Interview with Kelley of The Polished Pebble

Here at Floor Coverings International® of Vancouver, we are privileged to interview some of America’s leading designers and bloggers as part of our Designer Influencer Interview Series. Our goal is to give our readers valuable advice they can apply to their own lives and homes. In our latest interview, we are pleased to introduce Kelley of Kelley & Company and The Polished Pebble.  You can follow Kelley on Pinterest, Instagram, Houzz, and LinkedIn.

Kelley and Company

Please tell us a little about yourself.

I live in California and spilt my time between Santa Barbara and Palo Alto. My work includes interior renovations and custom furnishings but I also work on gardens and exterior landscape projects. My career began in product development and merchandising for a major national retailer. A love of color, textiles and the creative process really struck a cord with me and I began to find interiors and working on houses much more rewarding.

E-Design has become a really important part of my work. It’s simple for clients to use, much less costly and often is all most families really need to jump start a renovation project. I have clients pretty much everywhere and happily work on anything from small bathrooms and kitchens, to lakeside getaways in the woods.

When I’m not in my office, you can find me in the garden pulling weeds or planting something new in my veggie garden. Living in Southern California has made me a die hard beach lover and any time I can, I run or take long walks along the shore, collecting driftwood and "beachy stuff" that nature leaves behind. My family is also really special and whenever we get together there’s always cooking out doors, wine and music and loud lively conversation. Dogs are included too: a feisty Pug and an old lovable Labrador.

Why did you decide to start a blog? What do you enjoy about blogging?

My blog: The Polished Pebble started in part as a journal of my house renovations. Blogging is a very creative process but it does require time. I’m a much better photographer due to the visual aspect of blogging and along the way I've learned to use digital and creative web based design, which I really love.

The most extraordinary thing I have experienced blogging is how many new friends and business relationships I have developed. It’s really endless. People have reached out to me from all over the world with questions and comments about things they have read or love about certain rooms I have designed and shared. I recently received an email from a reader who spied an old sign in one of my rooms which once graced the entrance of his Grandparents lakeside resort in Maine when he was a child! It really is such a small world we live in.

How would you describe your design style?

My design esthetic leans more to a modern country feel but I have always included modern elements in every house. Keeping things authentic is really important to me. I love trends but use only small doses of “trendy” and work more towards creating one of a kind, original spaces that reflect the people who live there. Interesting fabric, unique upholstery and vintage repurposed objects have always found a place in all of my projects.

Where do you find most of your inspiration?

Wow, inspiration is everywhere. Most often it comes from traveling or getting away from my daily routine. I love the chaos and energy of city life, but I commute through central California which is an ever changing landscape of color, diverse people and interesting smaller towns and rural roadside stops including California Missions and historic Adobe outposts, which date back to the late 1700’s. Now that is what I call vintage!

Tell us about a recent project you’re proud of.

The back story: A very modern plain white box condo in downtown Pasadena CA. This condo is terrific and within walking distance to all Old Town Pasadena has to offer, like shopping, great restaurants and city parks.
We use some really iconic modern pieces like the Eames chair in white pebble leather with rose wood accents as well as a white marble topped Saarinen table for the dining area. In order to create a more cozy and warm space, I used white denim slipcovers on both the sofa and the chairs. These were a custom design and are very deep but not all that wide. The television becomes a focal point in this room and sits on a large stainless credenza.
The space is grounded with an antique Oushak rug in cream and peach with touches of light blue. The side tables are English antique bamboo topped with large clear glass tamps which add height without taking away from the focal points because they are clear. We used a large raffia wrapped coffee table for some texture which blends so nicely with the colors found in the rug.  The pillows are a bright pop of orange velvet and the accent pillows are vintage indigo shibori fabric.
All of the little accessories  are more rustic in nature, like the vintage baskets and old aqua bottles. An antique Trumeau mirror is featured on a small odd wall with a French Tian bowl in front. The old sign in the dining area was found at a a local Pasadena antique mall. Spaces like these don’t really need much in order to be bright and wonderful. I love the openness and simplicity of large spaces like this and who doesn’t love a big white down sofa?

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