Viceroy Santa Monica

Kelly Wearstler is the interior designer behind a considerable number of Mr & Mrs Smith’s favourite luxury boutique hotels across the pond (including the Viceroy Santa Monica and Viceroy Palm Springs hotels in California, and Tides Riviera Maya in Mexico, to name just a few). As a result, she sailed effortlessly into second slot in our Top 10: Boutique Hotel Designers feature (stylishly sandwiched between Anouska Hempel and Ilse Crawford), so we donned our best heels to catch up with the most glamorous interior designer on the block…

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When did you first realise you wanted to be an interior designer?

I grew up in a home that was constantly evolving, so I was always surrounded by beautiful and unusual objects, textures and colours. My mother is a closet interior designer, so my home environment was always in a state of flux; I’d come home from school and the living room would be an entirely different colour…

How vital is the decor of a hotel to you when you’re picking a place to stay for yourself?

The decor is always a consideration when I choose a particular hotel; one of my favourites is the Hotel Santa Caterina on the Amalfi Coast, Italy, where I recently stayed on a family vacation. It was such a treat, and we’re hoping to take annual vacations there.