In ELLE.com’s monthly series Office Hours, we ask people in powerful positions to take us through their first jobs, worst jobs, and everything in between. This month, we spoke to Kelly Wearstler, who started working when she was 13 and hasn’t looked back. Her early restaurant jobs taught her about teamwork and managing (they also paid for her college education) and led to work in graphic design, architecture, and interiors. Since beginning her studio, Kelly Wearstler Interior Design, in 1995, she’s designed hotels, homes for celebrities, like Cameron Diaz and Gwen Stefani, appeared as a judge on the Bravo show Top Design, and written six books. Now she’s collaborating with the brand Giobagnara on a collection of barware and serveware and working on Proper Hotel’s renovated property in Lake Tahoe, Utah. “My mom always said nothing worthwhile is easy,” she says of her non-stop career. Below, she speaks about working for legendary designer Milton Glaser, how tagging along with her mom to vintage stores shaped her sensibility, and the power of hotels.
My first job
I was 13 years old in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and started working at this beachside diner. I would make milkshakes and eggs, and I would count money and tally it up at the end of the day. That’s a big job for a 13-year-old. I loved it. I remember meeting all sorts of incredible people. I also really learned about teamwork, managing, and multitasking. And about having cash.
My best boss
When I was in New York, I did an apprenticeship with [the celebrated graphic designer] Milton Glaser. He was really one of those early designers that was a multi-hyphenate. He did graphic design, he was in marketing, he did interior design, architecture, sculpture. He was a really great boss, because he really gave a lot of visibility to the team that worked there, and it was super inclusive of all levels of the team.
How I became interested in design
My mom was always into going to vintage stores, whether it was fashion or design. She would take me and my sister to yard sales and auctions all the time. I was always surrounded by furniture or art or vintage magazines—everything that you could possibly imagine.
Why lighting is so important in design
Lighting creates a mood. It adds depth to architecture. It can make or break a space. It also can make someone look amazing and someone look not so good. Another reason I love what I do is that I get to work with all these amazing lighting designers and continue to learn incredible strategies for creating the best lighting. It’s fundamental, and it’s a power shift to the overall mood of a project.
My defining career moment
When I moved to Los Angeles, I was going to get a job at an architectural firm. A friend of a friend said, “Oh, my friends bought a house in Venice. They bought this bungalow and need help with the space.” They committed to having me do the living room. I did the living room, and then ended up finishing the whole house.
Why living in Los Angeles inspires me
It’s the best, because it’s so diverse in all forms. The landscape, the architecture, the food, culture, art. I’ve just seen it flourish since I moved. It’s a free-spirited city. New York is rooted in tradition, where L.A. is always looking for the next best thing, probably because of Hollywood, but now tech is a big component, which I’m super into.
How I decide to say yes to a project
You wonder, oh my God, am I going to get another job? It’s really scary. One of the most important things is making sure that you’re aligned with your client on the direction and taste level of a project. Early on, I would take a project, and maybe they wanted something that was really vanilla, something that maybe I wasn’t crazy about, and it wasn’t the perfect fit.
I also like to have different types of projects in the office. We do architecture, interior design, different type of installations, whether it’s for a museum or a gallery. I like that diversity, because you learn from each type of project, which makes the other ones better.
Why designing a hotel is different from designing a home
You design a home for a residential client and, of course, friends come over and see it, but you don’t get any visibility on how somebody’s enjoying it. I can go into a hotel at any time and see the same people coming back, having brunch one day and coming back for dinner. There are guests that stay there that I get amazing DMs and notes from. It’s so fulfilling.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
Adrienne Gaffney is a features editor at ELLE and previously worked at WSJ Magazine and Vanity Fair.
