Eklektik Interiors have been Shortlisted for 4 Categories in The International Design and Architecture Awards 2021. Read more about Owner and Principal Designer Kathy Anderson below:

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Name: Kathy Anderson

Company: Eklektik Interiors

Position within company: Owner and Principal Designer

Website: www.eklektikinteriors.com

Tell us a little about your background in design (education, experience, etc)

I got into design by accident—growing up in East Texas on a farm at the end of a dirt road where we milked cows and raised chickens, I wasn’t aware that Interior Design was even a career. When I went to college, I took a beginning Interior Design class with a roommate friend to fulfil a humanity requirement, and I knew instantly that this was for me. Looking back, I can see where I always had interests in interior design.  In our small farmhouse, I was always rearranging my room and looking for optimum function in a small bedroom that housed 4 girls, which was no small feat! I spent time with my mom as she was always painting and trying to make our simple home nice.  She was always thinking outside the box. I can remember in the dairy barn where we used to play, when we weren’t milking, we would take the feed sacks and line out rooms, making floor plans in the barn.  My dad would get mad at us because it would make a mess, but I remember being a space planner at the ripe old age of 7 or 8.

After receiving a degree in Interior Design from Brigham Young University, I started my own business in 1981 and worked out of my home while raising my children.  In 1997 I decided it was time to open a retail store and showroom. Eklektik Interiors specializes in creating ‘beautiful environments for exceptional living’, and pretty much all that that entails. We specify for new construction and work with builders and homeowners to create their dream. We used to do our own design/build in remodeling, but I prefer the design part and love leaving the building to great builders, which Houston has a lot of. I love the collaboration with a great builder and homeowner who likes to explore new ideas and stretch their minds to build and design FABULOUS!

How would you describe your personal design style? Eclectic. Curated. Bold. Colorful. Unique. That is my personal style. However, when designing for my clients, it isn’t about me or my personal style and wants. I work with my clients to expand their vision by listening to them and figuring out what makes them unique and then transforming their space to truly capture their personal lifestyle.

Where does your design inspiration come from? Everything! But If I have to narrow it down, I would have to say nature and my clients. I am constantly inspired by nature. Some of the greatest color pallets come from a sunrise or sunset, a beautiful garden, seasonal changes, all of which the greatest Creator of all has given us to inspire and lift us up. Beauty can be found everywhere.  The simplest of forms inspire me.  Also, I’m obviously inspired by my clients. They are each unique and bring their own perspective to each project. It is my job to capture them in each project, and I love that.

In what direction do you feel that design is moving towards in a general sense?

I think that is why Interior Design is such an exciting career because you really can’t put it in a box. Because of social media, design is more global now. We can see what is happening in all parts of the world. I see a more global design aesthetic. I follow some great designers and artists on Instagram. It is fascinating to see what different designs come from different ways of living. It is constantly changing as design should, incorporating the best of all kinds of design, which is the definition of eclectic! I am all about eclectic!

Name five key themes to consider when approaching design in 2020 and beyond.

1. Liveable luxury.
2. Multi-functional spaces.
3. Bold color and textures.
4. Materials that require less of our time to maintain and easy to live with.
5. More maximalism and less minimalistic. Let’s just live and design to the FULLEST!!!

If you could offer one piece of advice when it comes to design schemes, what would it be?

Don’t just copy something you like. Take the time to study and come up with your own look. That’s not to say you can’t incorporate things into your designs that you are inspired by, but add your own unique perspective on it. Make it YOU! Don’t be afraid. GO FOR IT!

How important are The International Design & Architecture Awards?

I just know I am very excited and honored and humbled by making the ‘short list’. There are some amazing designers and architects out there that inspire me on a daily basis. To be included in such a prestigious group of professionals is quite thrilling for me.

What projects are you currently working on?

At the moment, we have multiple remodelling projects due to the damage caused by the freeze in Texas this past February. A lot of people are taking this opportunity to make some changes and have their homes become more functional and updated. We love remodels. They offer us the chance to make magic out of chaos.

We also have a new construction home that we are doing on a 1600 acre ranch with great views, a high-rise remodel, a couple of second homes on the lake, a round home in St. Kitts, and a few other additional projects out of state. Have tape measure, will travel!

What was your favourite project to work on and why?

The modern home ranch project that was short listed for this competition was a really fun one for me. First off, my nephew was the architect, and it was the first time we got to work together. That was really special for me. He is in Utah, and I am in Texas. We didn’t always agree on things through the process, but I love that. Out of multiple ideas come great solutions. The homeowner was also the builder. He is in commercial construction and this was the second home we have built together. It was challenging but exciting. I love a client and an architect that love to ‘think outside the box’.

What was your most challenging project to work on and why?

The project we are working on now in ST. Kitts is pretty challenging. The home sits up on a plateau where you have amazing views of both the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. Since the views are so spectacular, the clients designed a round home so they would have a 360 view. Great idea, but having curved walls presents its own set of problems. Not to mention the distance and with Covid, we haven’t been able to visit the jobsite. So we do a lot with Facetime.

Which products/services could you not live without when designing?

I couldn’t live without my staff. The other designers that I am blessed to work with inspire me on a daily basis, and my support crew  are the best in the industry. With Covid, we have some still working remotely and that presents its own set of problems, but we have managed, and fortunately, we haven’t missed a beat. You are only as good as the people you surround yourself with. Fortunately for me, they all exceed my expectations on a daily basis.

What are your aims and goals for the next twelve months? I hope to go the International Furniture Show in Milan. I love the Milan Furniture Market. There is so much to take in, and for the 5 days I am there, I have goosebumps seeing what other parts of the design world are doing. Hopefully it will happen. I also want to travel and explore a business opportunity that I have overseas, once life returns to some degree of normal.

Final thoughts; tell us a little more about yourself and your daily inspirations:

Your most treasured possession? My family and a large butcher block cutting board that sits on my island. My three kids already fight as to who will get it when I am no longer here. Every meal, snack, and holiday food has been prepared on that great large board. We tore up an old kitchen that had butcher block countertops, and I had a large cutting board made out of it for me and my clients. It is a part of ‘our story.’

Your favourite holiday destination? Park City, Utah,  Lake Powell, Utah and Arizona, and Key West, Florida

Your favourite hotel, restaurant & bar?

Hotel: I can’t remember the name of a  hotel I stayed in in Cappadocia, Turkey. It was built inside the mountain, and it was incredible. All the walls were stone but painted white. Simple yet so dramatic and stark at the same time. I loved Turkey.  So many colors and smells and so different from anywhere I had been before.  The food was amazing, and the people were lovely. I also loved the daily sounds of the ‘call to prayer.’  I highly recommend that everyone should travel there.

Restaurant: I love MAD, here in Houston. It is a sensory overload but in a great way. Their first restaurant BCN is completely different in design—small, intimate, and almost sedate in feel. Both have amazing food and I highly recommend them. Houston has great restaurants. I would put it up against NYC any day. We love our dining in Houston, and we are lucky to have so much to choose from.

Bar: I LOVE dive bars! They have a story.  I love it when things aren’t perfect but are unique and have their own set of nuances. They have the most interesting people and food!

Your favourite book, film & song?

Book: The Hunger Games Trilogy

Film: I love a great thriller and scary movies! I don’t know why. I even watch them when I am alone and at night. So I can be even MORE SCARED!!!

Your favourite food and drink?

Food: Being from Texas, I love a great Steak, and Sushi of any kind.

Drinks: a Perfect Martini, not dirty, or a great bottle of Rose’

Your favourite way to spend an afternoon? Gardening or Drinking great wine sitting outside watching the world go by.

If you weren’t a designer, what would you be? A ROCK STAR!!

Anything else interesting? My second passion after interior design is traveling. It feeds the wanderer in me and fills me with inspiration for all of my jobs. International travel is my favorite. I love knowing how other cultures live and thrive and learning from them.

Eklektik Interiors

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