Design and fashion, like most creative practices, come with a set of unwritten rules. Rooted in principles like balance, light, proportion and scale, these guidelines serve as boundaries to enhance ideas and help avoid classic style faux pas, like dressing too casual for a formal event or picking a sofa that’s too small for your space. While they help set a strong foundation, there always comes a point where rules need to be broken so they don’t hold back the vision. No one knows this better than O’Hara Interiors CEO and Creative Director Kate O’Hara. We tapped O’Hara to take us inside her approach to style across interiors and fashion, sharing the rules she always sticks to and when she tosses the rulebook out the window.
Three Rules to Follow
Photography by Spacecrafting
“Proportion is everything.”
Scale is the difference between custom and costly. Whether it’s the right chandelier size or the perfect rise on a trouser, proportion quietly communicates discernment. You can feel when it’s on point, and you can absolutely feel when it’s not.
“Edit past the point of comfort.”
For me, luxury is not abundance so much as it is intention. The most sophisticated rooms and wardrobes are the ones that resist the urge to add one more thing. My approach is to remove until what remains feels confident enough to stand on its own.
“Build the bones before the beauty.”
In interior design, architecture comes first. Focus on flow, layout and materials. When it comes to fashion, the best place to start is silhouette and tailoring. If the foundation works, the room or the outfit will carry the look before you even notice the details. Decor or accessories cannot rescue a weak structure.
Three Rules to Break
“Blend in and you won’t regret it.”
Blending in is the fastest way to be overlooked. In both design and dress, I’m not interested in invisibility. The most enduring spaces and wardrobes carry a point of view. Plus, expressing your unique style and taste is the point.
“If it’s expensive, it must be good.”
Price doesn’t guarantee quality, and quality doesn’t always translate to taste. True luxury is about craftsmanship, proportion and permanence. It’s felt in the weight and weave of a fabric, the depth of a finish or the way a room holds you.
“Trends will keep you current.”
Trends are useful signals, but they’re fleeting. I pay attention, then filter, only holding onto aspects that resonate with my vision. The work or the outfit should outlast the moment it was created. Aim for timeless versus timely.
