7 Questions With: Kris Swift
Count down with me, friends — only 4 more days until the season seven premiere of Design Star! To get ready, I’m sharing 7 tips and confessions from each of the 12 contestants. Right now, it’s risk-loving artist and designer Kris Swift.
What’s something no one knows about you? A hidden skill or talent?
I love spinning records in my free time, and I can whistle pretty much anything you throw at me from classic bird-calls to Lady Gaga.
What color do you hate?
Colors are to be loved, are you kidding me…?! They all deserve a chance!
What is your biggest design regret?
My biggest design regret is probably my outdoor tree houses and indoor sheet forts that I had with my brother as a kid. They were kind of brilliant at the time, but had SO much potential.
You’re shopping a thrift store. How do you know which pieces have potential and which are duds?
Look closer. If you’ve got the right skill set, imagination, budget and time, every piece has potential even though obviously some will shine over others.
What is the most trouble you’ve gone through to get a piece for yourself or a client?
I have searched high and low for years for multiple clients looking for that one perrrrrrfect piece to finish off a space. When you finally locate it and are able to share it with the client it’s a truly truly magical moment.
Celebrity crush?
My personal celebrities are creative visionaries. To have the opportunity to work with one or any of the following would be and honor and a dream come true. Luis Barragan and Diller Scofidio + Renfro for their sheer brilliance via architecture. Fabien Baron for his art direction and courage working between disciplines. Hella Jongerius for her treatment of materials and textiles. The Bouroullec Brothers for their ingenuity and originality. The list goes on and on, but these people constantly shine and inspire me.
What is the number one mistake most people make when trying to design their home?
The number one mistake people make when designing their home is not hiring a professional from the very beginning. The expertise, vision, creativity, dedication, and experience you will gain from working with professionals will not only blow your mind when you’re standing looking at the final product but will also save your time, energy and money in the long run.
More about Kris: Read his bio, browse his design portfolio and vote him your Design Star fan favorite.
Kris Swift, your portfolio: photo 4, a decal? How creative. Not! Photo 5, custom commissioned? In other words you didn't do it? Photo11, where's the rest of the kitchen, so we can see it? Photo 15, nautically inspired? The life preserver is ridiculous, the "anchor" chain is just in the way, and the bar stools appear to be tractor seat. Kansas nautical? That's just a few observation of your portfolio.
You're just another inferior decorator.
Have seen the decal and the effect is amazing. Designers rarely "do" the art they install. Read the back story on the bar stools. The kitchen photo stands out as art as it is. No Kansas; where did you come up with that? Really? Kris is an awesome designer and did make it on to Design Star. You seem to like tearing all the designers; really weakens your comments.
Why do you follow the show if you hate all the designers? Seems like it'd be a waste of time for me?
Unfortunately, a portfolio can never replicate the feeling of being in these particular spaces.
Just to address your point re: the decal- A closer look shows that the flat decal becomes home to pairs of actual shoes, which plays with dimension and seems to be a really cool effect.
I think this portfolio is one of the most multi-dimensional and shows the widest variety of spaces and skills.
Photo 10 says "Stanley steals the show over the custom recovered vintage Knoll chairs." Is it Stanley's design or Kris'?
Kris has narcissistic personality disorder, which is fairly obvious. He uses his "designer" persona to cover up this glaring fact. HGTV should never have let him through the screening process. I applaude his boldness in choosing vibrant colors (perhaps not that particular color). A well designed room needs to be brave and commited to a color palate. Some projects he does have a nice aesthetic to them but over all I never would have hired him in the first place. My time is too important to spend on mediocre design and a personality that its detremental to everyone who doesn't purchase tickets to his little world. Chances are the only part of this that will register in his brain is that I complimented him on bold use of color…. surprise surprise surprise.