Design Philosophy

Hello, my name is Katherine Brown, and I’m the principal designer and owner of KBD Designs.

After a successful 17 year career in investment banking in the City of London, I decided it was time to follow my long-held passion for interiors and interior design. Never someone to do something half-heartedly, I took up the creative challenge, resigned from the City, and embarked upon a full-time vocational training diploma course in interior design, in the heart of British interior design, Chelsea Harbour, West London.

Design presented me with a different intellectual challenge from my previous banking career, but I needed all my City skills – attention to detail, organisational skills, the ability to work to a tight deadline, problem-solving and lateral thinking skills, people management and communication skills, and of course, hard work and dedication – to perform to the highest standard in my studies.

"My life experiences to date have driven my personal design philosophy."

My life experiences to date have driven my personal design philosophy. Working in the City made me acutely aware that today more than ever we live in a time of globalisation and "immediacy". This has many benefits, but it also takes a toll on the individual as he or she strives to keep apace with the demands of today’s lifestyle.

It is this idea which forms the cornerstone of my personal design philosophy. To help redress or balance the demands of all our busy lives, I believe in creating environments for your lifestyle. This is equally important for our dwellings, our places of work and our places of leisure. Particularly with our homes, these should be places that help us live our lives more efficiently, more positively and therefore more effectively. This is not to suggest that every home, for example, has a full-specification "spa" in which to recharge one’s batteries, but this might suit a number of people (myself included!). What is important is that an individual, couple or family have a home that works with, and helps promote, these individual lifestyles and priorities.

"Whatever your lifestyle and circumstances, KBD Designs can create an interior environment to enhance and compliment your life."

This design philosophy means that I approach interior design through a series of "design layers" - through every step of the design process, each step is “correct” and appropriate before moving onto the next stage. Creating solid design layers helps to establish a core foundation for a cohesive, stylish and practical environment. On a personal level, my design style has been influenced by the time I spent growing up on the West Coast of North America, particularly Los Angeles, and living and travelling in Europe, particularly living and working in London and travelling in Italy. Through a combination of these design layers and influences, I create practical, liveable environments with a touch of something special. Whatever your lifestyle and circumstances, KBD Designs can create an interior environment to enhance and compliment your life.