Not unlike a graphic image’s negative space, lighting is an often overlooked element of interior design, according to Kayla Beavers, lead interior designer and lighting expert at Silver Fox Gallery & Interiors, a venue in downtown Hendersonville that specializes in glassware, fine art, and pottery. The gallery is both an emporium of American handmade objects and a provider of design services that range from room re-dos to full-on home renovations and new-build projects. A graduate of Western Carolina University’s Interior Design program, Beavers cut her pro-designer teeth at Christie’s Lighting Gallery upon her graduation in 2013.
“I was fortunate to gain a foothold in the specialty of lighting. I use it in my interior-design work with clients every day,” says Beavers. Here, she talks about her approach to design, answers burning questions with a hundred-watt energy level, and patiently explains how to navigate the bulb section at Lowe’s with finesse.
Who are your clients and how do you help them?
Silver Fox is interesting because some clients come to us because they know the gallery and love what we carry, while we attract others who are searching for an interior designer and find me, but realize that my services are attached to this wonderful gallery. My approach with clients isn’t directive; rather, I want to listen to them, find solutions, and create spaces that reflect them. This means including a weird piece of art they loved from college days, or a grandmother’s antique side table that has sentimental meaning.
So you look at personality and lifestyle closely …
Absolutely. If they have pets or kids, or even if they don’t, why not make life easier with performance coverings for furniture and wool rugs, which are the easiest to clean?
How important is lighting to an interior?
It’s essential. When lighting is perfect, you shouldn’t even notice it when you enter a room. The bulb’s blue or yellow color temperature (otherwise known as the Kelvin), fixture type, and fixture placement are just a few of the features we consider when designing a residential or commercial space.
Any advice for those who are endlessly confused in the Lowe’s bulb section?
Bulb types like incandescent and fluorescent greatly impact the mood and energy of a space. That said, even a fluorescent can be warm. We steer many clients toward LED bulbs with a CRI, or color rendering index of at least 80 or higher, because they’re so energy efficient, and typically you only have to replace them every 10 to 15 years.
Explain the basic types of lighting …
Ambient, or general overall lighting, includes recessed cans in the ceiling or a floor lamp that lights an entire wall. Task lighting is anything from a reading lamp to kitchen-island lighting. Accent lighting [includes] sconces or lighting that highlights a painting.
How about a memorably challenging design experience?
I went by the book when I worked on a salon lighting project. The plan ultimately didn’t work because of the space’s high ceilings and mostly black interior. One key in the correction process was going bigger on the track heads, which soaked up the blackness much more. I was also mindful that salons are often lit using the incorrect Kelvin temperature. Many salons are too warmly lit and applied hair color will look worse and inaccurate than when under natural light. Two-thousand Kelvins is the equivalent to candlelight, standard incandescent bulbs are 2,700 Kelvins, and my recommendation for indoor spaces is 3,000 to 3,500 Kelvins, while daylight is 5,000-6,500 Kelvins, and good for task lighting.
When you’re a creative for work, what do you do for fun?
I’d modeled a bit in my hometown of Gastonia. When I moved here I got involved with a friend from school in a group called “FASHMOB.” A bunch of models, photographers, and makeup artists meet in a public space for shoots. It’s a great way to connect with the community, and lots of fun.
Any particularly prized possessions?
I’d have to say my two cats — Tibbers, my tuxedo cat, and Princess Peach, my orange-and-white cat. They’re my babies.
Kayla Beavers, Silver Fox Gallery & Interiors, 508 North Main St., Hendersonville. For more information, call 828-698-0601 or call silverfoxgallery.net.