Golden Light: The Interior Design of Nickey Kehoe

Book excerpt: A masterful combination of traditional inspiration with contemporary elegance. The sensibility of interior design firm Nickey Kehoe ranges from minimal to maximal, quiet to baroque, but always seeks to express the ephemeral feeling of a space. Designers Todd Nickey and Amy Kehoe are fascinated by how a room can come together to express its own persona, as though the design "just happened." Describing themselves as object-obsessed observers, Nickey and Kehoe pay keen attention to their clients' passions, preferences, and beloved pieces, juxtaposing elements and styles in deceptively simple ways. The result is interior design that appears as if it were a personal collection randomly put together, when in fact it is the product of their very mindful curating. Nickey Kehoe's studied but unfussy design is elegant but never staid, proud but humble, full of detail but resplendent with negative space. And then they add a bit of the unexpected--a combination of layered patterns and palettes, different time periods, humorous gestures, clever lighting--any element that keeps their impeccable sense of balance from becoming predictable or formulaic. This collection of residential interiors is for the curious, for lovers of studied but unfussy design, and for those who appreciate being surrounded by beautiful things with a story to tell.