Top Design, Top Model, Topless!

One of the judges for Bravo's 'Top Design' this season is pretty face and design diva Kelly Wearstler. I heard of Kelly years ago when Interior Design magazine did a spread on her work at the Viceroy Palm Springs Hotel (I think the cover of this book is taken there). It' s a fanciful boutique hotel and the pool alone makes you want to book a night.

Well, to make matters more interesting apparently this isn't the only 'spread' she has done. The buzz in the design world years ago was that she is a model turned designer. Not any model.....we're talking Playboy model. She is a really pretty face but I wondered if it was just hype so I did a little research. Sure enough Kelly was the playmate of the month Sept. 1994. Not just a booby shot either, or so says Wikipedia. She is also known as Kelly Gallagher, perhaps that was her play mate name and she is trying to get away from it with her professional life. Who can blame her?

Aside from her colorful past, from what I have seen she is a talented designer. Obviously this isn't a gal who's afraid to put it out there and she does the same in her design using tons of intricate pattern, bold color and contrast, placed with tasteful artifacts and antique/retro furniture. She pulls it all off surprisingly well and has created a unique, signature look. I think her boutique hotels display her talents best. See for yourself. Kelly's design instincts don't come out of left field, her parents were in the architecture/design fields and she acquired some of her taste as she was dragged along to many an estate sale or antique show as a child. What I want to know is how she ended up at Playboy? I can tell you that a designer's salary doesn't always cut the mustard, maybe she took a side job that lead to some wealthy clients...renovating more than their living rooms. Ha ha ha. Anywho, just a little tid-bit of info on the multi-talented judges.