Meet SK Stokes Kennedy of Los Angeles

Today we’d like to introduce you to SK Stokes Kennedy.

Hi SK, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I’ve always been a self taught creative and the one time I decided to go and get official, a design firm plucked me right out of school in 3 months. This was in 2016 and they brought me on as an intern and in 4 weeks I was a Lead Interior Designer. That was the first time I was validated, understanding my gift was ornate and organic. I learned so much about the hustle and the business of design there, working tirelessly toward commissions as a newlywed who was also trying to get pregnant. I sought so much guidance and really pushed forward to learn as much as I possible could while my young life and family was brewing at the same time and my efforts were not in vain.

From 2018 – 2024 I ran an interior design firm as owner and Principal design in Huntington Beach. We worked on a range of projects from styling to whole home construction, but I’d created overtime a space that did not fit who I truly was. As I worked to change my circumstances, I was prioritizing everyone’s goals but my own, until my mental health was at stake. Years of working to make it, still was not cutting it and at the end of 2023 I sold my company to my business partner and thought I wanted to leave the industry.

I know now that your true passion can’t be left behind. As of July 1, 2024, I am launching Stokes Kennedy Design, an authentic look into my design ethos and an opportunity for me to service my community as I’ve always wanted to.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
No road worth traveling is free of bumps and the longer the journey, the more rigorous they get. Initially as an entrepreneur you think your biggest issues will be profit. Money is required to grow and so we all turn our focus there, and for good reason. However, the hardest part is scaling with the money that is coming in and I’ve learned the hard way that alignment, intentionality and drive is the only thing that will benefit you when the work you’re pushing begins to go your way.

So 5 years ago, I would’ve said that defining your structure and finding your clientele are the hardest struggles that we face, but as we work hard and organize our business and they grow, maintaining your purpose and scaling to grow your vision is a struggle that when you overcome will be the best testament of your labor and effort and passion.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am a Designer who specializes in Interiors and Events. Stokes Kennedy Design is a full service interior design firm that focuses on luxury residential and boutique commercial projects in the Los Angeles area. My full service approach for interior design takes a step by step plan to develop and design a space to life. We assist with consulting and planning, budgeting and layouts, design and sourcing, project management, procurement and installation. We consult, source and advise on all items of the home including hard materials like flooring, tile and paint, furnishings, lighting, textiles, accessories, window treatments and decor.

Interior Design, when done right, is an intimate dance fueled by vulnerability and understanding. The art comes when our skill allows us to translate the values, feelings, homage you shared into a space you relish in day after day. I’m thrilled to be here again to do that for my new clients and friends. This time, fully me.

What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
I love that Los Angeles is a melting pot of culture and community. Every part of LA has a story to tell, a creative that is forging a path, an artist who is making a way and I love being a part of that again. When I first moved here, I told myself I wouldn’t live further than Long Beach and instead we found ourselves further and further in the wrong direction. I’m so thrilled to be back in LA County and serving the beautiful, casual people of the California coast.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.stokeskennedy.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/stokeskennedydesign

Image Credits
Ryan Garvin for Kennedy Cole Chad Mellon for Kennedy Cole