Katie Leede
photo by Leslie Unruh
If you could have a second home anywhere, where would you live? I’d get a beach bungalow in Santa Monica, CA for the healthy lifestyle and ease of work-life balance.
What are three words to describe your style? 1. Free-Spirited 2. Worldly 3. Inherited
Tell us about your childhood bedroom? Though the rest of the house was a modern ranch style house, my room had mustard yellow floral wallpaper, a Murphy bed which folded up during the day so that I had more room to play, and a somewhat scary painting of a family of rag dolls.
What’s the first investment piece you ever bought for your house? A handsome bronze and marble bust of Joan of Arc bought upon graduation from college as back in the day, I fancied myself a great actress.
In the history of design, if you could hire any designer other than yourself, who would it be? Depending on availability, Axel Vervoordt, Veere Grenney, or Tom Scheerer would fit the bill.
No room is complete without objects containing memories.
People think of me as out and about, but I am really a homebody.
Things you omit from:
A flower arrangement: Baby’s Breath
An hors d’oeuvre platter: Pre-cut cheese
A bar cabinet: Creme de Menthe
A song for:
Dinner at home: Our House by Crosby Stills Nash & Young
Working at your desk: Atmosphere by Joy Division
Going for a run: Wake Up by Arcade Fire
Biggest Vice? Chocolate and lots of it on a daily basis. Favorite brand: Bridgewaterchocolate.com
If you were on an Ambien high and internet shopping, what would you buy? Anything and everything from http://ipezzidipinti.com but I’d start with this fabulous shawl
Do your clothes reflect your design sensibility, if so, how? Yup. I have a collected/mix-and-match style and my closet is full of gifts and hand-me-downs from friends and, most especially, my Mom. My interiors and textiles hopefully reflect that same soulful, personal flair.
Who is your star crush? Shoot me… Hands down: Brad Pitt.
What is the thing you would never do on a project, but don’t detest when you see others do it? Highly polished stone but thinking about it for this next project.
If there were a fire, and you could only keep one design book, what would it be? Le Décorateurs des Anées 40.
For posterity, what would you like your work to be known for? Making people’s lives happier, more efficient and more in line with their ideal selves through the introduction of graceful, cultured interiors and beautiful textiles into their lives.
photo by Miguel Flores-Vianna
A Few Favorites:
Movie: Ingmar Bergman’s Fanny and Alexander
Book: All time: Moby Dick
Current: Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout
Scent: Gardenias
The fabric you always come back to: Mohair
Dream project: Working on two right now: A stately Virginia country estate full of all things civilized and antique and, conversely, an edgy, contemporary villa in Brentwood, California which will eventually house a world class modern art collection.
Meal: Whole crispy fish with a side of green beans at Lure in Soho.
Drink: Spicy margarita
Hotel: Mauna Kea Beach Hotel on the big island of Hawaii for its laid-back, old world vibe, best white sand beach and swimming across the still bay.
Travel Destination: It’s a toss up between Marrakech, Tanzania, and Jaipur, though I remain crazy about Paris and London.
Artist: Van Gogh
Thing to collect obsessively: Antique textiles
Era in the history of design: NOW!
Museum: The Met… hanging out there is like traveling in place.
Paint Color that always look great: Farrow and Ball’s Hague Blue
Favorite person to follow on Instagram: @amandacbrooks
Dogs, Cats, or No Pets? The most adorable Schnoodle ever named Pepper
