Whitney Wilkinson

Owner, Whitney Wilkinson Design Studio

Whitney Wilkinson cares a lot about what you think, and not just because she’s a social worker. Wilkinson said she made the decision to jump into the interior design world after she had her children, and she said she feels her design work is just another way to help people feel better.

After getting her start with upholstery, Wilkinson decided to leave sewing behind and sought out a job with a designer. She ended up working with Ware Porter for a few years before striking out on her own last year.

“I like to make the biggest impact,” she said. “I feel like the biggest impact is starting from a renovation and then going all the way through decoration.”

Wilkinson said she loves to find unique aspects of each project right at the start and then create an overall design that incorporates that feature or piece and brings everything up to date.

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“I feel like the design process is a dynamic one, and I like to leave flexibility for the unexpected,” she said. “In my experience, some of the best pieces and ideas come from that.” 

Wilkinson said her design direction is always dependent on the client and the project, but she always finds a way to keep function and beauty at the forefront. 

“I try to create a space that feels interesting and one of a kind, but always comfortable and timeless,” she said. “I do like an update. I like it to feel fresh. I decorate a lot for clients with young kids. Even though they live in old houses and there’s beautiful architecture, they want something that’s young and fresh and updated, while also still keeping the character of the house.”

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Wilkinson said asking her clients how they want to feel in a finished space comes as second nature because of her background.

“I feel like a lot of times, that’s where my social work practice comes in, on the back end of it all,” she said. “I kind of like to get to the heart of how do you live in a space, how do you want to feel at night when you’re sitting with your family or you’re entertaining?”  

Whitney Wilkinson, whitney@whitneywilkinson.com, 504-559-2883, @whitneywilkinsondesign

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