Ep. 58: designer Kevin Isbell

Kevin Isbell joins us today for a round of Would You Rather? -- Decorating Edition. We also chat about adding texture and soul into a modern home, Kevin’s superpower of using strong color in subtle ways, decorating pet peeves, and his recent Nantucket cottage project featured in House Beautiful. It is apparent that Kevin loves what he does, and is deeply passionate about the craft behind design.

What You'll Hear on This Episode:

Why a large enough rug is crucial for a well balanced feel within a roomKevin’s fondness for antique and vintage pieces that have a story to tell and that add texture and warmth to the roomWhy Kevin would never do away with accessories and little trinkets that we pick up along the way of experiences and travelThe little accessories that push home design from “nice” to the “wow” factorWhy even the ugliest of chairs have the possibility to be beautifulHow Kevin got into design, playing around with the late 80’s trends of color blockingHow a background in business and business management helps set you up for running a successful career in interior design. Kevin combined the desire from his parents for him to get a business background, and his own love of architecture and designThe difference of furnishing vs decorating a homeKevin’s cross country adventure from San Francisco to New York in 2001Kevin’s house in Nantucket recently featured in House Beautiful, and how he maintained the basic structure in the house while completely changing the decorFacts on Nantucket’s global industry that inspired Kevin’s choices when picking decor and accentsHow he combines his old-soul and craftsman mentality with modern day social media. Kevin’s time lapse videos on Instagram are works of art themselves, and give another personal touch to his projects.How Kevin revamped a timeless Greenwich, Connecticut home, and made it approachable and livable with the beauty of a showhomeThe balance of high, low and knowing when to invest compared to when to hold back and save moneyKevin’s use of strong color in a subtle ways and how he mixes several colors in one room, and how Kevin changes color usage depending on geographic location and settingThe real commitment needed to really go all in on a pop of color, and why accent rooms shouldn’t be just one colorful piece in a neutral roomKevin’s choice of Ballard’s Original Office Collection for his workspace