We were lucky to catch up with Keith Powell recently and have shared our conversation below.
Keith , so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?
I have always loved the ocean, and grew up on the beach in Southern California. So I was set in my mind to be the next Jacques Cousteau and have a life of diving around the world’s oceans discovering the most undiscovered parts of our planet. When my mother unexpectedly died right after my 18th birthday I decided to leave California and move to Florida where I had planned to attend FIU and study marine biology. Little did I know life had other plans for me. One night I was out w friends & met someone who was working for Ralph Lauren and asked if I had ever done window display. I really needed to work so I told a little fib and got the job!
I was horrible at it of course. I literally got fired every day for 6 months! Begging my boss to give me a chance, and thankfully he did! One day I was tasked with creating a western theme window for the ladies store w hay and saddles etc. For some odd reason I completely nailed it. And everyday after that I got better and better. Over the next 2 years I worked for Ralph Lauren and learned how to read and draw plans in scale, construction & plumbing. I studied relentlessly about classical architecture, design styles, fabric, wallpaper and all things related to design. Within a year after that I left Ralph Lauren and started my own window display business. I built VIU Design to one of Florida’s largest display companies by the time I was 26 years old.
by 1996 I saw the writing on the wall and knew display as I knew it was coming to an end. One day while at Tiffany & Company, one of my key accounts in Palm Beach I ran into a woman who’s husband, a 10 goal polo player had just purchased a home and wanted the full Ralph Lauren design style, which by that time I had mastered the look. The house was a success which I parlayed into a successful Interior Design career as A. Keith Powell Interior. Always looking for a challenge. One day while designing a rug for a project I started wondering about the luxury custom rug market. I knew I was good at designing rugs so I thought, why not try? So about 7 years ago KNOTS Custom was born. I immersed myself into everything I could find about custom rugs to understand weaving techniques, yarn, threads, styles of rugs. Hand knotted vs hand tufted and started experimenting with mixing different fibers together to see how things would turn out.
Thant has led me to where I am now. I have successfully created 2 collections, and currently working on 2 more, my most recent called “Naturals” which mixes wool, Jute and Nylon to create stunning yet durable custom rugs that make a bold modern statement. All can be customized or something created that is completely individual to that particular client. We have created a weaving technique never done before to create Nylon rugs that mimic Braided Abaca, Braided Sisal and Seagrass. They can be indoors or out and feel very soft to the touch unlike real Sisal, Abaca or Seagrass. My goal to create something that brings style with substance to the market and shake up the etsablished idea of what custom rug making looks and feels like.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
Now that i have made custom rugs my second career, I am taking that wealth of Design information I have accumulated over the past 40 years and using that knowledge to build a brand focused on innovation. I think we all know people actually live in their homes. That means pets, kids, and accidents. I still love creating ultra luxurious rugs for all of my clients. But I also want those rugs to last. So I am focused on using common materials in uncommon ways. I am always experimenting with hard wearing fibers to see how they interact with more fragile fibers like Hemp & Linen. The idea is to create mostly bullet proof rugs that look very currated, soft, that also feel & look elevated beyond their humble beginnings.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
For me Gene Moore, the design director at Tiffany & Company forever changed my life. He saw something in me that I didn’t even see myself. He gave me a position that most at my level would never been offered. He helped me control my “imposter syndrome” that so many artists suffer from regardless of their success. It’s a lot harder today for young and upcoming designers and artists to achieve their goals due to many factors. My advice to any young person starting out is NEVER stop believing in yourself or your talent. Never let anyone tell you you’re not capable. Never take no for an answer. When you hear no, pause, re assess and start with a new approach.
Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?
As a rug designer, I love collaborating with artists and designers that also think outside the box. I was fortunate enough to have recent collaboration with my good friend an amazing artist, Erik Skoldberg. I love his style. We have worked on creating a collection that duplicates his paintings in every way. This trail and error period of over a year making samples with different weaving techniques to create a rug that looks like a painting was intense. We are still improving on these techniques every day. But the results have been amazing! I am continually looking for designers and artists from all over the world to collaborate with.
Contact Info:
- Website: knotscustom.com and akpinterior.com
- Instagram: @knotscustom
Image Credits
All Photography for Interior Design is Bernardo Olmos Photography Studio here in Miami, Florida. Rug design and manufacturing by KNOTS Custom.
