1. TF: How did you develop your own personal style? KM: I threw my first surprise party when I was eight for my mom, handling the design and logistics all by myself. When I realized how happy entertaining made people I designed parties all of the time. That is where my passion for design began to develop. As I traveled and became influenced by other cultures, I fell in love with antiquing and creating vignettes and realized how much warmth and history they add to an environment. As I became more experienced in the event world, I began to experiment with fabrics, florals, furniture groupings, and my passion for event design moved in to my love for interiors. I found that entertaining and interiors crossed over and so I began to create my lifestyle brand that focuses on helping people define their signature style and then infusing that into their spaces. TF: Do you believe in always being bold and making a statement, or do you think there are times when it’s best to tone down your style? KM: I believe in always being yourself first and foremost. If you are bold, be bold. If you feel it's not an appropriate time to be bold, then trust your instinct. When I entertain I tend to create bold tablescapes to truly create an experience and make a lasting impression on my guests. When I design a space, I tend to focus on clean lines and then search for items that have history or meaning to the people living in the space. Then I find new ways to highlight those pieces, helping to tell a story and make a statement. In fashion, it truly depends on the day. I am not afraid to try anything as long as it suits my figure. And, I always have a cocktail ring on, or jewelry that makes a big statement. TF: What are the biggest style mistakes you think most people make? KM: I think that people tend to feel that adding more is always better. I take my cue from Coco Chanel, "before you leave the house, look in the mirror and take one thing off." I do that both in fashion and in the way I design. Edit, edit, edit. TF: Do you think people's style in their dress and the style of their home should be similar? KM: Style should be as unique as your signature, and if you are true to who you are then there will be crossover in what you are attracted to in both fashion and home decor: whether it be color, texture, accessories, or the lines and/or tailoring. As important, regardless of your style, you should consider the lines of what you have to work with in both design and fashion. There are certain pieces of furniture I adore that would never work in the space I live in. There are also clothes that I want to wear that don't work with the lines of my body. I have to consider both as I define my overall style. TF: When planning an event like your wedding or a party in your home, should you take cues from your everyday style or should you do something totally different? KM: Entertaining is one area I love to play in. Each event is a unique experience and a chance to give back to the people in your life. If it is something as important as your wedding then you should consider your individual style along with your partner’s, and find ways to share who you are as a couple (what you value and are passionate about) with the people who are attending. If it is a dinner party, luncheon, or brunch it is a chance to create a completely unique experience that can be fantasy. TF: What exciting projects are you working on right now and how does your personal style play a role in them? KM: I am a Lifestyle and Entertaining Expert, so every week I am on our NBC affiliate and each month I am in our city magazine. While I am in Seattle, I always strive to inspire other people to define who they are and explore their style, so my aesthetic is less important. It is more important to me to share ideas that others can use to share who they are with other people. However, I also travel to NYC frequently and entertain while I am there. In NYC I am focused more on sharing my personal style and allowing people to see who I am and get to know why my style is unique. I just completed a segment on the Nate Berkus Show (airing Oct. 1st), and once again in that situation I value my style but giving his viewers accessible ideas is of primary importance - then if I can find a way to put my twist on it that's great too. TF: Who are your style icons? KM: My interior style icon is Dorothy Draper, with current influence by Miles Redd, Kelly Wearstler, Jamie Drake, with a touch of Keith Johnson for his focus on found objects. I take inspiration from the runway shows of Dior, Coco Chanel, Valentino, and Lanvin especially the accessory line. I adore the photography and lifestyle of Slim Aarons. TF: Where do you find inspirations for your designs? Are you interior design inspirations and your event planning inspirations from the same sources or different ones? KM: I am sure this is how most of us would respond, but I get inspiration from everywhere. Sometimes my inspiration comes from a simple thing - the color of paint chip, the texture of a piece of fabric, an old building I photographed on a trip - I find passion in the detail. I also walk through flea markets and antique malls and find inspiration in vintage pieces. I gain a lot of inspiration from other designers and design bloggers. I find that nobody is reinventing the wheel, but each of us may find a different use for it and I think that is such an interesting process.