A Work in Progress

Katie Leede is the founder and president of Katie Leede and Company, a sought-after interior design firm specializing in residential and boutique commercial projects, and Katie Leede and Company, her expanding line of textiles and products for the home.

Katie came to the world of design by osmosis, having grown up in wonderfully stylish homes in West Texas, on the snowy peaks of Aspen, the bright lights of Manhattan, and-most significantly-along the rocky shores of Mt. Desert Island in Maine. Summers spent at her family’s former summer “cottage” Skylands in Seal Harbor were an education in living graciously and, more than any other experience, helped forge Katie’s understanding of what the myriad elements are that turn a well-built house into a magical home that endlessly inspires and nourishes those lucky enough to live there. At Skylands, Katie learned the tricks of the trade from her self-schooled mother in the art of mixing handsome custom upholstery pieces with antiques and modern art with traditional landscapes and picked up her knowledge of “how to” make the best bed, serve the perfect cocktail, and set an elegant table, all tools that now come in handy when advising her interior design clients how to outfit a house today.

After graduating from Phillips Academy Andover and Dartmouth College with a B.A. in theater, Katie pursued acting and hat design before starting a family and moving to Los Angeles. In 2002, she founded Digs By Katie, Inc. to meet the demand from her friends to decorate homes with the same easy flair she lived with herself for their own growing families in Bel Air, Brentwood, Santa Monica and Santa Barbara. Recognized for her natural ability to create comfortable, timeless rooms that are not only beautiful but functional and artful to live in, Katie quickly expanded her firm to take on commissions in Colorado, Austin, New York and Maine. Each project Katie and her committed team takes on- be it a lofty lake house, an exquisite jewel box apartment or a rugged villa- is built and designed with each particular client and their individual tastes and specific needs kept top of mind. Great attention is paid to proportion, architectural details, and the careful curation of furnishings, objects, and art to suit. The burning goal always being to create beloved homes- the absolute favorite spot- for family and friends to gather and enjoy for years to come.

Katie proudly serves on the boards of The Decorators Club of New York and the Addison Gallery of American Art at Phillips Academy at Andover. She is also honored to be on the advisory council for Farrow & Ball.

Katie Leede’s work is featured consistently in national and regional magazines, including ELLE DECOR, World of Interiors, House Beautiful, Veranda, and Traditional Home and on numerous blogs. In 2010, Traditional Home nominated Katie as one of “Ten Young Designers to Watch,” and in 2011 House Beautiful cited her as one of “Ten More Designers who create a Global, Sophisticated Look.” Katie has also appeared as a designer on the TV program “Open House New York.” Katie currently lives in Soho and Long Island with her high school sweetheart, five “Brady Bunch” kids and beloved dog Noodles.