Designer Kelly Wearstler has truly transformed the relationship between hotels and design. Starting with Maison 140 and continuing with the Viceroy  hotels, Kelly has shown that innovative, unexpected, and cutting edge design works beautifully in a hotel. The boutique hotel industry has followed her bold lead, realizing that a fabulously designed hotel is a destination onto itself. Whether it is experiencing a hotel’s bars, restaurants, pools, or suites, people love to try on a different style–if only for a night. She is a master at creating unique worlds in her hotels. Kelly always pushes her limits with design and it is always exciting to see what she comes up with next. This is why I was thrilled when Rizzoli offered me a sneak peak at Kelly’s new book Rhapsody. Filled with hundreds of stunning new images, her 4th book showcases her range. My only complaint is that there wasn’t more text (spoken like a true writer). I wanted captions for every gorgeous image.  Regardless, her fans will love this glimpse into her new projects and her process.

One of the coolest parts of the book is getting a glimpse into how Kelly works. I’m so used to designers working with inspiration boards where they tack everything up, but Kelly says having everything loose in a tray works for her. She explains,  “My inspiration tray is a library of all the elements in a given room. Each piece is loose and free-floating to accommodate the inevitable changes that will arise over the course of a project.”

In Rhapsody, Kelly goes on to talk about her color choices sometimes happen through the interplay of objects and samples on her inspiration trays, “Though I am often deliberate with my color compositions, sometimes it can happen randomly when I see different-hued fabrics interacting on a tray.”

All images courtesy of Rizzoli