52 weeks of Design (Kitty & Company) week 6

By Kitty Golding
Kitty & Company will be conducting a series of short interviews with Chelsea Residents for 52 weeks, bringing to light differing personalities and design styles in our community.  Perhaps you will meet someone new through these weekly interviews or perhaps it will be YOU! Stay tuned and follow us each week – we look forward to introducing you to the flair of 52 Chelsea Individuals – next up is Mrs. Carla Sue Fields!
What is your profession and for how long? 
Accounting in some form or fashion for 15 years.
Your family members: 
Mark, Mikayla, Kauri
People think of me as Styled but I am really Au Natural 
When did you move to Chelsea? Where did you live prior to this? 
We moved to Chelsea in February of 2002. Before coming to Chelsea, we lived in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.
What do you love about where you currently live? 
Having grown up in Oklahoma, I personally love that Michigan has all four seasons. An added bonus that I didn't have as a kid, are the Great Lakes, what a treasure!
If you could have a second home anywhere, where would it be? 
The island of St. Lucia.
What three words describe your style? 
Polished, Classic and Timeless.
Who or what do you believe influenced your style the most?
My style has most been influenced by a culmination of looking/reading various view points on design. Deciding what you don't like, is in my opinion often the hardest thing to narrow down. Maturity has also had a huge impact these last ten years. I have finally been able to throw off the shackles of peer opinions or what is decidedly "now" and feel comfortable/confident in my own choices.
As you think about the home in which you grew up, what elements did you like and do you think you have incorporated some of them in your own home?
I grew up in a somewhat sparse home. Mom and dad never had much money for the extras. We also never had handed down generational furniture from family members, which I can remember always thinking what a fabulous gift that could have been. We consistently had a huge tie to the outdoors, from a large garden every summer to having horses, dogs, cats and birds of prey. To this day, I tend to love outdoor spaces and with each house we've lived in, I try to "build" something beautiful on the exterior.  Inside the house, I find myself picking up odds and ends from garage sales and having them reupholstered and in the process give them a new life . I've also started to look for quality pieces with substance that I can possibly one day hand down to the girls and their families.
What is one trend in design you do NOT like? 
I'm not a huge fan of the overly ornate and multi style/colors all combined into one room. I find that it exhausts my eyes and tends to overwhelm me.
Have you ever built a new home or remodeled an existing one? 
Yes and yes. We built from the dirt up our home in Jackson Hole and remodeled two others.
What is the one biggest interior design issue you struggle with (during the construction phase from the above question, or just in general)? 
In general, I typically draw up what the overall project should look like, but sometimes struggle at the end with coordinating patterns. I enjoy colors, but tend to shy away from having too many in the same space. Garish patterns thrown together often subdue my sensibilities rather than brighten them. I enjoy calm colors, navy blue being one of them.
Which room in your home gets the most use? Please give any explanation as well.
We have a great room, kitchen, dining and living all in one. This room is used for everything--eating, conversing, homework, office work, you name it!  It also is surrounded by windows and brings in the most natural light.
If you were moving and could only pick one item from your home to keep, which would it be and why? 
Easy, our bed. Sleep is not overrated in our household. We have taken great pains on finding the perfect bed and at least to this point, feel we have succeeded.
No room is complete without: 
Great windows. I love the outdoors and I love being able to see the outdoors. One can never have too many windows in my opinion. Natural light makes everything look better.
Name an item you purchased for your home that you regret buying: 
A monstrous armoire, that when we got here was so large, we literally had to bring it in through the window since it wouldn't fit through a door!
If you are a pet owner, how has that influenced your choices in design, if it has? 
I have two very large dogs, so my fabric choices have had to change with each new piece I've purchased for our current house. Instead of a beautiful velvet or herringbone, I've had to opt for a Sunbrella fabric that can be handsome, yet extremely durable and forgiving. Leather which I love,  takes a huge toll due to the animals and light and therefore has had to be relinquished to smaller pieces
Which do you prefer- higher end items that last a long time, or economical items I can change out more frequently?
A mix of both economical and high end furniture and accessories- but I lean toward the higher end option
Has any local venue particularly caught your eye - if so why?
The old derelict machine and tool on Main street. I would love to take the bones of that and work it into a food hall. Not just any food hall, but one with cultural flare, strong flavors and bold stylish surroundings, both inside and out.
A few of your favorite things!
Movie
Grease
Historical Place You Have Visited
Yellowstone National Park
Scent
Versace-Yellow Diamonds
Song, Artist or style of Music
Right now, YaYaYa by Ry X
Meal
Tapas
Travel Destination On Your Bucket List
Italy in its entirety.
Things to Collect
Stones-Petosky or otherwise
Museum
Nicolaysen Art Museum in Casper, Wyoming
Hobbies
Biking, yoga, gardening, baking, and exploring!
Kitty’s note:  I have known Carla almost since they have moved here, our children are in the same grades and we went to the same church for many years. I have seen Carla decorate two Chelsea homes and has an impressive sense of style!

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