Designer Profile: Molly Kidd | Homes and Gardens
Molly Kidd is the founder and principal designer of Molly Kidd Studio an Oregon-based interior design studio known for its earthy palettes, timeless warmth, and thoughtful use of vintage pieces. With an approach rooted in sustainability and emotional resonance, Molly has carved out a signature style that blends old-world elegance with the laid-back comfort of the Pacific Northwest. Every project she undertakes is a masterclass in quiet beauty – layered textures, natural materials, and an effortless sense of lived-in luxury.
Formerly the Creative Director at the studio Light and Dwell, at the heart of Molly’s aesthetic is a commitment to sourcing locally, working with reclaimed materials, and ensuring that at least half of a home is filled with vintage or antique elements. From richly toned wood and aged brass to tactile fabrics like Belgian linen and mohair, Molly’s work balances classic restraint with personal warmth.
In this exclusive Q&A, Molly shares the guiding principles behind her designs – from how she sources vintage treasures and why she’s loyal to brown as a grounding colour, to the importance of comfort, correct rug sizes, and starting every project with a simple floral arrangement. Her insights offer a refreshing, deeply practical take on how to make a home feel soulful, timeless – and entirely your own.
(Image credit: Tim Lenz/Design by Molly Kidd Studio)
Including vintage pieces in every project is key to how your studio decorates. Why are they so important to you?
Molly Kidd: Vintage pieces are the soul of a lot of our projects. You can really tell if you walk into a home and everything is new. A goal of mine is to create homes that don’t have a time stamp, and that you almost don’t know when they have been designed. Then there is the sustainability part of this ethos, and we take that seriously. Having at least 50% of the things in a home helps with that, and we work hard to ensure that our projects have that balance.
What do you look for when you’re sourcing vintage pieces?
MK: It’s a feeling! When I’m sourcing, I look for certain wood tones like those rich chocolatey ones, staying away from anything that is too orange or red. I keep an eye out for antique silver or a nice patinated brass. I also practice restraint, I don’t want my homes to be over-curated, so I am intentional about which antique pieces I choose. I have to love them, they have to work. We also have a locality promise for each project, and source from the local area.
(Image credit: Tim Lenz/Design by Molly Kidd Studio)
All of your projects have brown in them. Why is that such an important color?
MK: Being from the Pacific North West, and having those earthy tones of the area around me constantly, I gravitate towards how grounding brown is. There are so many different tones and variations in it. Black can be a big contrast, but brown is soft and warm and adds depth. My own office is painted in Wainscot by Farrow and Ball, which I just love. We’ve used every single one of their browns, which are all just so relaxing.
What else do you consider important to your aesthetic?
MK: I take a lot of influence from old-world European culture and design. Natural materials are used in all my projects, and I’ll only work with real stone for all my surfaces. I like plaster on the walls because it adds depth,every project is inspired by a floral arrangement, in terms of the color and texture that ends up in it – it’ll start with some flowers I’ve put together which is the first thing I present to the client. And to go back to my locality promise, I like to work with local talent. All my wood beams are from a local supplier who finds them in reclaimed barns, and I like to work with smaller makers and with the tradespeople from nearby the project.
What role does comfort play in your design process?
MK: Every space needs to be liveable, and every client has a different idea of what comfort looks like. Mostly all of my clients have a dog and kids and are people who love to host, so comfort is very important. And that’s another reason I love vintage – it already looks a little worn so you know it’s ok to live your life around it, which puts you at ease, makes you more comfortable.
(Image credit: Tim Lenz/Design by Molly Kidd Studio)
Are there any materials, textures, or design elements you find yourself returning to again and again?
MK: Belgian linen. I’m also working a little more with corduroy, which is fun and durable. Mohair, I use a lot. There is a thin stripe fabric in all my projects, mainly from fabric houses in the UK. I love Soane.
What’s a decorating mistake you see often that makes you want to gently intervene?
MK: In general, I try to stay away from mainstream trends in interiors. My rule of thumb is that if you’ve loved something for over three years then it’s a safe bet. Take green kitchens, which are very trendy right now – I’d caution against using them just for that reason. But if you’ve loved green kitchens for over three years you can feel confident that it will last you, and be a little more timeless than a trend. Also, when it comes to plumbing, I wish everyone chose the ones that will patina.
If you could give everyone one piece of advice to think about before they decorate, what would it be?
MK: It would have to be about rug sizes – the wrong sized rug is a big concern for me. All the furniture has to be able to fit on the rug, and in one my first installs, when the wrong size had been ordered, I knew it wasn’t going to work. And art placement! People hang it so low. Every piece of art should be four inches above the top of the piece of furniture beneath it.
(Image credit: Tim Lenz/Design by Molly Kidd Studio)
Finally, what makes a space unforgettable to you?
MK: It’s all about walking into a space and evoking some sort of feeling. And that’s why materiality is important, and why those details really matter. When you walk into a home that has plaster instead of dry wall there is depth, the same goes for real wood versus faux beams. There is a difference. You can’t necessarily articulate it, but you know you feel a certain way, and you think ‘I want to stay here.’
See more of Molly’s work at Molly Kidd Studio
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