5 Under 40 2018 Award Winner Kelly Healy

Photograph by Joyelle West

Looking at interior designer Kelly Healy’s work, you may notice her thoughtful mix of pattern and texture, or how each space effortlessly balances feminine and masculine charms. Perhaps it’s the way she layers neutrals to feel fresh and appealing, rather than bland and boring. While each space is unique to her client’s needs, the common thread in Healy’s design work seems to be her ability to create simple yet intentional spaces that are true reflections of the people who live there.

Healy says she has little interest in choosing furniture or designing millwork because it’s pretty or on-trend; instead, she’s driven to craft rooms that are meaningful and thoughtful, that tell a story and evoke a feeling. “I’m passionate about creating a space that makes people feel like themselves, and feel like they can be happy in their own skin in an environment that is inspiring to them.”

Photograph by Bruce Rogovin

Healy arrived in the interior design world indirectly, having worked on the business side of the fashion industry in Manhattan before choosing to harness her creativity in a more expressive way. She worked for Katie Lydon Interiors in New York City and later graduated from Parsons. Eventually she moved to New England, and today is the founder and principal designer at her Ipswich, Massachusetts-based firm, Belhaakon.

Healy looks for inspiration in fashion, editorial photography, furniture, lighting, and the natural world around her—but also in her fellow creatives. “I love a collaborative project,” she says. “My favorite thing is working alongside an architect or the contractors on-site and bouncing ideas off each other. It creates a really harmonious project in the end, because you have multiple brains working off the same vision.”

New England Home’s 5 Under 40 awards celebrate our region’s finest emerging talent in residential design. The honorees—all of whom are under the age of forty—were nominated by their peers and then selected by a committee of local design leaders.

The 2018 celebration will take place September 13 at Landry & Arcari Rugs and Carpeting’s Boston showroom. The event is open to the public, please join us by purchasing your tickets here.