Meet the founder

Kelli Walsh, principal designer

Kelli Walsh founded Coastal Interiors Studio in 2013, after a decade designing for residential firms in Manhattan and along the Connecticut coast. A graduate of the New York School of Interior Design, she brings a trained editor's eye to every room she touches — pulling each project back to the essentials, then layering texture and warmth until the space feels lived-in from day one.

She lives a few blocks from the studio with her husband, two children, and a slow-moving golden retriever named Biscuit. On weekends you'll find her at the Westport Farmers' Market or beachcombing at Sherwood Island for the small, quiet things that often end up styled into a client's bookshelf.

"A home should give you back to yourself. Everything we do at the studio is in service of that."

Kelli Walsh, principal designer at Coastal Interiors Studio

Our philosophy

Five things we believe

1 · Listen first, design second

Before we open a single mood board, we ask how you actually live. Where do you read the paper? Who lands at your kitchen island first? The answers shape every decision that follows.

2 · Architecture is the client too

A 1920s shingle-style cottage and a contemporary new-build deserve different vocabularies. We design with the bones of the house, never against them.

3 · Buy fewer, better things

We'd rather specify one beautifully made armchair than fill a room with throwaway pieces. Our sources include local artisans, vintage dealers, and to-the-trade makers we've trusted for years.

4 · Light is half the design

Natural light, lamp light, candlelight. We layer at least three sources in every room, then dim them all by 6 pm.

5 · A budget is a creative constraint

Every project has one. We'll be candid about what's possible, where to invest, and where to save — from the first meeting to the final walkthrough.

6 · The install isn't the end

We check back at thirty days, ninety days, and a year. Houses change as families do, and we're here to evolve with you.

Credentials

Training, memberships, & press

Education & training

BFA, Interior Design — New York School of Interior Design (2003)
NCIDQ Certified · Certificate #28412
Allied Member, American Society of Interior Designers (ASID)
Certified Home Stager — Real Estate Staging Association

Selected press & recognition

Houzz "Best of Design" — 2019, 2021, 2023, 2024
Connecticut Cottages & Gardens, "Idea House" feature, 2022
Coastal Living, "Designers to Watch on the East Coast", 2021
Westport Magazine, "Local Talent" profile, 2020

About the studio