Inside the Beautiful World of Colin King

The name Colin King evokes simplicity. It’s spare, yet regal and old-world; you might even call it timeless. It’s interesting how a name can so perfectly fit its owner. King has spun a career in the design world that is thoroughly modern, even as his style veers a bit more classic. A New Yorker by choice and Ohioan by birth, King studied jazz, dance, and ballet for a decade before transitioning to the world of interiors in his early 20s, styling for top design publications like T Magazine and Architectural Digest. He’s quickly become a must-follow on Instagram, founder of his namesake design studio, a go-to for brands from Beni Rugs to Menu looking for inspired product design, and, most recently, the subject of his own book with Rizzoli, titled Arranging Things, written with Sam Cochran. 

While the book is structured as a series of anecdotes and visual essays centered around the concept of elevating spaces, it leads more by showing than telling. “So much of the work is intuitive. It’s not about adopting my point of view; it’s about sharing my experience,” King says. “This book is hopefully an inspiration to people to find those little moments in their own homes, and to dust off old things and pull things out of the cupboards and really give objects that reverence and dialogue with other pieces.”

L’OFFICIEL: How did the book come about, and why did you choose to name it Arranging Things?

COLIN KING: One of my first mentors, Tom Delavan [design and interiors director of T Magazine], said, ‘Let’s face it: styling is just being a mover with an eye.’ And I loved that because growing up in Ohio, styling wasn’t a thing—it wasn’t a career that I ever saw or wanted—it was mystic. I had put “arranging things” in my Instagram bio because it felt like the easiest way for people to know what I did. A literary agent reached out to me and said, “Are you working on a book? I think you should, and I think it should be titled Arranging Things.” [That title] was really disarming; it appeals to a broader audience, which is ultimately what I’m going for. There’s no hierarchy in my design, so I didn’t want there to be a hierarchy in how I shared it with the world.

L’O: How would you describe your design approach?

CK: It’s very informed by nature. I think the ideal room for me would look un-styled, with a trace of a human having just been there. But ultimately, I hope that there’s a sense of calm. If I’m not really obsessed with an object, I love finding a pairing that really works and almost convinces me to see the objects in a new light. It’s not about buying the newest thing or needing that exact lamp. We all have a lamp, a table, a chair. And I think there’s so much power in arranging and finding that composition where everything just feels good.

L’O: Does your background in dance ever enter into your work with interiors?

CK: I’m constantly surprised by how much they overlap. The reason I danced when I was younger was because I was so embarrassed of my voice. Growing up in a small town, I thought it outed me. So, I went into dance and it gave me an ability to express myself without having to speak. Now, I found I landed in the same exact place. I’m able to craft these beautiful images and communicate an emotion without having to speak. Both are also about spatial awareness, and a reverence to composition and lines. 

L’O: Your own home recently went viral. What was it like to put your personal space out there and get such a positive response?

CK: I started out in editorial, so I had a master class in seeing design that was ready for the pages of AD. All the designers are so talented and were able to make it look easy. But when I got into my own home, excavating and starting to renovate for the first time, it was such a humbling experience and a comedy of errors. But that made it so much more rewarding once I finally finished. And I feel like it’s never going to be truly finished; it’s constantly evolving. But yes, it was a little surreal.