October 2015
IN GOOD COMPANY
with KATI CURTIS
When Kati Curtis founded Kati Curtis Design in 2005, she already had more than 12 years of international design experience, a fine arts degree from the prestigious Savannah College of Art and Design, and a lifelong respect for craft behind her. “My father was a contractor and my uncle was an architect. I grew up around construction and seeing my dad build our new house with his own hands, and I really learned the importance of how things are made,” she explains. In her design practice—as in her personal yoga practice—Kati Curtis’s goal is always to reach a state of perfection. “But you have to get the foundation right,” she emphasizes. “In yoga, there are the foundation poses you start with, and you master those and then you go on to more complicated poses. It’s a process. The construction, to me, is like the Warrior pose in yoga. You have to get that basic foundation down and everything can spring and flower from that.” Today, Kati Curtis Design is known for highly individualized residential and commercial interiors that tell the ever-evolving story of the people who live, work, and play in them. “My design style is rooted in classicism, the old standards of form, shape, proportion—but with a global influence or twist,” Kati Curtis says. “There’s always an element of craft, an element of culture, and an element of things being collected or found over a long period of time.”
Style:
“I like to create spaces that are timeless, with quality materials that will last for a long time, so you may not have to renovate, you may not have to change everything. But I think that all of us like some variety—we like some change.”
"Construction to me is like the Warrior pose. You have to get that basic foundation down and everything can spring and flower from that."
Inspired by:
“In yoga, there is always a foundation. And eventually the goal is to reach Samadhi, or a state of perfection. I approach my design work in the same way. It’s a process.”
Palette and Pattern:
“I love to fill my space with color and pattern. It makes me happy. And there is significance to it all, so there is always a sense of restraint.” It’s a highly individualized mix.
Every home needs...
“… an element of craft, an element of culture, and an element of things being collected or found over a long period of time.”
Mood Board
Patterned fabrics and rugs with a global influence. Well-crafted furniture. Sustainable materials. Objects that convey a personal story.
The BEST part of working in New York:
The international quality: “You get on the subway in New York and in one subway car there are at least 20 different cultures in one space. It’s exciting and inspiring.”
In Good Company © 2015 Best & Company. All rights reserved. | Best & Co. thanks Kati Curtis | katicurtisdesign.com | Images: Spiral staircase (center, left) and room vignette (bottom) by Marco Ricca. Side table from the Kati Curtis capsule collection for The Syndicate | The New Traditionalists (thenewtraditionalists.com). All others ©Best and Company | In Good Company.