They say you can do anything with a law degree.
Kat Burki is proof that even an
interior-design career is within the reach of the occasional law-school graduate.
After beginning her business in 2002, Burki, who also did a brief stint in the fine arts, employed an artist’s approach to design, often making furniture when she couldn’t find the pieces she wanted. That was how she developed a taste for lush upholstery from Italy, savvy lighting from Paris, indulgent cashmere from England and handsome linens from Turkey.
All of those are countries Burki turned to when she decided to launch her own furniture and accessories brand, a line “infused with contemporary spirit and European attitude.” The Denver Post caught up with the entrepreneur at her Southport, Conn., studio to find out more.
Describe a project that really defined your aesthetic.
I was lucky enough in 2002 that my brother-in-law purchased an incredible piece of land on Sasco Hill in Fairfield, Conn., which is kind of considered the Gold Coast of the East. My husband and I had redone a lot of older homes, bringing them up to date, and (my brother-in-law) loved what we had done. He could have hired anyone, but he chose me.
The house is new, and on the water, but we kept it very classic like the whole area. It’s about 8,000 square feet, and very very classic colonial — white with black shutters. Each room has a different feel, like classic homes used to have. You have one room that’s red. The dining room is very formal. His office is lined with beautiful wood. The living room is more New York apartment style, with a mixture of cut velvets and florals. And I got to do a lot of handmade pieces. Almost all the furniture in his house, besides the antiques, are things I designed and had made.
How did that project and subsequent houses you’ve designed along the Connecticut coast shape what would become the Kat Burki Home brand?
I was able to start seeing where there was a lack of sourcing. When you’re doing a whole house, you need a lot of sources and (furnishings) avenues available to you, and you have to think about where the best placement is for the furniture. Sometimes you have rooms that are a challenge because in one area there’s a TV and in the other area there’s a great view. Everyone wants to comfortably watch television, but I try not to make (the box itself) so obvious. So I really started customizing pieces.
I find a lot of antique styles are just gorgeous. Delicate backs and arches, which you never find anymore. You just have these cookie-cutter square sofas. I found that when you emulate these old styles, people really appreciate that. So we’ve emulated a lot of antique chic pieces. Even the 1960s, as much as people like to make fun of that style, there were some really great sophisticated pieces being made. That’s how (my line) evolved.
So much of your design style is about mixing new furnishings with antiques. What tips can you offer do-it-yourselfers for successfully fusing old and new?
You just don’t want everything to be matchy-matchy. I think that’s the key. The furniture business got into making sets, but people don’t really want that. So the key is not to purchase a set.
Too often people get hung up on something like two side tables being the exact same height and same shape. That’s where you lose something. They really don’t need to match, nor should they.
Beginning in July, Kat Burki Home will be available nationwide through catalogue orders and online at .
