Kelsey McGregor, the owner and creative force of Kelsey Leigh Design Co., recently brought a bit of comfortable California style to the midwest. She explains, “The client wanted to capture the casual style of the coast and bring it back to Edmond, Oklahoma. The home sits on land that backs up to a beautiful green forest, setting the stage for capturing the natural feel of the home.” The family — she’s a psychologist, he’s the dean at a top private school, and their son is in middle school — was about halfway through the building process of the home and decisions were starting to pile up. Kelsey smiles, “She brought on the KLD team to help her navigate the ‘pretty part.'” In a recent chat, she told us more about the design process:
Hi Kelsey! We’d love to know a bit more about this home. Where’s it located, and how did the location factor (or not!) into the design?
The home is located in a quaint suburban neighborhood in Edmond, OK and sits just behind the local elementary school. This was a new construction project and the lot the homeowners purchased to build on backs up to wooded acreage. We wanted to highlight the views of the trees. The backyard woods are also home to the local wildlife including wild turkeys and deer.
You were hired sort of in the middle of the process. What were some of the first things you were tasked with?
We were hired on to the project mid build to help with the hard finishes of the home (counter tops, tile, wood flooring, paint colors for interior and exterior, hardware, plumbing fixtures, and lighting). From there the project developed into a full service design project where we helped out client select all the furnishings and accessories for their new home.
Did the family have any “must-haves” or “absolutely nots”?
Our client had been a fan of our work and was so wonderful to give us her complete trust from the get go. The one thing I remember was presenting her some furniture pieces that had rattan/caning and she was a hard “NO” (this was in 2018 and all that stuff was just starting to come on scene in a big way). By the end of the project she asked me what I thought about incorporating a caned detail cabinet she found that I have originally specified for her months before. My inception plan worked perfectly! So often that happens with interior designer/client process. We lob up a new idea, it gets totally shut down initially and then after some time, the client almost always warms up to the idea and we implement.
Are there any details that you feel make the space?
I really love how the entire home came together and can be viewed as a whole complete thought. It really has a flow and “feel” to it… an intangible quality that makes the backdrop for living there feel so restful and warm.
What did the family say when they first saw the completed space?
“I love my house so much I can’t believe it’s mine!” Direct quote.
Kelsey shares more details on the property in the slideshow.
