The Final Layer with Kaela
For interior stylist Kaela Shaw, a room comes to life in the final layer. Working behind the scenes on interior design photoshoots, she brings together the details that help a space tell its story: flowers, textiles, art and objects with a little history.
She’s also the founder of No.2 Collection, a small gallery of contemporary art and vintage decor. Her eye is drawn to spaces that feel personal, where books are read, surfaces show their age and nothing is too precious to touch. Our conversation began with those finishing touches and found its way to the feeling of being at home.
How would you describe your approach to styling in one sentence?
Effortless, but intentional. Elegant, but lived in.
Who or what has most shaped the way you think about styling?
My biggest inspirations come from industries and elements adjacent to the interior design space. I have a true love for flowers and am always engaging in the floral design aspect of the industry. I love vintage sourcing and a random object can become inspiration for an upcoming project. And, I am lucky to have deeply collaborative relationships with the photographers I work with and really have their approach in mind when preparing a styling concept. Anticipating image composition and lighting lets me create moments where small styling gestures translate to big impact and I really love this part of the puzzle. It’s where editorial styling is very different than decorating.
Is there a space that fundamentally changed the way you think about home?
There isn’t one single space, but there’s a feeling I keep chasing. Every so often I’ll walk into a home and think, this is exactly who lives here. There’s always a variety of details that gave it away: a wall of well-loved books, a table covered in half-finished projects, a collection of objects that have been passed down in the family. Whether or not it’s to my personal taste, I’m instantly won over.
The more highly curated spaces I see, the more that kind of honesty and authenticity is what I crave, good and bad included.
What role do textiles play in the spaces you create?
When I come in to style a space, the main textiles like upholstered furniture and drapery are already in place. So I am looking at the final elements like throw blankets, pillows and bedding. Textiles always act as a way to bring in texture, movement and softness. The type of textiles you add can really shift the tone of a space and my approach is different based on whether I want it to feel luxurious or elegant, or cozy or quaint.
What does comfort mean to you beyond simply being comfortable?
Comfort is when I stop noticing the room and just exhale. Comfort is not having to perform. It’s a home where nothing is too precious to touch, where the chair is worn in and the books are actually read, and where I can be exactly as I am, good and bad, without managing how it looks.
What’s one thing every home needs more of, but people rarely ask for?
Handmade art! It’s so common that people are fatigued by the construction process that interior design projects finish before the final layer is properly considered. Artisan made pieces, handmade ceramics, paintings etc are just as important as some of the big design decisions. Without these elements a home can’t come to life.
What’s the most underrated way to make a space feel inviting?
Incorporating vintage pieces, and embracing patina and imperfection. Even the most highly curated spaces will still have an inviting element to them if they contain patina, worn surfaces, and slight imperfections. Beauty does not have to equal flawlessness. Blemishes and wear are a part of life and high quality, timeless spaces will always endure, and even improve, with time.
How do you know when a room is truly finished? Or is it ever?
As someone who just loves art, decor and interior spaces, for myself a room is never truly finished and things will always change. However, there is a difference between a room that is unfinished and a finished space that is allowed to evolve.
The elements that have to exist for me to feel a room is finished is wall art for at least the main obvious spaces, supplemental textiles like throw blankets and pillows are in place, and the lighting is layered and balanced throughout the room.
Also, a home without books feels so naked and strange to me.
What do you hope people feel before they notice how a space looks?
Calm, but curious. Although I love to play around in bolder spaces, my natural aesthetic is for a space to feel peaceful and calming. But, that doesn’t translate to boring or minimalist. I like when it takes some time for people to start noticing smaller pieces, going up closer to look at something in more detail, and getting curious about the various elements in the room as they start to reveal themselves.
If your style were a feeling rather than a look, what would it be?
Stillness. I like to find the still in the negative space, the soft lighting, the corner where nothing is competing.
Is there one piece of furniture, art, or object you’ll never part with?
This past year I acquired a 1940’s Danish cabinetmaker armchair from Norway that was restored in a dark brown/grey shearling. It is the most beautiful, yet approachable and comfortable, piece of furniture I’ve ever owned and it will be with me forever.
Words by Kaela Shaw
