Portrait by Christiaan Blok

Karen Rapp Turns Her Clients’ Wishes Into Thoroughly Delightful Homes

Raised in Salt Lake City, Karen Rapp was thinking about interiors of homes long before she ever thought of making a career of it.

As a little girl, she would draw imaginative floor plans on her parents’ driveway. “I also used to build little pieces of furniture out of twigs and leaves and leave them under our lilac hedge,” she adds merrily. “I thought little fairies lived in the bushes.”

Today a resident of Phoenix, this Master of the Southwest still has magical visions, only now they are given reality in remarkably put-together new and remodeled homes, say clients and peers. All speak of Rapp’s talent, keen attention to detail, and warmth.

Photography by Werner Segarra Once Ranch style, this remodeled Paradise Valley home took on a French sensibility with the guidance of interior designer Karen Rapp, who blended old, new and found elements for a collected look. In the main salon, which is punctuated with antiques, plastered ceiling beams are anchored with corbels. Seating is casual and comfortable. Hardwood flooring is hand-hewn walnut. The fireplace is of antique French limestone.

One client, Susan Taylor, says of her experience with the designer: “In her egoless way, Karen listens to your vision, your needs, then pulls it together, from furniture to fabrics to light fixtures, and the result is an authentic and unified look that is strictly yours and appears effortless in how it comes together. Nothing is contrived.”

Rapp, a member of the American Society of Interior Designers, comments, “I do my best work when a client is involved.” And turning aside any notion that she might have a signature look, she states, “The only signature apparent is my client’s.” This fact is evident to architects Don Ziebell and Cathy Hayes, who consider it one of Rapp’s special gifts. “She approaches each project on its own and strives to make each a unique reflection of the clients and their lifestyle,” Ziebell remarks. Notes Hayes, “Karen creates rich, dynamic interior designs that are truly specific to each client, exceeding their expectations while respecting their vision and their budgets.