Introducing Kellie Toole

A Kellie Toole design.

Compass Homes, your Columbus custom home builders, recently announced our partnership with the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) Ohio South/Kentucky Chapter. We are excited to bring you a Parade Home like no other in 2014. As your preferred Columbus home builder, we are always thinking of ways to motivate and inspire people, and our new partnership should do just that!

We are Excited to Profile our Next Local Designer, Kellie Toole

We sat down and asked her a few questions to get to know her a little better!

How long have you been in the field of design?

KT:  This December will be 20 years! Where DOES the time go???

What was your very first project?

KT: My very first project “in the real world” and not as an assistant, but as the lead designer, would have been for a lovely couple who collected wild animal skins.  I have really grown to love and appreciate them over my 20 years of work, however at the time… well, I think the color completely drained from my face.  There were probably half a dozen of them in all shapes and sizes, ready to be used.  I thought I would pass out!  That was a good first lesson.  “It’s not about me, it’s about the client.”

What inspires you?

KT: Inspiration comes in such varied ways for me, and is never predictable. I’ve been moved by music, movies, vintage and contemporary fabrics, antiques, books, art and pottery.  Inspiration has struck while brushing my teeth and sitting in traffic.  I never quite know how it will come, but it does.  Nature is a major influence for me.  It’s all around with unlimited possibilities.  Speaking of pottery, I designed my 2011 Decorators’ Show House “She Den” around a single piece of pottery I found at an art festival in Chicago.  The entire room came from one single piece and the wood fired kiln process that left a beautiful color palette and design behind.

What do you believe is good design?

KT: This is such a good question.  Clinically speaking, close attention to balance, scale, and function are the elements of good design.  Personally speaking, it goes deeper than that for me. Good design means the client feels at home in their surroundings, regardless of the budget.  It functions exactly the way their lifestyle (or work style) demands.  Good design is when a client tells me they can’t stop walking into the room I helped them create because it is so beautiful and makes them happy. Good design is when a group of ASID Designers and Industry Partners get together for a worthy cause; remodeling, designing, and decorating a home for multiple homeless women in transition.  Good design is when you return to the same home a couple of years later, and it is EXACTLY the way you left it.  For the first time, they had something to be proud of, where they can close the blinds and escape the landscape of poverty and addiction surrounding them.  Good design is when the client takes complete ownership.

Where is your favorite place to shop or get ideas?

KT: This one is easy… Market!  Furniture Market in High Point NC is held twice a year in the Spring and Fall.  For two crazy weeks, the entire world descends upon this tiny city with acres and acres of showrooms. Many of them are only open during the show.  It’s a wonderful time to see what manufacturers are producing.  Response from Designers and Furniture Store Buyers shapes what is brought to the retail market place.

Why did you decide to participate in the 2014 Parade of Homes?

KT: The Parade is great exposure.  However, I am a small company, who provides personal attention to all of my client projects.  The time it takes to produce an entire home for marketing purposes is daunting.  One room, I can do!  I am excited to have my first pick in the lottery.  I wanted the Study for one selfish reason… I need an office overhaul of my own!  This is a sneak peak into my own personal style.


We hope enjoyed getting to know a bit about Kellie Toole! Stay tuned to Compass Homes to read about more of our amazing 2014 Parade Home designers as we continue to profile them on our blog and Facebook page.