Hadley Keller
photo by Jacob Snavel
If you could have a second home anywhere, where would you live? (Maybe chiche, but for good reason!!) Paris.
Tell us about your childhood bedroom? I think the most important elements of my childhood bedroom were 1) that I hand-painted myself a rainbow polka dot nightstand and desk and 2) that I took the door off my closet and turned it into a mini office. My love of maximalism, penchant for DIY, and enthusiasm for furniture over clothing were evident from an early age.
What’s the first investment piece you ever bought for your house? I’m going to cheat and say two because one I bought and one I was lucky to have passed down BUT it’s an investment in terms of square footage: The first is a life size wooden deer I bought while working my first job in NYC at ABC Carpet and Home. It is completely non functional but has become a staple of every apartment I’ve lived in and brings me so much joy. The second is a china cabinet that was in my grandparents’ home. I think I was the only twentysomething in a tiny NYC apartment with a china cabinet but it was a necessity to me (and show me a better storage option!).
In the history of design, if you could hire any designer, who would it be? Mario Buatta.
No room is complete without Art (whether a framed postcard or a Monet).
People think of me as a pack rat, but I am really a collector…sounds so much better!
Things you omit from:
A flower arrangement: Red Roses
An hors d’oeuvre platter: Anything you can’t eat in a single bite.
A bar cabinet: Souvenir glasses.
A song for:
Dinner at home: Anything Fleetwood Mac
Working at your desk: I’m a staunch no music while working gal.
Going for a run: Vampire Weekend
Biggest Vice? Junk stores.
If you were on an Ambien high and internet shopping, what would you buy? Probably another oversized, non-functional deer.
Do your clothes reflect your design sensibility, if so, how? I don’t think so! I am a maximalist through and through in design, but my clothing tends to be more neutral—I do try to go for either a bold earring or a fun shoe though.
Who is your star crush? Bjarke Ingels
What is the one thing you would never decorate your home with, but don’t detest when you see others do it? Taxidermy.
If there were a fire, and you could only keep one design book, what would it be? An impossible question!! Given the volume of stacks of books around my apartment, chances are the fire would be caused by them—one current favorite on top right now is Bunny Mellon Style for its intimate look at its subject’s unfussy, idiosyncratic style.
For posterity, what would you like your work to be known for? Compelling storytelling that spotlights design work and designers of all types.
photo by Thomas Loof
A Few Favorites:
Movie: Call Me by Your Name or Emma for the interiors.
Book: The Secret History
Scent: Fresh flowers! Jasmine and gardenia especially.
The fabric you always come back to: Josef Frank’s Citrus Garden!
Dream project: A book on cluttered interiors.
Meal: Everything on the menu at Sofreh in Brooklyn.
Drink: Moscow Mule.
Hotel: Hotel Diplomat, Stockholm.
Travel Destination: Scandinavia in summer.
Artist: Andrew Hopkins
A cause near and dear to me: I’m currently working with Brooklyn Neighbors for Refugees to resettle an Afghan couple; it’s very exciting to be able to give a family a new home here in a city I love.
Thing to collect obsessively: Anything tabletop!
Era in the history of design: The chintz of the 80s, baby!
Museum: Sir John Soane’s
Paint Color that always looks great: Tissue Pink by Benjamin Moore
Favorite person to follow on Instagram: @pleasehatethesethings
Dogs, Cats, or No Pets? Faux pets only.
