When Kate Figler of Kate Figler Interiors in Nashville designs a home, she says she focuses on how it will make her client feel when the project is finished. “It's never lost on me that I’m creating a home that they come into every night to rest and recharge for the next day,” she says. “That's very important.”
First, she determines what the client's goals are for the space in relation to how they live. “If it’s for a busy family that likes to entertain and has three dogs, I would not create a very formal space that needs lots of maintenance or has to be treated with kid gloves.”
Once Kate has this information, she then finds out what their likes and dislikes are in terms of colors and fabrics. Sometimes she and her other designers are starting from scratch, while other times there are a few things that clients really love and want to incorporate into the space. That may be their grandmother’s breakfront or a treasured piece of art.
Kate, who's originally from Connecticut, says the move to Nashville definitely influenced her current style. “Here in the South, they're displaying Grandma's china on the wall, so there's an appreciation for tradition,” she says. “There’s also a bit more of a feminine edge, which I really gravitate toward.”
One of her favorite projects in Nashville took place in the Esteswood neighborhood. “That client really loved color and patterns. She also lived with three boys and wanted to bring a lot of femininity into her home. She loved traditional items too, but kind of funked up a little bit.”
They took a lamp the client found in her attic, which she believed belonged to her aunt or her grandmother. “It was an old chinoiserie-style lamp, and we put a cool modern lampshade on it which brought it into the 21st century,” says Kate.
“She also knew she wanted to hang plates on the wall in her entry, but instead of going with an old school pattern, we went with a new hot pink pattern from Richard Ginori. This porcelain company is a little bit more modern, more current, but with that traditional feel to them. Mixing the old with the new was something she really wanted to do and it was very successful in her home.”
Another project she really enjoyed was in Memphis. “We renovated the kitchen,” says Kate. “The old one was a galley kitchen and it was very closed off from the rest of the house. We took down a bunch of walls and blew up their kitchen. It functions really well for their family now.”
Kate Figler Interiors also redid the primary bath, replacing the salmon pink marble and adding beautiful plumbing from Kohler and a freestanding tub. “The client wanted a pattern to be brought in with the window treatments and the artwork, but with very traditional lines and lots of crisp white. Overall, she wanted everything to be really soothing and calm, which it is now.”
Sometimes, people don't realize the impact of what she and her designers are doing until everything is completed. “It’s really rewarding to see them living in their homes after we worked hard to create that for them,” says Kate.
Kate Figler is a Nashville-based designer specializing in layered, timeless interiors that speak to her clients’ unique personalities and taste. A lover of color and pattern, Kate strives to create spaces that mix luxurious fabrics, natural textures and both traditional and contemporary elements.
She understands the importance of merging beautiful design with functionality, a practice she believes defines her approach.