Living in Design: Kelly Wearstler’s Creative Blueprint

This MasterClass guides learners through an evocative journey into creating interiors that reflect personality and narrative, taught by award-winning designer Kelly Wearstler.

• Aspiring interior designers – Want to learn from a renowned professional.
• Design enthusiasts – Seeking inspiration and creative approaches to personal spaces.
• Visual storytellers – Want to translate mood and narrative into spatial design.

• How to work effectively with space and shaping environments.
• Using color to evoke emotion and narrative within rooms.
• Exploring materiality, texture, and pattern for visual richness.
• Strategic lighting to enhance mood and functionality.
• Balancing furnishings and comfort with aesthetic intent.
• Incorporating art and objects to tell a cohesive story.
• Initiating design through inspiration and creative ideation.

Kelly Wearstler’s MasterClass is a refined, artistic deep dive into interior design. Across 17 video lessons (~2 h 13 min), she shares her process—from finding design inspiration and structuring a project to layering color, texture, pattern, and lighting to create compelling, story-driven environments.

The curriculum includes engaging field-trip segments showing real applications of her principles: “Working with Space,” “Experimenting with Color,” and culminating in “The Completed Story.” She delves into how to make awkward spaces functional and inspiring, how to create emotional resonance through light and materiality, and how each design decision contributes to a narrative arc.

Media such as Architectural Digest emphasize the practical tips embedded throughout, including developing mood boards, selecting light bulbs for dimmable settings, and choosing paint finishes—all while maintaining that interiors reflect who you are. House Beautiful highlights that even small tips, like making spaces feel larger or choosing color boldly, carry wearable confidence.

While the instruction is inspiring, some learners have noted that the content reflects high-end, professional contexts—ideal for those aiming for aspirational design, but possibly less immediately applicable for minimalist or budget-focused audiences. That said, Wearstler’s articulate explanations—like asking how colors in a room can “have a dialogue”—can be enlightening even for home enthusiasts.

This MasterClass is a visually rich, conceptually elevated intro to design thinking. It’s both informative and inspiring, especially for aspiring designers or creative individuals who appreciate expressive, narrative-driven interiors. Beginners with curiosity and seasoned creatives seeking fresh perspectives alike will find value here—though those needing practical, budget-level guidance may view it as more inspirational than prescriptive.

Recommended for: Anyone eager to infuse bold storytelling and emotion into interior spaces—particularly intermediate to advanced learners, design students, or high-end home stylists.