Designer profile: Isabel Ladd

The Brazilian-born, Kentucky-raised interior designer has a background in fashion and a distinct love of color and bold pattern

Bar, living room, bedroom
(Image credit: Isabel Ladd)

Isabel Ladd thrives on creating homes saturated in a kaleidoscope of meticulously layered patterns and colors. A girl of many mantras, Isabel loves to preach: 'Beige is not a color. More is More; Less is a Bore. And above all else: Mix. Don’t Match.'

An intuitive and enthusiastic designer, she dubs her style 'Curated Maximalism': an intelligent yet intuitive layering of colorful elements that all relate to and build upon one another.

Here, we take a look at Isabel's interior design work past, present and future.

Isabel Ladd

(Image credit: Isabel Ladd)

A Brazilian native, Isabel moved with her family to raise horses in Kentucky. After Fashion School, she found her footing in the thriving Los Angeles fashion world and the maximalist was born! 

Her work in the fashion and textile industry instilled a love of fabrics and prints, which segued into a love of interiors. Working mainly on residential homes throughout Lexington and central Kentucky, Isabel has completed some jewel-box commercial spaces including the Queens Gambit suite in the 21C Hotel and Cornett Advertising Agency offices. 

Green sofa, wooden table and stool, gold light

(Image credit: Isabel Ladd/Katie Charlotte)

Isabel Ladd caters to young families with children and has an effortless way of making her clients feel comfortable pushing past their comfort zones to adapt and then fall in love with her creative and unique take on maximalism, and bold colors and pattern, which she has written about for us.   

With an emphasis on full-service interior design for single family homes and primary residences, Isabel will also update individual rooms for past clients and of course tackle second and vacation homes.

Orange armchair, white rug and table

(Image credit: Isabel Ladd/Katie Charlotte)

Isabel is the color whisperer; she has an innate ability to draw her clients to color and pattern in a way they never expected. This confidence allows her clients to push past their comfort zones and to full embrace the power of interior design and the vitality that color adds to their homes.

Red and white rugs, transparent chairs, white cupboards

(Image credit: Isabel Ladd/Katie Charlotte)

Isabel is also an active personality and design authority sharing her expertise on panels at High Point Market, KBIS and other markets while also working on a new retail store and offices recently opened in Lexington. Isabel has her eye on the future and is gearing up to future licensing and product design and development. As a trained textile designer, we can’t wait to see what she dreams up.

Wooden dining table and chairs, white fireplace, green door

(Image credit: Isabel Ladd/Katie Charlotte)

Isabel is endlessly inspired by her Brazilian heritage, the rich and vibrant colors, patterns, scents, foods and people. Her native culture is full of live and vitality with a deep appreciation of how all things work together in an organized chaos.

Dream clients allow Isabel to truly stay creative and conjure up a symphony of wild patterns and color combinations. Dream clients trust Isabel to know when to go all out, and when to reign it in. Dream clients tell Isabel: 'We hired you for your maximalism, now go BIG, girl!'

Green walls gold and black bar, wooden shelves

(Image credit: Isabel Ladd/Katie Charlotte)

Isabel is actively working on breaking into TV with a design themed show. She loves a microphone and camera and wants to share her mastery of mixing high and low, color and pattern with the world. 

Wooden chairs and table, vase

(Image credit: Isabel Ladd/Katie Charlotte)

Isabel’s team continues to grow with the long-term goal of expanding her brand into the home furnishings market with her iconic Curated Maximalist collection of fabrics, wallpapers, lighting, furniture, and accessories. We wish her luck!

Lucy Searle
Global Editor in Chief

Lucy Searle has written about interiors, property and gardens since 1990, working her way around the interiors departments of women's magazines before switching to interiors-only titles in the mid-nineties. She was Associate Editor on Ideal Home, and Launch Editor of 4Homes magazine, before moving into digital in 2007, launching Channel 4's flagship website, Channel4.com/4homes. In 2018, Lucy took on the role of Global Editor in Chief for Realhomes.com, taking the site from a small magazine add-on to a global success. She was asked to repeat that success at Homes & Gardens, where she has also taken on the editorship of the magazine.