At Home With Taylor Kelly

When you live on the other side of the world to the majority of your family, the idea of ‘home’ takes on a special significance. For marketer and brand strategist Taylor Kelly – who moved from Melbourne nine years ago and now lives in New York – this means creating a space that’s “super considered and meaningful”.

Now living in a pre-war walk-up apartment in Nolita, she says the space is “a little mid-century modern, a little Scandi, a little eclectic. I like bringing a space to life that feels right for the space itself – its quirk is its charm and I think it’s fun to embrace that.”

As the cofounder of creative agency In Haus, Taylor also runs her business from home, and has become adept at using light, space and even scent to carve out different areas for different moods or times of the day. 

One constant is Arabian Oud, which remains on high rotation. “I am loving the Arabian Oud Room Spray to quickly change up the mood in my apartment. And the Glass Dome is the most stunning shade of blue. I love looking at it, it really complements my chestnut sideboard and grey walls.”

Taylor, how has your sense of home changed since you moved to NYC?

All of my family is in Melbourne so it’s really important for me to be able to find comfort in my apartment in small ways. My space is also physically smaller so everything in my apartment – whether it be furniture, a small object or a plant – is super considered and meaningful to me. My walls are a lime-washed warm grey. I buy vintage or handmade furniture where possible. I have lamps on the floor and I like to layer rugs and textures to create warmth. 

What time of day do you most enjoy being there?

I love weekend mornings in my apartment. The sun comes in right on my bed so I’ll usually get up, make coffee and jump back into bed for a while. I also try to structure the time spent in my apartment by using different spaces. I’m in a studio / 1 bedroom, so my office is also my bedroom. I try not to work from that space on weekends to create some mental separation between the two.  

How do you like to use scent in your home?

Because I spend a lot of time in my studio, I use scent to punctuate different moments throughout the day or to bring myself into the present moment. I’ll usually spray home fragrance or light a candle while I’m making coffee in the morning and then again at night to get me out of work mode. I like having a candle flickering next to me as I work as well because honestly it’s something I can rest my eyes on when I’ve overdone it on the laptop – which is most days!

Which notes do you gravitate towards when choosing a perfume to wear?

I gravitate toward smoky/woody but also love to freshen things up with grassy, citrusy or rosy notes. It really depends on my mood.

You’ve travelled quite a bit this year, back to Australia/New Zealand and also within the US. Can you share a favourite discovery from your travels?

Where do I start?! I always love visiting CIBI when I’m back in Melbourne, soaking up the slower pace and getting some vitamin D. I really love seeing what small, local designers are up to as well. Australia has such an eye for design.

What are you most looking forward to for the year ahead?

More travelling! This year I’m trying to explore a bunch of US cities I haven’t been to. I was in Sedona, Arizona, last month and am planning to spend time in Europe and London this summer. I used to live in London and before COVID, used to get back a few times a year, so I’m hoping to visit everyone I’ve missed.