While it’s easy to cull inspiration from designers who work nationally and are widely published, it’s a special treat to see and hear them in person. While you may study their rooms in magazines and think, wow, it’s particularly interesting to hear what the challenges were in a project and how they solved them. Because all houses, rooms and clients have their challenges, even if they are small.
We are fortunate to have three such designers out and about in Kansas City this fall. New York City-based designer Ashley Whittaker will be at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art Committee of 100 annual event September 18, 2023. The event is open to Committee of 100 members and their guests and includes a presentation by the featured designer and a stunning luncheon in Rozelle Court.
If you rewatch Queer Eye to shake off a dreary day, this will put a spring in your step. Bobby Berk, the show’s design expert (which you knew, of course) will be at Unity Temple, September 14 at 7:00 p.m. in conversation about his new book, Right at Home: How Good Design is Good for the Mind. The event is hosted by Rainy Day Books.
And while there doesn’t appear to be an event on the horizon, local designer, author, preservation consultant, and founder of Design Gives Back, Kelee Katillac, has a new book—Historic Style: Honoring the Past with Design for Today, which features 40 rooms that illustrate the benefits and challenges of working in historic homes. In an age where many people destroy old homes because it’s less expensive to tear down and build new, Katillac is dedicated to renovation and preservation. An admirable approach and an inspirational read.