Designer shares secrets to her success

When it comes to interior design, a space shouldn't reflect a signature style or color palette of the person who designed it, Celerie Kembel told an audience of her peers at the Las Vegas Design Center last week.

Kembel, a New York interior designer, spoke at this month's First Friday event, which coincided with the conclusion of the winter home-furnishings market on the downtown campus.

She said she believes it's her job to make spaces her clients love and not spaces that make her happy. As a result, she said her work isn't recognized for any particular style or color palette.

"I don't think I have a style anymore," she said. "My style is influenced by my clients. I evolve and respond."

Kembel said it is critical to make sure she listens to what clients say they want in their homes.

"There are 20 solutions to any problem. It is our job to come up with three we know will fit the space. Then, it's up to the client which one to choose."

And that means she begins each project by "calling the elephant out. Every client has a weird quirk or something special." She said it's imperative to completing any project to know if there is something the client can't part with or has to incorporate into the finished design. "That way there are no surprises."

One such project included a collection of vinyl records, which Kembel incorporated into the design by housing them in a custom banquette niche. The exposed album covers sat in the base of the bench and provided the color scheme for the room.

Kembel said she also appreciates the opportunity to explore looks and materials that she isn't familiar with.

"I'm so grateful when I have clients who ask me to do something I don't know how to do. The only way to learn is learn by doing. As a professional it's my job to figure things out and use them. It's what makes my job fun."

As she spoke about her design philosophies, Kembel showed slides of her work that were taken from her recently published book, "Celerie Kembel: To Your Taste." The book encourages readers to take ideas from a design book and add their own "sense of relaxed whimsy and exuberant personality to create spaces that are versatile, original and truly livable."

And when she says livable, she means it. Kembel said she has received numerous calls from clients who are near panic when they discover a scratch, tear or dent in their new home furnishings.

"I tell them to love it. It's your home. Wear and tear is what makes a house loved."

Another technique she uses to make a house feel more lived in and loved is to incorporate something old. "It brings comfort and character to the space."

She said she visits design centers to find pieces to fit between old furnishings or as a jumping off point, using antiques to fill the holes. And, whenever she spots something she knows a client will like, she snaps a digital photo and sends it to him or her. It's her way of staying in touch and letting clients know she is thinking of them.