Natural light illuminates the monochromatic living room created by layers of cream, bone and taupe. On this nearly neutral canvas, Atlanta-based interior designer Suzanne Kasler paints her masterpiece. Small touches of color are echoed throughout the space such as the nineteenth century trumeau over the mantel that plays off the blue-gray tones in the Oushak rug. The rose silk flange on the taupe slipcover warms the quiet space, begging the eye to notice the flecks of blush in the rug and accent pillow.
“This is very often the way I do color- just a touch,” says Kasler. “I don’t try to match the neutrals; I just layer them, allowing other colors to stand out such as the rose, blue gray and pale blue.” And while the room was designed for a young Atlanta couple, the look is classic Kasler. Her approach to each project is thoughtful and precise, highlighting every rich detail but without a drip of pretension- much like her personality. She hesitates to put a label on her style, as each home she designs reflects the personality of its owners, but her look has a continental feel with a heavy French influence. In true Francophile fashion, Kasler enjoys the moodiness of gray undertones, describing them as quiet, mysterious and peaceful-much like a foggy stroll near Paris’ left bank.
It’s this pared-down sophistication that’s put the prolific designer on the map, recently earning her the honor of ELLE Décor’s A-list, which includes 30 designers. Kasler’s work has regularly graced the pages of the nation’s top design magazines, and now her infinitely chic style is shared through her recent book, Inspired Interiors, available locally at Revival. Released last October, the volume is now in its fifth printing, with Kasler wrapping up a whirlwind book tour that’s crisscrossed the country.
In fact, a book signing at the Warehouse Row store recently brought the down-to-earth designer to the Scenic City. Before then, she traveled to Blackberry Farms, executing several projects including its Relais Gourmand restaurant, The Barn, and owner Kreis and Sandy Beall’s home, Toad Hall. And while the recent trip was her first departure on Chattanooga’s exit ramp, for the past year she’s been helping steer our city’s style in a new direction.
That’s because her signature line of furniture and lighting has been available at Revival, allowing Chattanoogans to benefit from her sophisticated simplicity.
While her core business remains her private clients, in the past four years Kasler has launched brands for some of the industry’s top manufacturers including lighting with Visual Comforts, fabrics with Lee Jofa, artwork for Soicher-Martin and rugs for Savafavieh. She’s currently introducing her second collection of furniture for Hickory Chair, and this August marked the launch of an accessories collection for Ballard Designs.
“It’s been great because as we collect antiques or other unique items, we can now fill in with pieces that perfectly fit the space yet still have that one-of-a-kind quality,” says Kasler.
In fact collections are an important element of every project, such as the small prints that checkerboard the stairwell of the designer’s own Buckhead home, where she lives with husband, John Morris and daughter Alexandra. Each print tells its own story in its sepia, black-and-white or muted pink tones.
Special items like these should be a part of every room, says Kasler.
“As people are spending more time at home I think they’re really editing and paring down, getting some of their favorite things around them and realizing how it makes them feel better,” she explains. “Design is more than decoration. I think there’s a new awareness about how good design can make your life better.”
While known for her innovative use of color, when it comes to holiday decor Suzanne Kasler opts for the classics. ªI love really traditional Christmas with a lot of natural elements mixed in,º she says. In her own home this year you might find a cluster of natural trees in simple white buckets strung with twinkling lights, or a grouping of pine cones dusted with a bit of shimmer, which are part of her holiday collection with Ballard. But her favorite pieces are the ones she’s gathered throughout the years, such as her menagerie of bear figurines or her 12 days of Christmas ornaments.