Dear Valentine x Logan Killen Interiors

If Dear Valentine is a love letter to design and travel, that love rests on an adoration for, and collaboration with, our design partners — Logan Killen Interiors, or LKI.

LKI brings an inspired, approachable ease to the distinctive hospitality experience of a Dear Valentine property. The warmth of a time-worn patina. Unexpected color pairings and pattern mixing. Textural layering. LKI’s design aesthetic is thoughtful, intuitive, and carefully crafted to tell the story of the place, the people, and the building.

WHO IS LKI?

Founded in 2012 by long time friends, Katie Logan Leblanc and Jensen Killen, LKI specializes in easy, approachable, inspiring spaces that incite multisensory experiences. The two enjoy the artistry of working in a variety of styles, but instinctively want the same sense of calm and creativity in a space. "It's always important that a space feels approachable, like it was created over time and has loads of patina. We feel more relaxed in spaces that feel a little worn and collected over time, so you will always see a mix of furnishing styles."

Jensen and Katie also own and operate Sunday Shop, an interiors and lifestyle boutique on Magazine Street in New Orleans’ Lower Garden District, which houses their unique vintage finds and growing custom furniture collection. Among the community and the design world alike, the shop is revered as a local gem and an enduring source of artistry and expertise.

THE EARLY YEARS

The duo began working together as friends during their college years, and from their early days of collaboration were able to, as they put it, “finish each other's sentences, in the design sense.” Their initial collaboration began with designing each other’s apartments, creating merchandise vignettes at a boutique where they both worked, and vintage shopping. Eventually, they began sourcing vintage pieces for residential projects, which led to LKI’s official start in 2012.

Of their early beginnings, Katie explains, “We instinctively want the same sense of calm and creativity in a space. It’s like we're editing in real time to reach a common vision, and that creative dynamic has always been there, so there was a comfort and a trust going into a partnership together. From a process and business perspective, we really complement each other.”

ON JOINING DEAR VALENTINE

The decision to join Dear Valentine as design partners was an easy one for LKI to make. "The opportunity to collaborate with a team committed to beautifully restoring historic buildings that are both respected in their original context and given new life is one we would not want to pass up." DV also provided the duo with the freedom to create one-of-a-kind hospitality spaces that possess a unique and holistic vision that touch every last detail. In Dear Valentine homes, "you get to experience both luxury and locality, highest-quality craftsmanship, and in this case, the easy living New Orleans lifestyle."

In their own words, LKI feels that “in Dear Valentine homes, you get to experience an incredible mix of luxury and locality, highest-quality craftsmanship and, in this case, the easy living New Orleans lifestyle, with these beautiful historical buildings that are both respected in their original context and given a new life. And you get to do this while being immersed in the environment—you’re actually living there! Dear Valentine spaces reach a level of intimacy and uniqueness in the hospitality world that just isn’t possible otherwise, and which can truly impact the way we live.” The duo hopes that a Dear Valentine guest walks away from their stay feeling “relaxed, inspired, and free to live life a little bit differently from your daily routine.”

SELECTING BRAND PARTNERS 

When selecting brand partners and local artisans to furnish and elevate the interiors of Dear Valentine properties, LKI looks to a combination of quality, conscientiousness, and a unique point of view. "We tend to lean more classic for architectural elements, like tile, stone, and installed fixtures, so that these elements feel architecturally appropriate and timeless. We then bring in furnishings and objects that span a wider range, providing a little creative tension and context — layering time, if you will.”

Renovating and restoring two historical properties in collaboration with Dear Valentine has been, at times, challenging, yet for LKI, this is just another reason why they are proud design partners. “It is amazing that Dear Valentine is so committed to historic properties,” Katie and Jensen reflect.

WHY SHOULD YOU VISIT? 

One of LKI’s favorite aspects of traveling is being able to try on different ways of living, and DV properties offer a unique opportunity for guests to do this on a very intimate level. Guests get to experience a variety of quality brands in a relaxed and inspiring environment. LKI hopes that a Dear Valentine guest walks away from their stay feeling relaxed, inspired, and free to live life a little bit differently from their daily routine. "If someone walks away with fresh ideas on reinventing their lives, amazing, but even being inspired to rearrange a utensil drawer would be a win."

AND WHILE YOU’RE HERE…

On your visit to New Orleans, be sure to check out some of LKI’s favorite spots in the city: N7 and Brennan’s for two quintessential dining experiences, City Park to soak up some art, outdoors-- and of course, beignets, and Hotel Peter and Paul for a luxurious sensory feast that is sure to inspire design lovers. For the perfect New Orleans day, the duo recommends a streetcar ride down St. Charles, followed by a slow stroll through the French Quarter.

Learn more about LKI and their projects here.