Meet Kristina Khersonsky | STUDIO KEETA

We had the good fortune of connecting with Kristina Khersonsky and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kristina, what role has risk played in your life or career?
I’ve come to learn that life is a perpetual merry-go-round of risk-taking, whether you’re aware of it or not. My take on taking risks is that more people miss out on opportunities analyzing the risk-reward ratio than if they would have just taken a leap. The reality is that as humans, we constantly seek to reap the best outcome and most think that doing so is by controlling factors around them. But, more often, risk, and a whole lot of faith in your pursuit, will bring you more satisfaction, and a satisfactory outcome, than having had sat still.

Risk is the daily fuel to my career. I am constantly reaching forward without knowing what the metaphorical ground beneath me will be. Have there been mistakes? Of course. But you definitely learn quickly from them!

I think someone’s willingness to take risk directly correlates to how self-assured they are in themselves and their abilities — both in life and in career.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I own an interior design studio with a team of five. We work on full renovations up to furnishing scopes, within residential, hospitality, and commercial.

In an age where we are chronically online and consuming imagery 24/7, I find that the arts and creative fields have been watered down. In this creative industry, many click ‘heart’ and try to replicate what they see. I look at the interiors work that we do as an art, not to be replicated or pastes, and that it’s a lot more intuitive than most people may approach it. I like to back into the design work through understanding our clients first — who they are as people, how they live their lives, who they want to be, and what visual cues they respond to the best. Through the client’s lens, we craft the spaces that they inhabit through our creative filter. I am wildly proud of the non-conformist design approach I’ve instilled at my practice and with my team. I believe that when people look at our work or when they work with us, they see and feel the difference. We have a unique perspective to provide.

I am really proud and humbled by the recognition that I and the studio have received. Just last month we were included in a book called ‘Young Visionaries: New Generation of Interior Designers.” Pinching myself — under five years in practice, and being included within such lists, among my incredibly talented peers. Earlier this year, a project was featured in Architectural Digest.

Excitement for the future doesn’t even begin to scratch the surface of how I feel. To say it’s easy is far from the truth. It’s extremely long days, learning how to do things I never thought I would be doing like mentoring a team, tapping into my intuition more than I ever thought one person could. Building a business requires resilience at the surface and immense faith in yourself on the back end.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Food is my love language.
We’d start the day getting bagels at Courage in Virgil Village. The line is long but it’s so worth it. Best bagel in LA.
Then, we’d head to Eagle Rock to stop into Bub & Grandma’s to get a pomegranate donut. Best donut in Los Angeles.
After that, we’d drive bit further into Highland Park to go to my favorite thrift shop called Bearded Beagle. On they way, we’d stop at Kumquat Coffee on York Blvd. We would get the beverage called Kloudy which is espresso, cacao nibs, milk, and honey peanut butter foam.
Once we shopped a little bit, we’d be hungry again so we’d stop into Izakaya Osen, one of my favorite sushi restaurants, in Silverlake.
After that, we’d grab a bottle of natural wine from Silverlake Wines or Nicos in Atwater and head to the Silverlake Reservoir. It’s a big park by the reservoir in Silverlake that is lively on the weekends. We’d play Uno, of course. My favorite game ever.
After the sun starts setting, we’d venture into Koreatown, which in my opinion is one of the more underrated neighborhoods in LA. We’d go to Dan Sung Sa, a late-night, old-school restaurant with Korean bar food. It was also the spot Jason took me on our first date. We’d end the night at the iconic LA establishment, the Prince. I’d order the dirty martini and their fried chicken, if we weren’t full enough.
Full day of eating! My dream.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Jason Landis, my incredible husband. He has pushed me and us through very difficult, uncertain times. In starting my business, in an industry I was quite unfamiliar with and during a global pandemic, he reminded me day in and day out to believe in myself and to give myself a fair shot. He’s really good at quantifying things…feelings and tasks that can feel so grand and hard to grasp, feel super within in reach. He would say to me “give yourself a solid 2 years (in business). If it doesn’t work after that, we can reassess.” He made what felt like a long winding journey ahead, feel smaller and more attainable. And aside from helping me tackle the initial terrifying panics of starting a new business in an unchartered territory, his innate creativity and thirst for knowledge inspires me and propels my own creativity,

Website: https://www.studiokeeta.com

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Image Credits
Ye Rin Mok, Tim Hirschmann, Austin Leis