Interior Design Innovator of 2022: Karennas Design Studio Owner, Karen Larkin

Karennas Design Studio strives to provide the best possible client experiences. The goal is to create an extraordinary customer experience for each and every client and/or prospective client and partner. At Karennas Design Studio it is encouraged that clients express their own personal style and communicate their needs, as well as budget. 

The innovative work is accomplished by creating unique, fresh, airy, new, and functional designs which is a reflection of the client. The designs are personal and tailored to the client's style and achieved through color and color combinations, different textures and patterns, and a balance of mixed metals and woods. The creative designs also promote a peaceful and calm atmosphere that the client will enjoy for a long time. 

Karen Larkin's visionary work has stamped her as an interior design innovator of the year. Vocal readers, please enjoy my interview with Karennas Design Studio owner, Karen Larkin.

When was the moment you knew your purpose in life was to be an interior designer?

Karen: First, I want to start by saying I never saw interior decorating or designing for myself. It all began in 1997 when I moved out of my mother's house for the first time. After moving in and decorating with very little to no money allowed me to be very creative, my uncle sowed the seed, and suggested that I should decorate for others and do this for a living.

Fast forward to 2020, as most people find themselves confined to our homes, I begin redoing spaces in my home. As I began to transform my home I would post what I was doing and the results on social media. I would explain how you could redesign your space on a budget. As a result of my social media posts, I had a few people that reached out to me about redesigning their homes.

I really didn't know anything about the industry on how to help someone else in their space, but I decided to take on the task. In October of 2020, I redesigned my first space for hire. A few clients later and a few redesign spaces later, Karenna's Design Studio was born and I discovered my purpose.

How did I know it was my purpose? I knew because of the response I received from my clients about how their space felt after the transformation and it felt peaceful, they were amazed at how different their space looked and they couldn't wait to get home because of how their space made them feel now. All because of their response and actions I then saw that I didn't just make a space beautiful but I created a peaceful atmosphere for my clients.

So the seed was sown in 1997 but the purpose did not manifest until 2020. Interior design is truly my gift from God. It was his plan and purpose for my life, not my plan for my life! I have been decorating and redesigning spaces for over 25 years, but never saw myself doing interior design as a career or a way of life.

What have been some of your favorite projects and what are you currently working on?

Karen: This is a tough question because all of my redesigns are some of my favorite projects. I would have to say out of all my projects, living rooms and bedrooms are my favorites. As a matter of fact, living room and bedroom redesigns are my signature services.

Why do I say living rooms and bedrooms? The living room is where living takes place. This is generally the first place that most people enter when they come into a home. Also, this is the space where memories are made, families bond and gather, and where most people entertain. It is the place that welcomes and greets you and your guests.

However, bedrooms are personal and intimate, it is truly your sanctuary. This is the place where you should be able to relax and unwind. Your bedroom is your private retreat. The bedroom is the space you should go to escape from the world. A space that comforts you and relaxes you. So those projects that involve living rooms and bedrooms are my favorite projects.

I'm currently working on two corporate projects and two residential projects. I completed my first corporate project in October 2022 and it turned out better than I expected. Corporate projects have taken on a whole nother meaning for me and have truly stretched me beyond what I imagined. In the corporate sector, I have the pleasure of creating a peaceful and calm work environment which has a direct impact on the employees. This Direct impact affects not only them but also their families as well. When I can create a peaceful work environment, it allows the employees to take that peace home with them and not the pressures and stress of the job.

Mental health starts in the home first and then pours outward. From your experience, How do home decor and interior design play into mental health?

Karen: Mental health is so important, and our space can directly impact or have an effect on our mental health. I personally have had my own mental health challenges. I have experienced feeling a heaviness in my space, feeling lost and having no direction, and trying just to find myself. I recall one day in my husband's office, having a conversation and the window treatments caught my attention. In the midst of our conversation, I halted, recalling I had some lighter color window treatments. I went and got them. I asked my husband for assistance and we took the old treatments down and replaced them with the ones I went to get. Got them up and instantly the room changed. It went from dark, cold, and no life to bright and airy instantly.

At this moment it was the beginning of my redesigning every room in my house. I instantly felt the atmosphere shift. That heaviness I felt in my space began to disappear and my home began to feel and look peaceful and calm. It felt lighter and it looked brighter. Not only did my space change, but I also began to change.

There is a direct correlation between the space you live in and your mental health. Your space can affect mood and behavior. Also, colors play an important role in our mental health, because colors affect mood. There are certain home decor elements to use when creating a peaceful environment. It is so important that our space comforts us and helps us relax. So I help create peaceful and tranquil spaces that will help decrease stress and anxiety.

Why is it important for you to impact and change the lives of people through their homes?

Karen: It is my purpose and desire to create an environment that will allow you to grow and change to become who you are created to be. A peaceful environment will aid and allow you to connect with yourself. A more peaceful, calm, lighter, and clutter-free home will give you more mental clarity and help you relax. Your space should help you discover your purpose and allow you the freedom to get there.

What tips would you have for anyone who wants to make their home look and feel meaningful during the holiday season?

Karen: I would say just make it your own and very festive. Connect with your space and what does festive look like and feel to you.

What are your decoration plans for the holidays?

Karen: Christmas is my favorite holiday, it was also my mother's favorite holiday. This is the time of celebration and it's also the time of the year we spend with family and close friends. I love to decorate my home during the holiday season. Generally, my gathering areas display the holiday spirit, from the front door to the kitchen are very festive.

I have several Christmas trees in my home decorated as well as tablescapes. I want others to feel the holiday spirit as they enter my home.

We understand that you're working on a book pillow line and a furniture line. What can you tell us about it?

Karen: I'm working on a book, "Peace Within These Walls" which is a guide to creating a peaceful space that will cultivate creativity and productivity, and decrease stress and anxiety, all while improving your overall well-being. I can recall just looking for certain pillow patterns, colors, and textures and having a difficult time finding them.

So as a designer, I desire to curate my very own pillow line, one that has unique patterns and textures. Ones that you just don't find in your everyday retail stores. I want these pillows to be ones I can tailor to my clients based on their personalities and styles, one that can be a true representation and reflection of them.

As a designer, I am always looking for those unique furniture pieces and this is where having my own furniture line comes into play. It will be such an added bonus to create something that is different and unique and you can't find in your local furniture stores. I want to make sure my readers stay connected and follow Karenna's Design Studio so you will know and have the exclusive when the pillow and furniture line drop.

What else would you like our readers to know about you?

Karen: I'm not just an interior designer, but one who transforms spaces that transform lives. It is my desire to create peaceful spaces for where you are going or what you desire out of life and not where you currently are in life. Make sure you follow us and stay connected so you will have exclusive details when curated pieces drop.

Also, it is my job to ensure you are in a position to win this thing called LIFE! This is very important to help and assist you to create that space for where you are going or desire not for where you currently are!

So whether you are thinking about hiring a professional interior designer or need assistance with your space, I am the designer for you. I work with most budgets. I have a DIY program and I can consult virtual or in-person to help you create that space that will comfort you and cultivate the greatness inside of you.

Learn more by visiting https://www.createpeaceathome.com/

Or connecting on Instagram @karennasdesignstudio

Photo Credit:

Shaun Hope

May Alice Photography

Jay Bentley (Interior Design)

Jay Bentley Media