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The Talent:
KISHANI PERERA by Susanna Salk
To describe Kishani Perera’s style, it’s best to check out her preferred mode of recreational transportation: a vintage Vietnamese bamboo bicycle she spotted and had to have. “It was everything I loved: Asian, eco-friendly and totally chic.” Despite being warned by the dealer that it wouldn’t take her very far, Perera preferred to see the matter in a completely different light: “I loved biking around on it as long as I could and when it inevitably fell apart, it became a great piece of art in my office!”
To grow up in Minnesota and Los Angeles with the name Kishani Perera presented its challenges. “No one could remember or pronounce it,” says this designer of Sri Lankan descent. “Now I love it but, believe me, there were many times I wanted it changed!” Equally arduous was the fact that a young Perera did not articulate the expected “I’d like to be a doctor when I grow up” to her family and cultural community. “I was never interested in that,” she sighs. “I was too busy creating large-scaled ‘art installations’ for my bedroom in our garage. I was definitely the rebel in the family.” Her teenage room reflected her unique fingerprints in her chosen cow-print chair, rainbow-colored walls and a ceiling bedecked with a pink and green backdrop (nabbed post-concert from the rock group “Wonderstuff”). Her parents may have thought her crazy (“They really didn’t know what to do with me”) but the Long Beach Telegram(ITALICS) (her local newspaper) sure did: They plunked a picture of Perera’s teen-dom on the cover of its “Life and Style” section. For Perera, creating unique beauty out of the ordinary came as naturally as most 16-year-olds’ visits to malls. “My friends and I were very much into retro fashion in high school, so thrift shops and vintage boutiques were some of our favorite haunts,” recalls Perera. “One day when I saw this beautiful vintage steamer trunk, I handed over my entire clothing allowance so I could take it home. That piece was somehow the catalyst to a lifelong passion for antiques and the hunt for unique and interesting finds.” It was in college when she honed her skill for transformation even further by morphing the hideous dorm furniture at UCLA into a room resembling her passion for bohemian style, thanks to some Indian tapestries and a lot of intuition. “Suddenly, all my friends were asking me to do their rooms,” says Perera. Eventually, their personal requests channeled into a singular career calling. “I was torn between being a photographer, a writer or even a metal sculptress but my friends were like, “Kishani! It’s so obvious what you should be doing. Go be an interior designer!’” She stepped it up by not only joining UCLA’s Interior Design and Architecture program but by simultaneously working with LA-based designer Joan Behnke, and later, with Kim Alexandriuk. “One day I was introduced toactress Molly Sims via a mutual friend who was working on a complete redo of her home,” says Perera. “He was feeling overwhelmed and I knew this was the chance to see if I could really make it on my own.” The yearlong project was a roof-to-floor education, which prompted Perera to dash finishing school and open her own firm on a full-time basis. Sims was so pleased with the results, her relationship with the actress continued and, propelled by such sparkling word of mouth, Perera was commissioned to help fashion a dream house for the Director of Marketing at Barbie who, Perera tells us, was “around the color pink all day and longed to infuse some Modern pieces in the same shades into her own home.” Next up was transforming a friend’s 1930s Spanish duplex into a truly sustainable home. “We were totally eco down to the bones,” says Perera. “From installing solar panels to even buying used appliances. It was a great learning experience, which I enjoy passing on to others whenever I can.”
Currently Perera is putting the finishing touches on actor Gary Oldman and his wife Alexandra’s L.A. digs. “They are equally artistic when it comes to their home,” gushes Perera. “Their style is part edgy, part European. It’s such a cool project.” Time not spent scouring the internet and shopping flea markets (doing what she’s always loved), Perera cherishes her time with her pugs Bodie and Bob, grabbing a vegan meal with friends and then perhaps catching a local band at a small venue. When asked how her parents feel now about their rebel daughter’s successful design career, Perera answers with a smile, “They’ve come to embrace my quirky style. And they’re very relieved that other people love it too!”
Q & A FOR KISHANI
What would be your dream Green project and why?
I would love to Green a classic, historic hotel in Europe. Considering the level of traffic a location a building like that would see in any given year, implementing simple, eco-friendly elements like dual-flush toilets, low flow showerheads and tankless water heaters would have a significant and immediate impact. Additionally, eco-friendly cleaning products could be used in lieu of the traditional, chemical-filled cleaners, which would cut the indoor toxicity levels dramatically!
If you could design a room for anyone in history, who would it be for, why and what would it look like?
I’ve always loved the impassioned music of Edith Piaf. She rose from the streets of Paris to become an iconic singer, which is quite an accomplishment. I would have loved to have designed a chic, Parisian flat for her that would have been dark, bohemian, eclectic, sophisticated and moody, taking inspiration from both her younger, gypsy lifestyle, as well as her later successful years.
What designers from the past inspire you and why/how?
Tony Duquette is my design hero! He was a fearless genius with a seemingly boundless imagination.
If you could design a room for any person today, who would it be and what would it look like?
I’m a huge fan of Stella McCartney. Not only is she a compassionate designer and British (I am a bit of an Anglophile, I must admit!), she also has amazing style and is the daughter of one of the Beatles! Taking a cue from her fashion sense, I would love to design a girly but edgy, glam but earthy space for her.
You design a lot of homes for actors. Is there a decor from a movie you particularly admire?
Good design can not only set the mood, but set the stage, literally. Brilliant set design can transport the viewer into a different world and bring to life a reality that only existed at one point on the page. One of my favorite movies, "Amelie," immersed me into the magical, imagination-driven world of its lead character. From its rich, saturated colors, to the quirky, vintage and whimsical touches, it was impossible for me to not fall madly in love this film!
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