Watching Eileen Kathryn Boyd work from her triple storefront office on Main Street in Huntington Village, Long Island is more like observing a lesson in art or music rather than conventional design.   This doyenne of color is a passionate designer whose formal roots are not in interior design but in the fine arts where Boyd emerged as a prized watercolorist.  And like an artist, Boyd especially enjoys indulging in the fantasy of not allowing patrons or clients to peak at what was once a blank canvas until her composition is completely finished, hence her prodigious showings at more than twenty design show houses where she is afforded that blank canvas in the form of an empty room.  In reality, the design process between client and Boyd is an example of the karma or reciprocity she believes is central to a successful project. She strongly feels that her good luck or karma has brought her the rewards of being a successful designer, loving mother and wife, and a person who, as she will tell you, “strives for a good life,  not a moneyed one.”
About this principle Boyd says, “I believe in the goodness of the Universe, and that we attract people with like karma to us.” In a touching moment, she pauses and says, “I must have done something very good, because I am truly blessed with a wonderful life.”

Elegantly poised and serene, Eileen Boyd is completely visceral when it comes to color.  She tells us that it is an exciting discovery for her each morning as she opens the doors to her armoire where her clothes are laid out in color coordinated order to find and choose fashion color combinations she has never tried before.  “I like finding new looks by layering colors and recognizing their top and base tones, very similar to how music is composed or how paintings are created,” she says, “The use of color, when it is embraced and manipulated, has the ability to make our lives as wondrous as a Kandinsky painting.”

The Stats:
Born in Long Island and raised in New England, Boyd learned to love the simplicity of design from her surroundings: the Shaker styles; the clean lines of New England; the shutters and the architecture of the clabbered houses – yet she is far from being a pure classicist in her design work. 

A student of the Rhode Island School of Design, the Cleveland Institute of Art, and the Parsons School of Design where Boyd graduated with a BFA in Environmental Design, she also traveled abroad to study at the American College in Paris where she was the best friend and constant companion – and on occasion, muse for fellow student Tom Ford.
Boyd speaks of a memorable event where she and Ford were invited to an elegant Paris ball.  Heightened with anticipation, Ford and Boyd rushed out to the BHV on the Rue de Rivoli where Ford purchased the entire stock of clear blue cellophane with which he designed and created for Boyd, his own fabulous Dior-inspired gown – the only catch was that this original Tom Ford haute couture was to be worn topless.  Boyd remembers walking into the grand soiree on Ford’s arm, “The room-full of guests actually parted as we made our way into the ball.  Tom was so elegant in his black tie, and I must say, I was nothing short of a sensation in his creation of yards and yards of blue cellophane wrapped all around me, except for at the bust.  It was a stunning moment for us two young designers that I will never forget.”

Coming back to the states, Boyd landed a position with Falcon Jet where she worked directly with the “Mr. and Mrs. Bigs” the world over – those bigwigs amongst us who can purchase their own private jet.  Her first client was a Mr. Big from Korea, where she flew to meet her client and design the interior of his personal Falcon Jet. He loved, loved, loved the results and so did Falcon Jet for whom Boyd worked for three years. 

The Eileen Kathryn Look:   Unexpected color stories that are sophisticated and stylish.  Using this system, I  translate the new traditional elements and modern styling that I  combine with classic and vintage design elements – all of which I then weave together to create  a complete visual story.

Her Favorite Room:
A paneled  living room in the 16th arrondissement with tall ceilings and long French doors that open to a terrace with a view of Paris rooftops.  In the space would be long, bold colored, unlined silk panels framing the doorways with the room filled with Mid- century pieces that all work and create a perfect visual  symphony together.  Champagne chilled, and lastly, a French chanteur would being crooning on the ipod.

How She Works:
I start with the architecture...then I fantasize and dream a little.  Starting with a floorplan, I am  aware of geometry and keep in mind symmetry until I find the right balance. Always thinking three-dimensionally, the plan comes together at which point I begin the color story as I start to  search for or design furnishings that are unique and  harmonious to the space.

 What is the Magic and Power of Color?
It directly effects my mood and I find that it’s utterly magical how color influences us and/or  how we all are affected by color.  People feel it, crave it, and want it as if it is the most additive drug.
Most of my clients come to me and say they want color in their lives, but they are not confident enough to select it themselves, so I develop a color story for their life!  I escort them on that journey to a place that I know will echo their happiness.

Thoughts on Neutrals:
I am not challanged by neutrals; they don't excite me.  I am a painter, so  working with color is something that comes so naturally to me, as if I live on an artist’s palette – and just like in  music, there are endless combinations that always surprise and delight my senses – through the full spectrum of combinations.

 Color Tricks:
To enhance a room, pick one super-charged color like turquoise or yellow and add it into the room with paint, and while you are at it, consider making the ceiling shiny. Then run out and get color inspired grosgrain ribbon and trim out drapery panels or use it as trim around doorways and moldings.  Don’t be afraid of using a strong color for the walls.  Paint is the least expensive way to totally reinvent a room.

Things She Can’t Get Enough Of:
Tall ceilings and wood floors...historical details...Polished nickel hardware...mercury glass...bold colored linens...French grays and anything purple and lavender.....painted black doors....dark polished floors...grosgrain ribbon as a taping.
Art collections and mixing today’s furniture with vintage and modern, and oh yes, don’t forget dimmers on lighting...and then there is music.

  The Absolute No-nos:

Furniture sets of any kind
Dinettes
Florescent lighting
Floral sofas and area rugs that are too small

The Best Thing about a Life in Design:

The ability to show my two children the love and beauty that exists in living an artistic life.  I enjoy sharing my creative life with others, infiltrating style, color, and happiness into their world.