Alexandra Killion is a designer to watch. Based in Houston, she’s known for her use of color, texture, and fine art—and her eponymous firm has a growing client list. She also has just launched AK Collective, a handcrafted furniture line that helps elevate any space. 

It was time for Alexandra Killion Interiors to find a more permanent HQ, and she found it close to home on Houston’s Westside. She transformed the commercial space from a dull and drab real estate office into a light-filled, and cozy space to work. As an added bonus, the studio welcomes clients and industry contacts alike. She tells us more.  

Tell us about your office. Where is it located? How did you choose the space, and what do you love most about the area?
The Alexandra Killion Interiors office and showroom is located on the Westside of Houston. I chose the space based on opportunity and location! A former real estate agency space came available down the street from my house, and I jumped on it, can’t beat my 4-minute commute. My team and I wanted a space to work out of but also have room to showcase the newly launched furniture line, AK Collective. All the pieces are all made to order but I wanted a place for clients and customers to come experience and interact with the product in person in a space that efillmbodied the AK aesthetic.    

What condition was it in at the start, and what was your scope of work to make the office function for you?
We transformed a bleak, drab, stark office into a bright, cheery and colorful showroom. It is really important as a design professional not only to be inspired by your workspace but also use it to showcase my design perspective to clients and my network and community. We gutted the space, took down walls to make the office more open, painted the black and tan walls white with an accent mural at the entrance and a fun Farrow and Ball’s Sulking Room Pink in the kitchen. We replaced the fluorescent office lighting and added in pieces to reflect our style—upscale office furniture and art pieces throughout, large scale mood boards and antique pieces I collect and sell, along with the collection filling out the showroom as well as the office. 

Could you “walk us” through each area and share a few of your favorite details? We’d love to know about how each area functions and your favorite design details.
When you first enter the space in an unassuming strip of small business spaces, you are greeted by a bright entryway with built-in bookshelves where we display a collection of styling objects we use in projects and antiques I have collected over the years. I love the custom signage on the wall and fabric swatch display for the upholstered pieces of my collection above one of the commodes I designed. They are simply tacked on the wall but make such a moment when accompanied by a picture light. 

The next space is the showroom with gorgeous Northern facing light, filled with AK Collective pieces. It is an ever-evolving showroom of new styles and vintage pieces with contemporary art by local artists who I love to highlight. 

Our main office space is filled with neutral tones, upscale office desks and chairs, an antique conference table and the large-scale pin boards we use for ongoing projects and inspiration. 

My desk is in the corner – a treasured antique piece flanked by a sideboard and incredible armoire. I also have a framed Hermes scarf as art that has traveled with me since my first small office.  

I draped curtains over the entrance to the kitchen for some easy drama and to make the entrance appear larger. It is painted Sulking Room Pink by Farrow and Ball. I love the open shelving, custom marble countertops from Triton Stone, one of our favorite local suppliers, and a fun fabric skirt. It is small but really efficient for daily use, and even as a catering station for our launch party earlier this spring! 

Finally, there is a teeny pink bathroom where we had fun with Wallshoppe Martini Wallpaper and a coordinating silk sink skirt. 

What is a “typical day” like in the office?
Days vary so much. I am so lucky the office is close to my house, and also the spec house I am building in my neighborhood so I can easily check on progress and make site visits in the area. A typical day might include a big client presentation, vendor meeting, and then end with a networking event that night!