This summer when we featured a stunning 1920s Grandmillennial home located outside Chicago, readers wanted to know more about the talented designer, Alexandra Kaehler. So we are delighted to feature her today for a Style Profile Q&A!
Alex grew up in the suburbs of Chicago, where she lives now with her husband and children. After she began what she believed to be her dream career in advertising, she quickly realized design was her calling after starting a lifestyle blog in 2009. She attended a post-graduate program, at Harrington College of Design and went on to open her firm, Alexandra Kaehler Design in 2011. She desicribes her style as eclectic. “The tension of different things makes a space interesting—shiny with matte, square with round, feminine with masculine,” she says. “We like all different time periods and aesthetics, so mixing them is the perfect way to create aspace in our eyes.”
Alex believes the most important thing is to fill your house with things you love. The “aesthetic” will build on that. There is nothing better than looking around your home and seeing things that make you happy, she says. Second, nothing should be too fragile or delicate that you aren’t able to enjoy it. A home is meant to be loved and lived in. Let’s get to know more about Alex and take a look insider her exquisite portfolio… Welcome, Alex!
Q: Tell us a bit about your career path. When did you know you wanted to become an interior designer?
A: I always knew I wanted a job with some sort of combination of business and creativity. I landed on account management in marketing, however it didn’t fill the creativity dreams I had nearly as much as I thought it would. While I was working in marketing, I started a blog writing mostly about interiors design, with some lifestyle mixed in. This was 2009 when blogs were basically your Pinterest boards. I shared homes I loved, decorating finds etc. I realized after two years that my job in marketing wasn’t making me happy, and to be honest, it was really making me miserable. After interviewing at some other agencies, a childhood friend of mine said, rather bluntly (which I love) “You have loved design your entire life, you write about it on your blog, why aren’t you doing THAT?” And a switch flipped. It had never even occurred to me that it could be a career. I enrolled in design school, kept writing my blog, and got an internship. The rest is history!
Q: What is your favorite aspect of your job?
A: For me, home as always represented something much larger than a physical place you live. I always found comfort and peace in my home. Whether it was my childhood home, my college apartment, my first condo with my husband or the home we’re now raising our family in. So for me, to be able to create a space like that for my clients is such a gift.
Q: Where do you source inspiration and/or mentorship?
A: Quite a few of my friends are also designers, and not only have they helped me grow and been my sounding board, I’m entirely inspired by them as well. Instagram, fashion and travel are some other sources for inspiration for me.
Q: Do you have any favorite go-to colors, paints, wallpapers, linens, artists, etc.?
A: Anyone who follows me on Instagram knows my love for green. I love all shades of it, from mint to olive to emerald. I also love floral print fabrics and wallpapers. They bring the outside in, which is so much of what I love about green too. I also love adding a grasscloth for texture on the walls.
Q: What are you currently working on that we can look forward to in the coming months/years?
A: We have experienced incredible growth over the last couple years. It has given me the opportunity to pause and evaluate exactly what I want out of this business. I have three young kids, and as much as I love my job, I want to be present for my kids more. So I have made the decision to focus on Chicago and Chicago suburban projects only right now. Thank goodness that has worked out for us (for now)! I have no doubt it will change as my kids get older, but right now, being close to home is fantastic. We have two ground up construction homes that I am giddy about. These are clients who want to build new, but feel old. Truly a dream come true for me. So we’re putting a ton of thought into the little details (like millwork) that are often forgotten about in new construction homes. We also have quite a few renovations that are equally as exciting. I am like a kid in a candy shop lately at work. We just have so many incredible projects getting ready to be executed!
Q: What is one fail-safe design element that every room should have?
A: Oh gosh, that is tough because every room serves a different purpose. Are you an entertainer? If you are, you probably want a spot to sit and have a cocktail and a bite to eat in every room, so a card table would be great to have in your living and family rooms. Are you a homebody? You probably want a cozy reading nook in each space of your home. Depending on who you are, and how you live in your house, this answer can change drastically. That is part of what I love about my work, helping my clients understand how they are going to live!
Q: What changes have you seen in the design world post-Covid? Any changes in what your clients are requesting?
A: I definitely never would’ve guessed we would be discussing “zoom backgrounds” when we design offices, but its in every single one of my presentations now. You have to consider desk placement in regard to light, and what your background will be for your call. There is obviously a focus on home offices, but there is also an excitement around entertaining that is really fun. People are so enthusiastic about hosting parties and have friends over again!
Q: Who are your favorite designers – past or present?
A: I love classic American design like Parish Hadley, but also am so inspired by English designers like Colefax & Fowler. There is an effortlessness that English design has that I just love to explore. There are so many current day designers executing this beautifully, just in a new fresh and more American way. Designers like Ashley Whittaker!
Q: What is your favorite easy weeknight meal?
A: We are a pizza Friday house, so I guess my other favorite easy weeknight meal is pasta. Can you tell I’m a carbs girl?
Q: Any fun facts people don’t know about you?
A: Yes… I’m a weird one. I don’t drink any caffeine and don’t know how to ride a bike. Everyone has their quirks, right?
Thank you so much, Alex, for joining us today! We cannot wait to see even more work. For additional information, please visit alexandrakaehler.com and follow @alexkaehlerdesign on Instagram.
