An Inspired Chat with Candice Keilin of Sandy Springs

We recently had the chance to connect with Candice Keilin and have shared our conversation below.

Good morning Candice , it’s such a great way to kick off the day – I think our readers will love hearing your stories, experiences and about how you think about life and work. Let’s jump right in? What is something outside of work that is bringing you joy lately?
As a team we have taken to Pottery hand building classes once a week for 3 hours. As with any design art is subjective. This form of hand building allows the mind to let go but still being creative, learning new tips and tricks about the practice. Learning from other seasoned potters in the room. Its been a very uplifiting experience that we can do together its silently rewarding, frustration when clay decides what it wants to do, and lots of laughter.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Thank you for this opportunity to introduce ourselves to you. We are woman owned company. We love beautiful things. Most importantly we take great pride and satisfaction in elevating our clients lives and spaces with the art and element of design.
I started the my Interior Design company 15 years ago, with my background in Fashion and textile design from South Africa originally the business grew one client at a time and as I grew I needed help with the technical drawing elements that I had outsourced, I begged my sister Narissa Bonnet ( a Georgia Tech Architecture Grad) to join the company with small babies in tow she joined on and as see basis and 13 years later we have grown to multiple designers in our office. We are currently working on various residential and commercial projects in Atlanta, an apartment in Tel Aviv Israel as we partnered with a design firm there. This will be our second project in Israel in the last 4 years. We recently completed an incredible home in Bent Tree Country Club in Dallas, Texas, a magnificent home in 30A Florida and a commercial building in New York on the Upper East Side. Each project brings a different style of design and level of creativity. We work harmoniously with our clients and their teams to get the end result perfect.

Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. What did you believe about yourself as a child that you no longer believe?
As a child I thought that everyone could see a spaces in their mind and transform them. I didn’t realize that although I appreciate music I can’t write music, likewise although a person can appreciate a well decorated space not everyone achieve this level of design. I can see a room in my head with the furniture in the correct spaces. I can see a room with new colors on the walls or I can switch those out and replacing them with other materials. I can see a space as it is intended to be not how it is. After all, all rooms are just square or rectangular spaces with walls. Its what we do with those walls that make them unique. I realize now this is both a skill and a gift. This is our super power.

If you could say one kind thing to your younger self, what would it be?
I was so obsessed about being perfect. When I was younger I didn’t have faith in myself and I would doubt my designs or expertise. Now I recognize that I should’ve always just trusted in myself as I do now. I also have learnt that its okay to say that I don’t know something similarly a heart surgeon doesn’t know what a brain surgeon knows.
Many times we are expected to know everything about plumbing, electrical and construction which I have learnt to defer and not feel like I need to know everything about these trades.

I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. Where are smart people getting it totally wrong today?
When it comes to design smart people make the brilliant choice of hiring us as they like our aesthetic. Once we get started since they are used controlling most processes in their lives a few smart people will try to micro manage the design process which then kills the creativity. The end result can often be diluted instead of elevated.

Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: If immortality were real, what would you build?
I would need endless funds as well as immortality, with that I would want build a castle like they did in Europe in the 17th and 18th century. I would design murals, wallpapers, lighting a furniture with the opulence and grandeur but with a modern touch bringing the 21st century and looking to the future of design.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.Candicekeilindesigns.com
• Instagram: Candice_Keilin_Designs_

Image Credits
SRDPhotography with Steven Dewberry Photography