Boutique Design - September 2019 - 34

KRIS MORAN

KRIS MORAN
WE'RE KRIS MORAN

3 Vibrant colors and patterns bring the 1970s
to life in Moran's interpretation of that decade
for Barry Jenkins' 2018
film "If Beale Street
Could Talk."
4 For Moran, it's always
the details that finish
the sentence. Every
piece in this room
enriches the characterization.

"I love Brutalist architecture for its directness,
simplicity of design and connection to nature and
American Fabrics magazines from the 1940s to the
1960s, for color palette inspiration," says Moran.
That might be a little confusing to designers used
to taking inspiration from her ultra-layered work
for film directors Wes Anderson or Barry Jenkins,
but her goal is not to impose herself on the project.
"I'm a provider," she says. "I'd like to think I don't
have a style. I'd never solve a design problem with
some signature look; that would seem superficial."
In many ways, Moran's work on films is an
extreme study in the kind of guest-centric design
your clients continue to require. Instead of trying
to anticipate their needs for a few hours over a
meal or a week stay in a hotel (she's done that, too,
designing the Bombay Bread Bar in New York and
also currently working with the brand concept
team at Life and Branding [LAB] on several independently spirited hotels and restaurants across
the U.S.), she is attempting to tell their story in,
essentially, FF&E.
"You have to start with empathy for the people
who inhabit the space," says Moran. "When I'm
designing a set, I like to put the essence of the character into the building, materials choices and larger
pieces such as the tables." In other words, don't
expect the tiny details to carry the whole design
statement. "That upper layering of fabrics, small
items and functional bits (think light switches and
other musts) can be a congruous or incongruous

boutiquedesign.com SEPTEMBER 2019

addition to the design foundation, but they impact
the energy and dynamics of the space-essentially
what kind of 'alive' it's going to be."
Something to keep in mind for your next
lobby, guestroom or restaurant: creating a sense
of character means looking beyond 2019. Especially for projects that seek to give off residential,
inviting vibes, the design has to be multifaceted
in its inspirations in a chronological, not just a
visual, sense. Moran's work is a case study. Your
house probably has stuff you just bought, stuff
you've had for a while and a few nostalgic pieces
you still love, so why not bring that thinking into
your work? "We often think of the iconic pieces
of a decade or era but, if you consider the more
secondary and tertiary items that most people
usually live with, they don't change so quickly.
They overlap," she says. Okay, very few people
would trade in their slick smartphones and tablets
for a retro TV, but what about using a print reminiscent of another decade?
That's a key example for Moran. "Fabric is really
important to telling a design story, because if it's
wrong, it's really wrong. However, if you use it
smartly, the texture can be a key in establishing an
authentic connection to another era," she says. "It's
almost like a first kiss for the guest." Awww.
In this lesson, you learned that creating fictional
places has takeaways for real ones. Your homework
is to channel Korins' and Moran's best practices
into your next project. 

COURTESY OF K RIS MOR AN

FOUNDER, WE'RE KRIS MORAN

http://www.boutiquedesign.com

Boutique Design - September 2019

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