Kayla CELLIERS

Following a career in teaching, Junior Interior Designer, Kayla decided to follow her passion and studied an online diploma in interior design. It was only when she left Auckland and moved to the Mount that she fully moved into the interior industry, and following a brief stint selling homeware and furniture she joined the Urban Lounge team. ‘The great thing about working at Urban Lounge is that there is a wealth of knowledge to draw on - it’s having that safety network to test ideas, ask lots (and lots!) of questions, to learn and not be afraid of making mistakes.’

As a Junior Interior Designer, Kayla’s role varies week on week, some days she could be selecting finishes and furnitures for a residential project and others it could be selecting accessories for commercial projects, working on schedules or CAD work. ‘Creating visuals for people is my favourite part of the project, I love being able to look at a space and work out what would bring the client’s vision to life. There’s an element of instant gratification, in being able to present the visuals to the client and to be able to get their feedback and know that you’ve really understood what they’re looking for.’ 

For Kayla it’s the areas that people gather in and entertain in that are the priority - the kitchen, dining and living space, especially if the home is open plan. The heart of the home, Kayla believes it is key to really capture the essence of the home and the clients’ in these areas. It’s about thinking how they live, how they entertain and where they spend their down time that dictates the design. Along with the likes of Instagram and Architectural Digest, Kayla draws a lot of inspiration from nature, ‘I could be visiting Island Stone and see a beautiful piece of marble or a tundra and the natural colour palettes that I can then recreate.’

It’s not just the incredible tiles and stones that Island Stone has that makes them one of Kayla’s favourite brands, it’s also because the team is so knowledgeable and always keen to help achieve the client’s vision. As for fabrics, James Dunlop and Design of the Time are two that Kayla loves, especially the collections that have a strong focus on natural textures and colours, like the Japanese influenced stonewash linen.