“I recall meeting Seema in LA for LCDQ festivities. She gave us a lesson in hand block printing and we all got to make a napkin to take home. I want to make a set of eight next time! Seema was so happy and lovely.”
How did you get your start in interior design, and how have you seen the industry evolve around you?
I was a fashion merchandising major in college with a passion for textiles and style. I worked for several years in the retail industry (while I was having my three children).
When I was 30, I was fortunate enough to be introduced to a legendary interior designer, Jane Moore in Houston and she hired me to be her assistant. She was really great because she allowed me to work on many of the room schemes and layouts instead of just running mindless errands.
When she retired I started to do small jobs on my own for friends and family. I was also moving, remodeling and flipping my own homes every few years. Back then there was not a huge and my business took off. I have spent the last 25 years trying to learn more about design and fulfilling my passion for designing while delving into the plethora of wonderful fabrics and furniture that are available to me.
I have been amazed at the incredible growth of the industry. So many young and talented people are coming into the fray and the range of fabric selections has become so much more personal and varied. Obviously, as in every industry, technology has made some aspects of our work much more efficient. In other ways the emergence of Pinterest and other social platforms has placed some of us more experienced, but less technological designers, on our back foot. Speaking for myself, the pressure to keep up with the posts can be a little daunting!
What influences inform your design aesthetic?
Traveling has kept my aesthetic ever evolving. I have been fortunate to travel to many places and experience different ways of life and living.
I have learned that there is so much more to creating a home than some furniture and fabric, even more so as I have gotten older.
In Copenhagen, where I have spent a lot of time, the people there have an innate sense of style and access to some of the most iconic furniture there is. As such, they are highly educated in the world of furniture and art, yet their homes are that of a cozy, family first and relaxed aesthetic.
Many fine works of art are hung a bit askew and the frames are worn and mismatched. Family heirlooms are on full display. Rugs of all different varieties adorn the white-washed floors and nature is everywhere. I would say that many homes in Europe tend to lean that way more than you find here in the finer homes in the southern US.
I like to think that I leave the homes I create for my clients with a warm and homey feel that invites them to continue to collect the art and accessories that appeal to them, without fear of “messing up” what I have done. So yes, I am more relaxed about my design and invite people to keep the cherished things that have been handed down to them, instead of creating the “perfect” instagrammable moment.
What is your most treasured design related object?
A ‘Japanned’ black secretary that I have dragged around to every home I have had. It is on the smaller side so it has been used in the entry, as a bedside table, and, as intended, a desk!
What is your favorite pattern from Seema Krish Design – textile or wallcovering?
That would be a difficult choice for me as I love them all! I would have to say that Clarendon in Metropolitan Gray is definitely top of the list. I am dying to use it in the Cider Gold combination. I also love the Bandra pattern in Monsoon Blue!
