Inside, collections of Kelley’s favorite things—chinoiserie, jasperware, black lacquer, and wooden boxes—lend the sense of being amassed over time, which indeed they have. When she travels, the designer keeps an eye out for additions to her collections, whether she’s in a market stall or a fine antiques store. In her entry hall, a display of framed prints, procured from flea markets, are souvenirs of cities she’s visited. “I collect things I love,” she says, “some valuable, some not.” The result is, of course, effortless elegance.
The same easy discernment applies to Kelley’s furniture. Some pieces were bought for show house rooms but later found their way into her home. In fact, a pair of ceramic dogs in the entry hall has appeared in 24 show house rooms. Kelley purchased the dining table, designed by Mark Hampton in the 1960s, thinking she would find a place for it in a client’s house. It now rests on the leopard-print carpet in her own dining room, adding the sharp angles of the go-go era to an otherwise traditional plan.
