Known in the industry to have a “golden touch of design,” designer Kevin Sawyers takes the spotlight for this Friday. First starting in graphics and branding, his previous experience laid a stone foundation to his now-thriving interior design business. He believes that his bravery to face the fears of ‘what if’ has gotten him this far, no matter how difficult things may seem, to “JUMP!”
Auburn chairs complimenting a fun, vibrant carpet bring a warmth to this sun-soaked sitting room.
Andrew Joseph: Describe your design style as if you were explaining it to someone who cannot see.
Kevin Sawyers: Do you ever run your hand across the edge of something and think it feels like a clean, well-crafted edge but it’s not sharp in any way? That’s where my design style starts. Now imagine sitting on a chair that has those edges along the arms but when you settle in you are enveloped in the most sumptuous and comforting upholstery fabrics. The room this chair sits in has plenty of space to move around but also places where you can stop and indulge in tactile overload with textures and forms of collected objects your other senses can feast on. Imagine the color of the room evokes an emotion of warmth and joy. You can feel the energy pulsing from the chroma
AJ: What’s a guilty pleasure you have?
KS: There are so many things people qualify as guilty pleasures. Bad TV, trashy novels, wine, ice cream, etc… those are indulgences, simple pleasures that may or may not be good for you but you should have no guilt about them. The guilt comes when you know it’s just bad for you and has no redeeming quality (at the surface).
My guilty pleasure? McDonald’s two cheeseburger meal with fries and a Dr. Pepper. When I’ve reached the absolute end of my rope and I need something to soothe the little kid in me, nothing does it more than this little package of empty calories. Guilty pleasures are also things you don’t want other people to know about so I’ll leave you knowing…there are others.
A powder blue lounge, named “The London Room” truly is the perfect spot for tea time.
AJ: If you weren’t a designer, you’d be a ….?
KS: I’m guessing lots of designers will answer this in a similar way. Therapist. The way people’s brains work is just fascinating. The narratives we create for ourselves, the pressure we allow outside forces to play on us, etc… It’s just fascinating. Interior Designers often play therapist with our clients. Residential design is extremely personal and engages clients as much or as little as they like.
AJ: What’s the best thing that happened to you this month?
KS: This month I hired Ballin PR. Nicole Balin is taking us places. I have had press in three publications over the last 10 years. Nicole has us in 3 since the beginning of THIS year.
AJ: What was your first job?
KS: Assistant at a Nautilus Fitness Center in a neighboring small town. The 80’s hits were pumping as much as the machines.
The green accent wall in this sitting room solidifies the use of color for stimulation and emotive response that Kevin includes in all of his designed spaces.
AJ: What are three things you can’t live without?
KS: 1) Peanut Butter (I don’t keep it in the house) 2) Art. Luckily we’re fortunate in SF to have amazing museums and a magically creative art scene. 3) My husband. He’s like my antipode but we spend all our time together. I think we just vibe off of our differences. It has worked for 23 years so we’ll stick with it.
AJ: Best advice you’d give your teenage self?
KS: That spirit that will rise in you to “GO FOR IT”…Go with it. I was 30 before I finally took the big leap and left the comfort zone of the south. I was growing and venturing out on my own well before that but moving to the West Coast almost completely on my own, I had one friend in SF, who taught me great lessons and landed me in opportunity after opportunity. It will be extremely difficult sometimes and there will be people who don’t understand how or why you do what you do but keep on doing it. I can’t imagine not having the guts to JUMP!!!
About The Designer | Kevin Sawyers began his career in graphics and branding for corporate interiors and architecture. Initially at small firms in Atlanta and San Francisco, Kevin eventually landed at the headquarters of Gensler, SF. There he honed his skills in design and project management for 7 years while developing a keen interest in the material and the fabrication process.
In 2010 Kevin decided to return to his educational roots in interior architecture and design and created his own boutique residential design firm. Now with over two decades of design experience and relentless pursuit of unique design concepts, Kevin Sawyers provides clients with individualized solutions paired with the understanding of how to bring them to fruition.
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