Patrick Killian brings the heritage of historic Palm Beach homes to life as he proves interior design can work in perfect harmony with preservation.
Interior designer Patrick Killian
After a few years of jetting from New York City to Palm Beach to work on a client’s landmarked Maurice Fatio Monterey-style house on the Everglades Club golf course, interior designer and preservationist Patrick Killian decided to make the island his new home. Since 2000, Killian’s designs have earned his projects’ prestigious preservation awards, while his expertise has been tapped for the Landmarks Preservation Commission and the Whitehall Society at Flagler Museum, and as former vice president of the board of trustees (now trustee emeritus) of the Irish Georgian Society. We recently caught up with this busy Palm Beacher to talk about his projects.
What’s your proudest contribution to Palm Beach?
I've had wonderful clients and projects, but I’m proudest of a custom-built house on the near North End that won the Schuler Award and a Mizner ‘castle’ that won the Ballinger Award, both from the Preservation Foundation of Palm Beach. There’s still so much to do!
Favorite Palm Beach dining spot?
Restaurant 44 Palm Beach at the Palm Beach Towers, and not just because I completely redesigned it last year. The food is fantastic.
What's your advice to someone looking to renovate or restore their home?
It’s critical that you listen to an old house. She—yes, most old houses do seem to be ladies—will always tell you what she wants, but you have to listen.
What’s next?
Restoring a very traditional house on Pendleton Avenue, which wanted a coral entry hall; more updates at the Palm Beach Towers, which is a midcentury gem; and additions to the Sailfish Club, which is coastal-casual. That sounds like a unusual mix of styles, doesn't it? Maybe that’s why I feel at home in Palm Beach. There is something here for everyone.
Photography by: Nick Mele
