Interior Design with Margaret Kernich

We spoke with Australian stylist Margaret Kernich to find out more about her career in design and styling and what inspires her on a day-to-day basis.

How did you get into this field?

After a long career in the fashion industry as a model, I started doing photographic styling, and also producing and styling fashion shows and events. My career evolved to just photographic styling around 12 years ago.

What do you love most about your job?

What's not to love about my job? Probably my favourite element is the variety! It's almost never boring, because every job is different - different location, crew and brief. Of course I also love the creativity, resourcefulness and the challenge that is required of me as a stylist - and the end result? The pleasure and satisfaction of creating great images, rooms and spaces.

Most unusual brief ever received:

There's been a few - a shoot for a 21 Day Challenge, where I had to build the actor CJ Fortuna into an armchair, which he then had to support by holding his arms out, while a live cat sat on the chair. Designing and installing a pretend 'meadow' in studio, with real grasses and flowers - that was intense!

Where do you get your inspiration?

Travel! I love travelling and being surrounded by all sorts of inspiration - I'm currently in Palm Springs. There's no end to the inspiration you can draw from nature, mountains, wide skies and the most beautiful light, fascinating mid-century architecture and interiors, beautiful gardens and landscaping using a huge variety of desert plants, then you have brilliant stores with some of the best furniture and decor in the world, and a vibrant art community and public gallery!

Other inspiration from all the usual sources - Pinterest, plus countless other websites like Apartment Therapy, Ikea hacks, Kinfolk etc. Magazines - especially Architectural Digest, and quirky ones like Anthology, which is unfortunately no longer around, The Gentlewoman and Frankie.

Favourite rooms I have worked on:

I have recently styled an entire home library here in Los Angeles, which was very satisfying! The owner is a serious book collector, and we needed to balance the needs of categorising, accessibility and display - aiming to make it look styled, interesting and cohesive, without being too fussy or precious.

For rooms that were not permanent - I love our recent British Paints Pink/Mint room, and from the same shoot, the Navy room and everything in it!

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