you'll like this, Lisa, but it's not all about buying new. To me, it is vital for homes to have souls, and reflect their owners. This includes using things you already have. I am seldom in favour of getting rid of all your current items and starting over. It's not good for the environment, not practical, and makes things too generic, in my opinion.

I'd love to know what the popular interior trends are at the moment?

I've said this before, but I am not a big believer in specific trends – like farmhouse sinks are out, or monochromatic is the new colour trend. The important trends are about how our lives are evolving and how our homes need to support them. So, our lives have changed over the last 18 months – all of us, around the world – due to COVID.

Working from home has changed things for many people. So, the trends I am seeing have to do with that and the different lives we are actively choosing due to priorities shifting – I'd love to talk more about this with you – we could probably collaborate on a whole other blog about this topic!

The trend to work from home is a big one and how our interiors need to support that. But I also love the trends we are seeing around more global décor because we haven't been able to travel as much as we'd like, so experiencing that in our own homes.

The trend toward our home as our number one place – so seeing people thinking more about how their homes feel. And, probably one of the most important to me, and I hesitate to call it a trend – around sustainability and the new minimalism.

This isn't a new book but it inspires my thinking in design. It is around being very intentional in how you want to live, what you need, and designing around it. It's about having the right amount of stuff versus the least amount of things. This informs my design perspective and is a 'must read' IMHO.

Thanks, Mollie, I will certainly be reading that! Lastly, how important is having a clutter-free and organised home to you?

It is absolutely important. The whole reason that I started an interior design business was to help people feel happier and more productive in their homes. This begins with getting rid of the excess and being intentional with what you CHOOSE to have in your home.

You own the things in your home. It's not about being a slave to those items. I love the Marie Kondo way of letting go of things – thanking them for the part they have played in your life and letting them go. It may sound silly, but it has helped me in the past. Within a few years, my husband and I lost 3 of our parents and my dear Grammy. We had much stuff to go through and strong emotional ties. One that stands out is having my Grammy's Bible cover, which she used for many years. I had no use for it, and it was actually in pretty bad shape. It helped me to acknowledge its importance to her and in her life before getting rid of it. In this case, it was rubbish. We could acknowledge something and then pass it on to be reused in most cases.

Mollie Kohn Interiors

Mollie Kohn Interiors is a full-service residential interior design firm based in the Southern Highlands of NSW. Mollie is passionate about guiding her clients in establishing their style to match their interests and personalities and the practical aspects of their lives. The design and layout of a home should evoke calm and allow for productivity. She refers to this as #morethanaprettyspace.

It is essential to Mollie that her clients feel safe, inspired and at home when they work with her. A home is very personal, and Mollie knows that her clients are inviting her into a precious and significant space. Mollie wants her clients to love their homes and to regard their home as their happy place: a place where they can be themselves and shake off the worries and cares of the outside world.

Call Mollie to learn more about her services and how she can make your home a place you'll never want to leave.

https://molliekohninteriors.com.au/

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