Kesha Franklin – destined, determined, artistic, passionate, and the principal designer and owner of Halden Interiors. Her hard work can be found in the homes of some very lucky individuals and she comfortably resides on the list of “Black Interior Designers You Should Follow.”And if you’re not already, start now!

Franklin has changed the direction of an industry that has not resembled her reflection. There is a plethora of sought-after Black interior designers who have established their rightful place in the design space, and Halden Interiors is respectfully among those ranks. Beyond business, family and a solid foundation in the home are also very important to Franklin. She is a proud mother of two adult children and loving wife to one of hip hop’s legendary super producers, DJ Clark Kent, who shares his business advice and acumen and is her biggest fan! Every family member in the Halden household possesses a natural creative talent which trickled down from her father’s love of art and design. It made an impression that has influenced generations.

To date, Franklin, a Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses alumna, has been named a “Rising Design Star” by NYC’s Decoration & Design Building. A “Designer to Watch” by the Black Interior Designer’s Network, and she was most recently recognized by Phaidon Publication as one of “The World’s Best Contemporary Interior Designers.”

She has also been featured by Elle Décor’s House Tour on NBC’s Open House NYC, in House Beautiful Magazine, the Business of Home and ARRAY Magazine, to name a few, and counts celebrities and high-profile athletes among her clientele.

Halden Interiors now has a new home in the lovely astute community of Montclair, NJ, where all the magic happens!

Briefly share your former thoroughfare in the fashion industry, and how everything came into fruition.

As a lover of fashion, I was very excited to have the opportunity to join “The Ground Crew” in 2006, which is a very well-known and iconic backstage operations crew founded by the legendary Audrey Smaltz. My former background in event planning groomed me for my role as a wardrobe stylist for some of the industry’s most well-established fashion brands. I had the pleasure of working behind the scenes with Donna Karan, Vera Wang, Lanvin, Michael Kors, and Oscar de le Renta, to name a few on the never-ending list. In addition, I was privileged to assume the role of backstage management on occasion. It was truly my forte, and where my expertise would shine through. I managed the highly anticipated Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show for four years, a highlight in my career. It is one thing to see those gorgeous wings and beautiful designs on television, but to have been up close and personal to experience the detail of those garments was just incredible! Working also with Jason Wu in his infancy as a designer and seeing how he has amalgamated both worlds of fashion and interiors has been quite extraordinary to witness. Having an appreciation for the art form of fashion has influenced what I do now and how I do it. If anyone knows me, they know I am well-tailored with a pretty great sense of fashion. Working backstage at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week helped me to hone my fine eye for detail and craftsmanship and overall appreciation for beauty in design –the complete way I approach life in general, a true capstone to my career path and journey through the years.

What was the defining moment for you in transitioning from fashion to interior design and launching Halden Interiors?

It was never really a transition. Working with The Ground Crew and Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week ended because my interior design business was taking off and I needed to focus on that. It wasn’t like I ended one thing to start another, it was just a journey I was on. I was always a creative and worked as an event producer, on the stage design for The Thurgood Marshall College Fund and The Jackie Robinson Foundation’s galas and formal affairs. Everything cross pollinated, from dressing models to creating amazing spaces and experiences, leading into what I do now is transforming spaces and impacting peoples’ lives through furnishings and design spaces that feed them.

In many ways, I feel I still possess the ability to do it all. I have not lost my touch, so if the opportunity presents itself, I am able to switch hats. Interior design was never a passion of mine. I had no idea it was even an industry I could be a part of. My father was an avid collector of GQ and Architectural Digest when I was growing up. He introduced design and fashion to me in a very simplistic, organic way and I credit him for my sensibility. My parents are from Belize, and growing up as an islander, you are expected to become a doctor, lawyer, or work in finance. Being a creative was not something that was pushed as a career, but I come from a household of artistic talent. My design business was birthed from a failed business venture. My husband is in the entertainment industry, and, in 2003, we had the opportunity to open a lounge space in downtown Brooklyn, when we first received word the Barclay Center would be coming to Brooklyn. We ventured out to start this business and three years in, we could not get it off the ground. It was a huge undertaking we were not prepared for, one that required a ton of work. From this project, I realized I executed some amazing interior design. A seed was planted. We wrapped up in 2006 and in 2009, Halden Interiors was created.

How do you cultivate your creative inspiration?

The main source of my inspiration comes from my clientele. I am really about the experience in everything that I do. That is always the goal and the approach. Who are you trying to create the experience for? It is important for me to get to know my clients and understand what their goals are. What are they expecting once they turn the key in the door? How do they want to translate hard work and dedication and commitment to their own individual careers and what their passions are? And how do we bottle that all up and express it in the home? Art and fashion will always be an inspiration for me. I can pull a color scheme together just by peeking into my clients’ closets. I need to know what they are attracted to and what they dislike. Inspiration comes from a multitude of things to create the story; it is important to have a multitude of options when trying to express what you want to convey. I love a modern aesthetic. If you look at the body of my work, you can tell there is a different story being told in every project I take on.

What section of your portfolio are you most proud of?

In 2012, the celebrity stylist Rachel Johnson of the Thomas Faison Agency, who has worked with the who’s who of athletes, introduced me to basketball great Amar’e Stoudemire. Amar’e is a client of hers, and also became my client and I designed his Tribeca penthouse. It was one of my first big celebrity client projects if you will. Moving forward, in 2015, Rachel reaches out again, and says, “I need you to get on a plane to California!” The client was Colin Kaepernick! There was the most amazing synergy in our connection. That project was my greatest to date because Colin allowed me to create! He has great taste and a very high level of sophistication! His appeal was elevated and refined, which excited me. We made magic in that project. I had no team or support. I am a New Yorker, and this was California! I was determined to show up and show out and seize this opportunity. I singlehandedly designed that entire 5,000-square foot home by myself, and I am immensely proud for that! My work was featured in the Elle Décor home tour and is still a huge high sign to my design portfolio. Colin loved it. He was very pleased with my aesthetic, and we have continued to collaborate on other projects. Beyond being my client, he has also become my dear friend.

Home interiors are like an extension of your personal wardrobe, would you concur that most well dressed, fashionable individuals, live in very curated well-designed homes and spaces?

No, I would not. It is because I know this to be true. There are a lot of clients whom I’ve encountered over the years who have impeccable personal style, drove the finest cars, owned the finest jewelry, but it did not match their lifestyle at home. I think a big part of this is education. We are bombarded by fashion daily, but interior design is a huge luxury market. Clothes are different as you have a guide. But with interiors, it is not so easily accessible and can be very intimidating. Being stylish in your wardrobe and how you dress is easier to accomplish than how to then translate that to your home if it is not a part of your sensibility.

How do you determine if a client is a good fit, and what are some of your deal breakers in that decision making process?

When you’re acquiring a client, it’s like dating. Everyone is on their best behavior with representative in tow, but very quickly, you realize in home interiors, it is a very intimate experience. It is very personal. I do not know if there is a such thing as an ideal client. But I do know the ideal client becomes the client who trusts you. They trust the process. Your interest is their best interest. It is important to me to transmit; that during the time I am here-, this is my house as well. It was a tactic my husband instilled in me, and it has worked ever since. I care about the process, and it helps me to push above and beyond. The ideal client for me is the one who truly wants Kesha and the Halden Interior experience. My interpretation and my art. I want you to want THAT!

What is next for Halden Interiors? Are there any special endeavors or forthcoming projects on your design bucket list?

I have been very intentional over the last couple of years in educating myself and speaking with associates about opening my own or designing a boutique hotel. That is my dream project! I have been working on Halden Home, an expansion to Halden Interiors. Halden Home is about product, with  my own line of home décor. The Halden Hotel would be the experience of that product line. I see this vision for myself and for my company, and I am extremely passionate about it. I want to push the experience of it all for everyone to appreciate. Currently, the only way you have the Halden experience is by hiring me. If I have my own hotel or design a luxury boutique hotel, then that experience abounds!

If you could describe yourself in one word, what would it be?

Grace.

IG: @haldeninteriors

Web: www.haldeninteriors.com