Welsh born, London based Interior Stylist and Art Director, Katie Phillips is renowned for her natural and refined aesthetic. Her exquisite taste can be seen in exquisite editorials for Hole & Corner, Elle Decoration and Rakes Progress, as well as campaigns for Selfridges, Loewe, Ercol, Loaf and Google. Mixing eras and genres, Katie’s approach doesn’t follow any particular design rules or trends and instead remains rooted in emotion, materiality and the ineffable sense of feeling lived in.
Here, Katie talks to Good Things about the ways her Welsh heritage informs her work, how prop sourcing trains the eye and why timeless design is more important than following trends.
Where did you first get interested in interiors? Did you have any early influences?
It all started with watching my Mum. She never worked in the creative industry but always had this natural affinity for creating magical spaces. Growing up, she was always dragging in big branches from the forest, hanging twinkly lights on them at Christmas and painting eggs for Easter. She would host dinner parties for friends and family and create these beautiful tablescapes (long before tablescaping was a thing). We used to play a game where we'd scroll through interior magazines together, mentally picking one item to keep from each room and then guessing what the other person had chosen. This is where the obsession began!
Your Welsh heritage plays a role in your aesthetic. How do you think the place has informed your work?
Some of my earliest memories growing up are of taking part in our school Eisteddfod, which translates to 'gathering' or 'sitting together.' This huge annual festival is centred around community and the celebration of Welsh music, poetry, language, and the arts. For such a tiny country, Wales packs a big punch when it comes to folk art and craft traditions, and I can see how this thread has been woven through my professional work and personal style. I've always aspired to be known as a collector of sorts, living in a house full of objects and artwork that celebrates craftsmanship and storytelling. As my style has developed over the years, I've found myself naturally drawn to studio pottery, weaving, hand carvings, + sculpture, all traditional crafts that are celebrated in Wales and passed down through generations.
We would love to hear about your research process. Where do ideas begin for you?
I love getting out and about for inspiration. Heading out to prop houses, furniture dealers, auctions, and markets is always my starting point. I have books that I go back to time and time again for inspiration. I'm a very analogue person and enjoy returning to specific reference points that stand the test of time.
The art of prop sourcing is the secret weapon in interior design. Could you talk about your approach to this?
This is the absolute best part of my job. Prop sourcing inspires everything that I do, and I'm always doing it. What I love most about prop sourcing is how it trains your eye to see things from a different perspective. When I first started in the industry, I assisted as many stylists as possible, and a lot of that work required me to be out on the ground finding and sourcing pieces for various projects on their behalf. This experience was invaluable in developing my understanding of how to interpret and respond to a brief. You learn to look at things through a completely different set of eyes, and you become excited to find pieces that you would (personally) never be drawn to. Sharpening your eye in this way is also an integral part of being able to work on multiple briefs at any one time.
How do you define your style as an Interior Stylist?
My friends joke that my style is 'Brown' (and they're not wrong.) Overall, my style is warm and eclectic. I like to mix eras and genres, and I don't stick to any particular design rules or trends. I'm drawn to rich, dark colours and natural materials and have come to realise that I am a maximalist at heart. It's essential for me that a room or a space doesn't feel too perfect or precious - I'm always striving for my work to look relaxed and lived in, well-worn around the edges.
How do you balance playing with trends vs longevity?
I generally don't pay too much attention to trends. Although social media has undoubtedly accelerated the influence of interior trends, they don't burn out as quickly as they do in other industries like fashion. Of course, it's my job to stay on top of trend forecasts, but more importantly, my goal is to create projects and imagery that feel timeless and can be returned to again and again.
What have you noticed about the changing relationship between interiors and its role in broader culture?
The pandemic was a real turning point in how people view and value their homes. For a long time, aspirational living on social media platforms was centred around travel. Suddenly, we were all spending a lot more time at home, and there was this very visceral shift in the way that people responded to their immediate surroundings. All of a sudden, people's homes moved from being private spaces to public platforms of self-expression, identity and personal brand. This culture shift has created an interesting duality whereby people have more access than ever to design inspiration, whilst simultaneously seeing less variety in styles due to algorithm-driven trends.
How do you think about set design within the broader ecosystem of creating a story on set?
Ultimately, good set design should work in complete harmony with all of the other elements that bring a story to life. Often, I design builds that need to blend seamlessly into existing spaces, and this can require a sympathetic hand. Here, the goal isn't for the set to shout the loudest, but to help shape the world in which the story exists. Every choice, from materials, colour palette to layout and scale, influences the narrative and tone.
Katie’s Five Good Things:
A great film that inspires you? The Addams Family (1991)- I was obsessed with this as a child; I've watched it hundreds of times. The set design still speaks to my soul years later.
An album or podcast you often play in the studio - ‘Miss Me?’ With Lily Allen and Miquita Oliver
A book you return to - Francois Halard: A Visual Diary
An artist who inspires you? Henry Moore, Barbara Hepworth, Louis Barragan, Jim Ede + his wife Helen Schlapp (of Kettles Yard)
Your favourite shoot snack? 3 pm chocolate is a must.
https://www.stylistkatiephillips.com
https://www.instagram.com/katiestylist