Talk Shop: Amanda Khouri // Amanda Khouri Interiors
ABOUT AMANDA
Based in Nashville, Amanda Khouri specializes in bespoke creations that effortlessly blend the unique tastes of her clients with her timeless design ethos and an element of surprise. Amanda spent half a decade as co-owner and principal designer at another firm, Murray Khouri, before going off on her own in March of this year to open her eponymous design firm.
Her interiors explore the classic paired with the unexpected, and her designs are guided by the belief that sophistication and practicality can exist together. She firmly believes that inspiration for her designs comes first and foremost with her clients—pulling unique interests and personalities that should match their home environment. Currently working on projects throughout the Southeast, Amanda shares her knowledge and inspirations with us in our latest #talkshop interview below!
Photo by: Kate Leichhardt
Describe your style in three words or less:
Collected, authentic, and playful.
What have been the three biggest influences on your aesthetic in your life:
I’m not sure that I can pinpoint super specific influences here, but I know that I’ve always felt a strong pull toward historical spaces, and beautiful spaces, and have been attuned to what a well-designed space could do for the way I felt in a given moment. I remember being in college at UVA among all the Jeffersonian architecture, where I was able to spend a lot of time in beautiful wood-paneled libraries with large, comfortable, leather chairs, and I always felt so happy to be studying in those rooms and soaking up their details.
After college I worked on Capitol Hill in DC – my office was a small room called the cloakroom right off the Senate floor, which allowed me to spend my days in this beautifully ornate part of the capitol with tile, plaster, and marble work that was just so inspiring to me. I think my predisposition to being very aware of the details of my surroundings and then having the opportunity to spend so much time in these buildings had a major influence on my aesthetic before I even entered the design world.
Photo by Stacy Zarin Goldberg
How did you start your company, and/or what is your favorite thing about what you do:
My favorite thing about what I do is helping others see possibility in a space – whether it’s a wonky room where we have to make it work or just simply a blank canvas that a client feels overwhelmed by – I love showing clients how much is possible with a bit of imagination.
Do you have a mentor in your career, and if so, how have they helped to shape your trajectory:
I would say that the mentorship I’ve received in my design career has come via the numerous fellow designers I have met and become close with along the way. We are all working through the same issues, and it has been invaluable to have such an amazing, open group around me to compare notes with on all the questions that come up – from a creative perspective and on the business side – while running an interior design business.
What does your home say about you:
I hope it says that I care about details while not “sweating the small stuff”. Most of the fun of making your home your own is living in it once it’s finished. I think it’s important to live amongst beautiful things you adore, AND not to worry too much about spilled wine, etched marble, pets and kids running around, etc. The beauty and comfort in the patina a home acquires with age and life lived inside.
Where do you find inspiration:
Travel, books, podcasts, estate sales, Instagram
Photo by Heidi Harris
Who are your style icons:
Diane Keaton, Lauren Santo Domingo
What are your key ingredients for entertaining:
Great music (usually curated by my husband), fun people, games, and a variety of libations
Do you collect anything:
Aptware, coffee table books, and art!
Photo by Stacy Zarin Goldberg
Favorite Instagram accounts to follow for inspiration:
@virginiatupker, @gadabout, @cecebarfieldthompson, and @matthewcarter.
What design “rule” do you always follow, and which is made to be broken:
I think getting the scale right for furnishings in a space is crucial in any project – I can’t imagine ever being tempted to “break” that rule. But I will mix eras, colors, patterns, and textures – I have no rules about what things can exist together in a room as long as they feel right and relate well to one another. There’s magic in the mix!
What are you working on right now:
In addition to a handful of great projects here in Nashville, I am very focused on improving my processes and making my business better for myself and for my clients. When clients put their trust in me, I feel that it’s very important to ensure that their needs are being met. I’m working on surrounding myself with a great team to help execute on that and to raise the bar on client experience.
Wardrobe staples:
A crisp white button-down, vintage gold hoop earrings, and denim.
Photo by Stacy Zarin Goldberg
Favorite fabric/wallpaper:
Fabric: Rose Tarlow Bloomsbury in Saffron
Wallpaper: Gracie Tobacco Silhouette
Best interior advice you ever received:
If you really love it, buy it! You will find a spot for it.
Best career advice you ever received:
If you are dreaming of a different career path and can’t make an immediate jump or take a big risk, just start doing small things to go in the direction of the field you want to be in – a class in the evenings, reading up on your desired field, listening to podcasts, etc. It will help you hone in on what part of an industry you’d like to occupy and expand your knowledge base to set you up for success down the road.
Types of home purchases you invest in, and save on:
I like to invest in purchases where custom details can really set the space apart – curtains, upholstery, and millwork come to mind. I advise saving on accessories – mainly because I find great joy in stumbling upon something unusual in a vintage shop or estate sale. The prices are right, and I tend to find the funkiest, most impactful items in those settings.
Photo by Stacy Zarin Goldberg
Your greatest extravagance:
A really great dinner out.
Favorite places to shop for home:
Any and every antique shop I can find.
Photo by Stacy Zarin Goldberg
Most prized possession and why:
A large framed portrait of a woman in a field of flowers – it was done by a celebrated Nashville artist, the late Anton Weiss. I fell in love with it instantly at an estate sale but didn’t immediately buy it. I went back and it was still there on Sunday for an absolute steal, so I knew it was meant to be mine. Now my one-year-old son waves at her while he’s having his meals, which has added a whole new layer of meaning to the piece!
Your interiors motto:
Borrowed from Miles Redd – “Buy the best and you’ll only cry once.”
Your life motto:
Why not?
Advice for someone looking to define their own interior style:
Pay attention to the way a space – whether it’s a restaurant, a hotel, a museum, a friend's house – makes you feel while you’re there, and then pay attention to the details and see which ones you might be able to recreate to conjure a similar feeling in your own space!
Take Ten: My Favorite…
Food: Tie between pasta and great sushi
Drink: Skin Contact Wine
Film: Anything Nancy Myers
Hotel: Saint James Paris
City: Lisbon, Portugal
Bedding: Matouk
Tea or Coffee (and how do you take it): Coffee with milk and sugar
Playlist: Bossa Nova Jazz for while I’m working
Weekend Activity: Soaking up every minute possible with my son and husband during the day, ideally hiring a babysitter and going for a fun dinner out after the little guy goes to bed.
Design Book: Ever changing, but I’m loving David Netto’s recent release at the moment!