The 8 Things Stylist Colin King Can’t Live Without
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The 8 Things Stylist Colin King Can’t Live Without
Growing up on a farm in Ohio, Colin King couldn’t have known he was destined to become one of the most sought-after interiors stylists in the industry. But having honed his eye in that rural setting lends his work a sense of calm, collected elegance that offsets the hustle and bustle of contemporary life. “I look around at my apartment and I’m like, Oh, yeah, I’m a rustic bitch,” King says with a laugh. “And while I don’t have the cows and the chickens that my mom had up on the walls, I am drawn to worn-in, old-feeling pieces.” Taken under the wing of ELLE DECOR A-List Titans Robin Standefer and Stephen Alesch of Roman and Williams—for whom King has styled residential projects, alongside commercial shoots for Roman and Williams Guild—King quickly turned his appreciation for the lived-in into a living. Now he’s the artistic director at large for Beni Rugs, with whom his fourth collection, A Study on Balance, is out this week, and a first-time author, whose book, Arranging Things, invites readers to understand styling as a “daily practice.” Here, King shares what drives him, inspires him, and gets him through the day.
Portrait: William Jess Laird - 2/9
1) “Arranging Things”
I found myself through styling, and my book challenges readers to look at their things differently.
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2) Hotel Sanders
I treated myself to a vacation at this Copenhagen hotel a few years ago. I love it because it’s more eclectic than a lot of Danish design.
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3) Paperweight
My collection for Menu taps into my affinity for objects with heft, whether actual weight or a presence of form and spirit.
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4) Cocktail Napkins
I can’t cook, but I can make a drink. And I like to pair my glassware with fun cocktail napkins. (I use mine as coasters.)
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5) Terra-Cotta Dishes
Whether serveware or a nut bowl, I always try to pick up something unique to give as a host gift.
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6) Vitamin C
I basically live on a plane, so I travel with supplements to help keep my immune system strong.
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7) Thorvaldsens Museum, Copenhagen
The scale of the sculptures and the color of the halls—it’s all so sublime.
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8) Vilhelm Hammershøi
The Danish painter’s work continually inspires my practice: the light, the color, the compositions. And I just love pieces that are rich with history.
Courtesy of SMK
