Kelly Wearstler Biography
Kelly Wearstler is an American designer best known for hotel interior, product, and commercial and residential designs, through her firm, Kelly Wearstler Interior Design (KWID). She also appeared as a judge on all episodes of Bravo’s Top Design reality contest in 2007 and 2008.
Kelly Wearstler Career
Wearstler launched her own design company, Kelly Wearstler Interior Design, in 1995. The following year, she met Brad Korzen, a real estate developer who would become her husband. Korzen commissioned her to design many residential buildings held by Korzen’s company, Kor Realty Group, as well as his home in the Hollywood Hills. The Avalon hotel in Beverly Hills was the first of the apartments; it reopened in 1999 with a design that the press referred to as “a playful take on mid-century modernism.” A decade later, The New York Times wrote that “her playful, elegantly over-the-top designs for the Avalon Beverly Hills changed the look of boutique hotels around the world.” Her homes were filled with works by modernist artists including Arne Jacobsen, Eero Saarinen, and George Nelson.
She created the modest, Beverly Hills hotel, Maison 140, in 2000. She was commissioned to build Viceroy Hotels & Resorts, a new network of boutique hotels, with a “almost theatrical” Hollywood aesthetic, as a result of her work on the Avalon and the Maison 140. The Viceroy in Palm Springs was hailed as “her most accomplished work” in 2001, while the Viceroy’s Santa Monica design, which debuted a year later, also garnered positive press coverage. At that time, she was also working on the Viceroy Miami. Among her other prominent designs are The Tides Hotel South Beach in Miami and Viceroy Anguilla on the island of Anguilla.
According to an article published in Elle Decor later on, “her luxury hotel interiors” included “elegant bergère chairs, unexpected lacquer finishes (glistening lemon yellows, Amazon parrot greens), and old-style stately wallpapers.” She had also finished design work as of 2002 for customers such as Jeanne Tripplehorn, Mercury Records, and Ben Stiller. The BG Restaurant and Lounge, located in the Manhattan Bergdorf Goodman department store, was created by Wearstler in 2006.
She was one of the three main judges on Top Design, a reality program competition that debuted on Bravo in January 2007, with production beginning in 2006. Before the show’s 2008 conclusion, Wearstler featured in all twenty episodes, and her judging ensembles garnered some press notice. Wearstler’s first physical store opened its doors in July 2007 as a boutique in the home furnishings area of Bergdorf Goodman. The following year, the designer moved her office to La Cienega Boulevard in West Hollywood. She also debuted a range of ornamental home products for Bergdorf Goodman in 2008; these were offered from her own retail space within the establishment.
She began developing a range of jewelry, scarves, purses, and belts in late 2008, with the intention of eventually branching out into women’s clothing. By 2009 she had decorated the top suite of the Las Vegas Hard Rock Hotel and a home for Stacey Snider of DreamWorks, and was in the process of decorating a large contemporary house for Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale. She was included in the AD100 list (also known as the Top 100 Architecture & Interior Design list) published by Architectural Digest in 2011. Additionally, she would be listed as one of the World’s Top Interior Designers by the French edition of the magazine.
By the beginning of 2011, KWID had created fine china for Pickard China and rugs for the Rug Company. For a while, the company would also continue to design a range of wall coverings for F. Schumacher & Co. and special bed linens for Sferra. In the spring of 2011, Wearstler revealed her own fashion brand, Kelly Wearstler. Her debut fashion collection, which combined patterns and design sensibilities from Wearstler’s interior design work, took four years to complete.
Her website, Neiman Marcus, Holt Renfrew, Net-a-Porter, and Bergdorf Goodman were still selling her home furnishings, apparel, and accessories as of July 2011. August 2011 saw the introduction of her new fashion line at the same retailers, and on September 1, 2011, she opened a new flagship store on Melrose Avenue where it was subsequently sold. Her winter 2011 collection, which included ready-to-wear, handbags, and jewelry, was only available at Bergdorf Goodman. Wearstler’s spring 2012 line featured clashing patterns and a mod-glam vibe, which Style.com’s Nicole Phelps called as a “feminine sensibility” for its debut season. Wearstler’s home furnishings were still available in the Bergdorf Goodman Kelly Wearstler Boutique as of late 2012.
Furthermore, Wallpaper* listed her as one of its Top 20 Interior Designers in October 2015. Wearstler and Compartés, a confectioner located in Los Angeles, partnered on a chocolate collection in 2014. Architectural Digest claims that Los Angeles’s landscapes and characteristics served as inspiration for Wearstler’s “whimsical” packaging as well as the flavors. In May 2015, a second line of flavors was introduced.
In early 2015 Brad Korzen formally founded Proper Hotels, a hotel company focusing on “creating an environment that is both culturally sound and keeps some elements of the classic grand hotels intact.” A number of planned Proper Hotel locations, including ones in Austin, Texas, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Santa Monica, Brooklyn, Miami, and Napa Valley, have Wearstler on board as interior designer. Additionally, Wearstler was hired to design the $800 million redevelopment of the Los Angeles shopping mall Westfield Century City. The developers state that development will be finished by 2017.
Wearstler has shifted her attention to selling furniture, lighting, textiles, and accessories at her flagship store and website, and as a result, her apparel is no longer available at Bergdorf Goodman or affiliated retailers. She continues to operate her Los Angeles boutique as of July 2015, with Architectural Digest stating at the time that the store “showcases the breadth and daring of her creative output.” Along with modern and antique items, Wearstler jewelry and home decor are also available in the store.
She designed lights and collaborated on several projects with the Italian furniture company Kartell as of 2015. In addition, KWID maintains working relationships with Pickard China, E.J. Victor, and The Rug Company. In 2015, she created collections of wall coverings, fabrics, and trims for Lee Jofa, which were subsequently offered for sale at her boutique, online, and other locations. Released in October 2015, the Kelly Wearstler Furniture Collection was dubbed her “first comprehensive portfolio of furniture” by Elle Decor.
Wearstler referred to the Harrods debut of her “exclusive ‘London edit'” of her creations in March 2016 as a “dream come true.” Her line was the first home décor company from California that the business carried. Opined Wallpaper: “Each piece has a distinct personality.” A certain ardor permeates the goods, from the brushed copper to the walnut that lines the interior of the furniture pieces.” Wearstler debuted a new bridal registry with premium home goods in June 2016. Moreover, she was included on Elle Decor’s A-List of the world’s top designers in June 2016 for the second consecutive year.
Wearstler supervised the renovation of the Viviane restaurant, which is housed in the Avalon Hotel in Beverly Hills, in 2016 as well. She created a New York residence for Leslie Blodgett, the former CEO of Bare Escentuals, in the same year. Wearstler’s Malibu residence was captured on camera in 2017 for Melanie Acevedo’s photobook The Authentics. The first Proper hotel in San Francisco’s interior design was finished by Wearstler in September 2017. Additionally, she unveiled the design of her first retail endeavor, Compartés Chocolatier, a chocolate boutique in Los Angeles that she co-founded with Jonathan Graham, in 2018.
Wearstler and Georg Jensen collaborated on a six-piece home accessory line named “Frequency” in 2019, being the first American designer to do so. Wearstler continued to work with The Rug Company, and in May 2019 she revealed that she had created a new line of carpets. A new collection of wallpaper patterns from Wearstler was introduced in June 2019. The Santa Monica Proper Hotel with an interior designed by Wearstler also opens in July 2019. Wearstler had her 2020 furniture collection debut in December 2019. The New York Times and In Residence both published articles about Wearstler’s Beverly Hills residence in 2020. In February 2020, Wearstler’s Austin Proper Hotel opened. It is now planned for the Wearstler-designed Downtown L.A. Proper hotel to debut in June 2021.
In 2020, Wearstler renovated a Broad Beach home in Malibu that was formerly owned by Carroll O’Connor and thought to have been built by Frank A. Garbutt, co-founder of Famous Players–Lasky, which later became Paramount Pictures. In March 2020, Wearstler was the first instructor to teach the interior design course on the MasterClass platform. In 2021, Wearstler and Farrow & Ball created the California Collection, Wearstler’s line of signature paint colors inspired by the state of California. Moreover, in March 2021, Wearstler created a virtual garage to celebrate the introduction of GMC’s Hummer EV, which she claimed was intended for LeBron James.
In 2021, Wearstler made an investment in Block Renovation, a company that offers a technology-driven platform to assist homeowners and contractors in streamlining and digitizing the home renovation process. Early in 2022, Wearstler also became a partner and investor in Casa Del Sol, a tequila brand co-founded by actress Eva Longoria. In June 2022, Wearstler also became an angel investor in the startup Vergo, a Fintech company serving the architecture, design, and building industry.
Wearstler served as a guest editor for Wallpaper magazine’s October 2022 issue, during which she led the publication’s design work and development. In 2022, Wearstler created a new line of designer lighting for Visual Comfort called Tech Lighting, inspired by the advancements in LED technology. Furthermore, she teamed with Amazon on their Amazon Influencer Program the same year, and her items will be accessible on her Amazon Storefront.
Kelly Wearstler Age
Wearstler was born on November 21, 1967, in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, United States. She is 56 years old as of 2023 and she celebrates her birthday on the 21st of November every year.
Kelly Wearstler Height and Weight
Wearstler stands at a height of 5 feet 6 inches (1.68 meters) and weighs 48 kg (106 lbs).
Kelly Wearstler Family
Wearstler was born and raised in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Her mother dealt in antiques, while her father was an engineer. Wearstler was greatly influenced by her mother’s passion for design even from an early age. Upon returning from school, she would frequently discover freshly painted rooms. Wearstler’s early interest in fashion and design was influenced by her mother taking her and her older sister to thrift stores, auctions, and flea markets when they were young. At the age of fifteen, she began collecting old clothing. She has neither disclosed the names of her parents nor those of her siblings. However, this information will be updated when available.
Kelly Wearstler Husband and Children
Wearstler has been married to Brad Korzen since 2002. They have three sons, namely, Oliver, born in August 2002, Elliott, born in June 2003, and Crosby, who was born in September 2022, through a surrogate.
Kelly Wearstler Salary
Wearstler earns an annual salary of about $73,504-$117,597.
Kelly Wearstler Net Worth
Wearstler has an estimated net worth of $150 million which she has earned through her career as a designer.
Kelly Wearstler Book
Wearstler has released five books. She released her debut design book titled Modern Glamour: The Art of Unexpected Style, in March 2004. It was co-written with Jane Bogart and distributed through Regan Books. Wearstler’s Domicilium Decoratus, a style book with pictures of her Beverly Hills residence and herself in evening gowns, was released by HarperCollins in 2006. In early 2010, she published her book Hue, which is divided into segments based on color photography. Her fourth book, Rhapsody, was launched on October 12, 2012. Wearstler clarified that the book is about fusing different textures, scales, and eras of design, stating that the result is an interior that is more “soulful” when “antiques, vintage and contemporary design pieces, and art” are mixed.
Kelly Wearstler House
Originally constructed in the 1920s for silent film star Hobart Bosworth, Wearstler’s 3.5-acre estate was eventually sold to stars Carole Lombard and William Powell. Wearstler has now turned the chapel into a gym. It was speculated that Powell proposed to reclusive Swedish diva Greta Garbo at the chapel following their divorce. Constructed in the Georgian Revival style, the Los Angeles property had an entryway with a barrel vault, suited for any prominent figure in Hollywood. Wearstler’s residence as a designer showcases her artistic background and refined sense of color and form. Goat hair upholstery, graphic runner patterns, striking silhouettes, and an abundance of handcrafted furniture can be found throughout the rooms, which are surrounded by glossy white walls.
This light-filled beachfront home is situated above the rising tide at Malibu Beach and perfectly captures the spirit of the designer. The home’s shipwrecked charm is derived from a color scheme bleached by the sun and sculptured marble and wood elements. The floor-to-ceiling windows with their magnificent views of the coastline provide the open layout interiors the perfect backdrop and foster a sense of connection with the water. Wearstler’s assortment of designs embodies the different objects one may discover on the beach, creating a seamless transition between the indoors and out.
An amazing ficus tree occupies the two stories of the home’s main foyer and is illuminated by a large skylight on the second floor, accessible via the architecturally designed bleached walnut staircase. The house has a beach-like air to it when you stroll through it. The master bath’s marble walls with their wave pattern mimic the rippling impact of the approaching tide. The walk-in closet, which feels like it’s in a private yacht’s paneling, is located through the master bath.
Kelly Wearstler Social Media Platform
Wearstler is very active on his Instagram and Facebook pages. He has 2M followers on Instagram and 195k followers on Facebook.