Interior Design Experts Discuss Personal Style At One Kings Lane

Jul 2, 2018 9:27 AM

One Kings Lane, the luxury furniture and home decor store on Jobs Lane in Southampton Village, hosted a panel discussion with New York City-based interior design expert Tricia Foley and One Kings Lane President Debbie Propst on Saturday, June 23, hosted by Elle editor-in-chief and “Project Runway” judge Nina Garcia and covering all aspects of interior design, such as how novices can find their distinct style, what works and what doesn’t work for a home, and how to be practical and functional when decorating with a family.

“I love fashion and home decor because of the unique opportunity that it lets us express our unique point of view,” Ms. Garcia said, introducing the panelists. “It is about finding the pieces that speak to our individual sensibility and incorporating them into our lives so that our exterior reflects our interior.”

This thought set the tone for the discussion between Ms. Foley and Ms. Propst, which highlighted the One Kings Lane tagline, “Live Your Style,” focusing on the various approaches anyone can take to finding their personal style.

“I always start with function and with the bones of a space,” Ms. Foley said. “I think that the interior architecture of a space is the most important to respond to, and then it just seems to fall into place naturally when you figure out how to use a room.

“I think if you put the things you love in your home, you’ll appreciate seeing them and they will serve a purpose,” she continued.

Ms. Foley emphasized that style doesn’t have to be compromised when designing a home for a family. She kept this in mind when recently designing the home of comedian Chris Rock, who has two young daughters himself.

“They are either trying out makeup or they are eating pizza in their room,” she laughed. “My solution was to buy a lot of perennial and Sunbrella fabrics because they look like linen or canvas, and they’re totally washable and so easily wiped clean. There are a lot of choices today, which is great.”

One Kings Lane also features a design studio in New York City where clients can consult with design experts on how to best curate their home in line with their style.

“When customers come in and they ask us for a design appointment, they say, ‘What am I going to get out of it?’” Ms. Propst said. “We usually say, ‘Well, we don’t know, but whatever it is, it’s going to be you.’ It’s not going to look like a page out of a catalog. We’re going to create something that’s truly unique and special to you.”

Ms. Foley explained to guests that they don’t always need to be on-trend or off-trend, and that any pattern or fabric can be used forever if used the correct way.

“If something is really well designed, it’s timeless,” she said.

To help discover personal style, Ms. Foley suggested visiting design shows and antiques shops, but explained that she is personally inspired by films.

“So many interiors have been inspired by films,” she said. “‘Out of Africa’ was a big one for me.”

“Just walking down the street here and seeing the architecture and the gardens is very inspiring to me,” she continued.

“Don’t forget to look up,” Ms. Propst added. “I remember being so vividly inspired by the architecture while living in Barcelona, but you have to look up.”

The panel ended with a question-and-answer session with guests, followed by an opportunity to browse the store and connect one-on-one with the panelists. This event marked the start of One Kings Lane’s second summer in Southampton.