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Kenneth Brown Talks DesignAt Home with Kenneth Brown
Kenneth Brown talks trends Kenneth Brown talks design
If you’re looking for a way to get inside the head of a designer, then by all means choose Kenneth Brown’s head. Not only is it Beach Boy-cute, it’s filled with visions of beautiful rooms inspired by a favorite teacup, a seashell or a Pucci scarf—rooms that are welcoming and sophisticated sanctuaries from life’s hustle and bustle.
Tune in to Kenneth Brown's reDesign, Thursdays at 8:30pm e/p.

Fun with flat screens
One of the biggest design trends today is driven by technology, says Kenneth Brown. TV is a big part of people’s lives, but the big armoire in the living room is no longer needed thanks to flat-screen TVs. “Something as simple as flat-screen technology has made a big difference in design.” The skinny on flat screens >>

Bathroom as sanctuary
“We’re treating the bathroom as if it’s another living room by bringing in furniture pieces and getting rid of the clinical feeling,” Brown says. Mirrors are framed with wood, tile is stone instead of ceramic, light switches are on dimmers, there’s color on the walls and a comfortable place to sit. “It’s more of a spa environment—a sacred space or oasis where you can escape,” he says. “You should be able to close the door and feel free.” Beautiful bathrooms >>

Find refuge where you live
Regardless of what room you spend a lot of time in, you need to treat that room with a lot of respect, says Brown. Even if it’s the laundry room. “We’re taking rooms that are utilitarian and making them special. If you have a lot of kids and spend a lot of time doing laundry, then make that room a refuge. Paint it a color you like, put up photos of your kids, consider adding a small fountain so you can hear the soothing sound of water.”



The smaller kitchen
The days when a kitchen was the size of two rooms are over, says Brown. “It was just too big and people were having to run all around just to use it.” Instead today’s kitchens are better conceived and use space efficiently, he says. “More than ever the kitchen is the gathering space of the home, but the space has been reappropriated so that the actual functioning part is smaller and the rest of it may be a combined living room/den space.” Cool kitchens >>

Social responsibility
Part of the move to smaller spaces is fueled by an increased sense of social responsibility, Brown says. “We’re turning away from the big McMansions with a kajillion feet of space because it’s a waste of space and resources,” he says. “As designers and homeowners we have to be socially responsible and look at the millions of dollars involved for finishes and carpet and paint. For something to be special it doesn’t have to be huge.”

Color trends
Brown’s favorite colors are of the moment. “It’s always about testing color combinations and the feeling that creates,” he says. “Right now I love chocolate brown and teal blue. The chocolate is a warm color you can sink into, like a candy bar, and the teal is a refreshing punch of life.” Brown’s advice for adding a trendy color to your home: do it in the small ways. “You don’t have to put the season’s orange on a wall. Think about vases or pillows so that when the orange trend is over you haven’t invested too much money.”
More on color trends >>
 By Anne Krueger, HGTV.com

Now it’s even easier to get to know what Kenneth Brown is thinking thanks to reDesign, his new show on HGTV. “We help viewers understand how we got from a blank page to a finished palette, a finished room,” he says. Each episode follows Brown and the homeowners through a renovation, showcasing key phases of the design process and concluding with a reveal of the room. Along the way viewers see the emotional ups and downs and the debates and discussions among homeowners, contractors, Brown, his design team and the artisans who are all a part of the design process.



The end result? “It’s all about solving design problems in an original way,” Brown says. His look is fresh, relying on unusual color combinations and appealing textures rather than elaborate designs and heavy patterns. A Kenneth Brown room typically has a warm palette of really rich-colored walls paired with comfortable furniture with clean lines. “I always say that my choice of colors comes from my Southern upbringing, bringing those leaves I used to rake inside,” he says. “That’s combined with influences from living in California—that rooms be clean and uncluttered but very inviting.”



Six framed drawings in Brown’s office point to his early fascination with houses, inside and out. Drawn on old computer paper, the homes are labeled “rich” or “country” or “Egyptian.” Growing up in Baton Rouge with a supportive family allowed him to roam and dream and draw, he says. “We had to use our imagination a lot. We would redo the house and not have a lot of money to spend on it and we found that we’d do things as a family that allowed us to have fun, be more creative and grow closer.”

Brown went on to study interior design at Louisiana State and then industrial design in Manchester, England, an experience that shaped his interest in structure and details. “Part of being a good designer is knowing what makes something work, and I learned that in England,” he says. “Once you have an understanding of how things are made, whether they are structurally sound—even a simple piece like a vase or a plumbing valve for a shower—you’re capable of doing a better design because you’re able to make that item function as well as it should.”

See more Kenneth Brown rooms in
Designers' Portfolio >>

Anne Krueger is the editor of HGTV.com’s Decorating newsletter. She has written for In Style, This Old House, Martha Stewart Living and The New York Times.
Kenneth Brown Talks DesignAt Home with Kenneth Brown
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