Designer Lisa Kahn Featured in USA Today’s Annual Home Magazine
Furniture World News Desk on
3/14/2018
Lisa Kahn Designs recently announced that interior designer Lisa Kahn is one of five designers from different regions of the U.S. to be featured in USA Today’s annual Home magazine. The publication, which is sold separately from the newspaper and enjoys longevity among its readers because of its once-a-year frequency, hit newsstands March 13, 2018.
“The USA Today HOME editors were seeking amazing interior designers that specialize in living rooms, dining rooms, bedrooms, basements, bathroom and kitchens, and we chose one designer for each area,” says Michelle Washington, STUDIO Gannett managing editor and lead editor on the USA Today HOME magazine staff. “Lisa was chosen for the living rooms segment. Other designers chosen were Keisha Gilchrist, Keira St. Claire-Bowery, Elizabeth Cross-Beard and Marcelle Guilbeau,” says Washington.
Kahn’s secrets to creating a living room that resonates with energy and personal style will be part of a major 14-page feature, “Rooms by Design.” In addition to instructing readers on how to meld raw, organic beauty with refined elegance—Kahn’s signature for the “sanctuaries” her design work is known for—the article includes photography of one of her living room designs that is an easy-to-process visual on what those concepts look like when implemented, as well as a guide for putting Kahn’s design theories and belief system into practice.
The designer, CEO of Lisa Kahn Designs, which she launched in 2000 in Naples, Florida, even offers insights into what to do should you get stuck in designing your living room. Lisa She relates that flipping through design magazines and books often is a quick fix that can get her re-charged; or sometimes, making a trip to a museum to soak up visual stimulation. And if all else fails, she recommends simply sitting in the room to get a sense of what it needs, allowing the space to speak. Of course, eliminating clutter is a vital starting point as well as an essential for creating any kind of space with the rejuvenating quality of a sanctuary.
“Sometimes I start by clearing out as much as possible, sitting on the floor, and simply being in the quiet, empty space,” Kahn explains.
The living room featured in USA Today HOME “was designed to have an intimate corner with bookcases that surround inviting chairs and ottomans,” Kahn says. “The space, with painted millwork organized into a symmetrical, dynamic pattern of squares, is designed to give some interest and function to an otherwise unused end of a large living space. In this way, living rooms can be personalized to support a hobby like reading, a nurturing activity like sharing a glass of wine with a friend or spouse, or to feature a personalized collection of books or objets d’art,” she explains.
In addition to her living room spread, Kahn also is included in the magazine’s “Designer’s Tips” page, the last page of the 14-page “Rooms by Design” package. The tips page is a collection of pointers from all four featured designers. It includes several photos of the elements in a room, with the designers providing tips on how to most effectively incorporate those pieces. Kahn’s tip addresses pillows and throws—living room staples with some of the most flexibility and opportunity for injecting and changing up style. "Every sofa can be dressed up with beautiful pillows and a soft throw. They not only add color, texture, and interest, they also make the seating area more inviting,” Kahn says.
“Design Dilemmas” is another section in the “Rooms by Design” package that includes Kahn’s expertise. The magazine editors requested questions from their social media followers for the designers to answer. This section includes questions from readers and answers from four separate designers.
Look for the new USA Today HOME magazine on newsstands and where popular home decorating magazines can be found.
More about Lisa Kahn Designs: Lisa Kahn-Allen, ASID, launched her award-winning interior design firm in 2000 in Naples, Florida. Designing homes across the globe, she has always been intrigued by the relationship between the built environment and the human spirit. In her work and her writing, she explores how to create nurturing spaces for both the body and the spirit. Her mantra is “peace around us inspires peace within us.” Lisa’s residential design projects have been featured in Traditional Home, Gulfshore Life, At Home, and Home & Design magazines.
In addition to her design work, Kahn is the creator of “Seven Days to Sanctuary,” a self-paced online course that instructs participants on ways to refresh a physical space to become a personal sanctuary where one can retreat to wash away the toxic effects of stress and worry and rejuvenate both body and spirit. She also is writing the book, Finding Sanctuary, which should be on bookshelves in 2019.
For more information, visit lisakahndesigns.com.