Today we’d like to introduce you to Kelly Shepard.
Kelly, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I fell in love with design when I took my own house down to the studs. At the time, I was a stay at home mom. In my previous life, I was a Store Director for J Crew, but once I had my first child in 2007, I knew I wanted to be there for him. My second child came in 2010 and we bought our first home in 2013. My neighbor was a contractor, and my mom was also an Interior Designer, so I was well supported during the process.
As overwhelming and over my head as I was, I absolutely loved the creative process. There is something really magical about creating beauty from a blank canvas. Building a home that caters to the individual, creating nooks and crannies that are specific to the family, spaces that work for them, using every square foot to your advantage, was a process I coveted. Having a background in fashion and taking my math skills, it all just fell into place for me. Getting dirty on a construction site was my jam. My husband was laid off when his start up went under in 2014. I decided it was time to go back to work. But where do I start? I had not been working for six years. But I was ready, beyond ready. But I was scared. I decided that going back to school to get a design degree was a good place to start. I applied at Otis School of Design and after a 20-page application process, I was accepted. How I was going to manage school and a husband in Sales leadership (aka travel) and small children, I didn’t know, but I was going to try. Then my husband’s office was relocating from Santa Monica to Van Nuys. His CEO discovered that I was going to go to design school, and she hired me to design their new 5000 sq ft office space. I was absolutely floored that someone would hire me, and take the risk on me. I really owe where I am at to this woman.
From there, my career snowballed. The owner of that building, who owned 27 commercial buildings, then hired me for the next two years. I did more office spaces, and apartment building in Carpinteria, lobbies, and even his home in Malibu, From there, I created Kelly Shepard Designs in 2016 and transitioned into primarily residential spaces. I love what I do, I love creating spaces from the ground up and designing spaces my clients fall in love with. Dressing a home isn’t much different than my background of dressing people. It’s knowing your client, knowing scale, knowing trends and taking risks.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Anytime you are paving new roads there are challenges. Nothing worth fighting for comes easy. There have been learning curves and challenges building relationships with the right people. I always say I am only as good as my weakest link. I replay those words daily in my head.
Kelly Shepard Designs – what should we know? What do you do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Kelly Shepard Designs is an Interior Design boutique. I am a solo ship. My favorite piece is remodeling homes and working with the architect to design thoughtful, specific spaces designed for my individual clients. That is what sets me apart. I get to know my clients so the spaces, whether they be the hard finishes (plumbing, flooring, cabinetry), etc. or the soft finishes (sofas, rugs, tables, window treatments, etc.) are designed for them, to them, through the filter of Kelly Shepard Designs.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
In my head, my success is defined through the filter of my client’s happiness.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.kellysheparddesigns.com
- Phone: 310-433-3752
- Email: [email protected]
Image Credit:
Molly Goodman Photography’
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