At Home with Kate Brien

The theme of “home” comes up again and again in Kate Brien’s life. She works from home as a freelance fashion stylist. She was a costume designer on the 2017 motion picture “Home Again.” She and her husband, photographer David Kitz, designed their Mar Vista, California, bungalow, where they are raising their two sons, Sebastian, 3, and Felix, 6.

Home, you see, is where she finds balance between work and family. 

“I access my creative side through work and our home, but I also feel really proud of being able to have dinner with my kids every night and being really involved in their lives.”

Home is also the center of their family’s life celebrations, including birthdays, holidays, and the seasons. “I approach fashion, interiors, and even my life planning and hosting all in the same way. It’s very relaxed and laid back; there’s heart and thought, and it’s comfortable and easy and accessible,” she says. “We want our kids to feel like they can live in our home and not be afraid to touch things — and we want our guests to feel that way too.”

We spoke with Brien about what she’s looking forward to celebrating, with her family, at home, this fall.

What are you looking forward to about the fall?

I’m excited for fall fashion, to wear sweaters and pants. I’m ready to get cozy. There’s a yin and yang, fall and summer. I’m excited for that slower pace that fall brings; I’m always really ready to bring our family back together, spend more time in our house, be slower, have more of a routine. There are also a lot of beautiful holidays and traditions in the fall I always look forward to.

Which fall holiday do you celebrate as a family?

My kids are obsessed with Halloween. Here in LA it signifies the end of summer and beginning of fall.

What makes Halloween such a special time to connect?

My kids love it, and I love seeing that wonder and magic in my kids. They wait all year for Halloween; we talk about it for months and months, we work on the costumes together. It makes you feel like a kid again. 

What’s the best Halloween costume you’ve ever dressed in?

This past year, I was Elaine from “Seinfeld.” It was a big hit. I’m not that outgoing, but I really took on her personality. It was a fun night.

What’s your favorite Halloween memory?

When my son was 3, he wanted to be a cloud for Halloween. He came up with the idea and what he wanted it to look like. We made the costume together. I’m sort of crafty, or I want to be craftier than I am. We were so proud of how it turned out. It was like this real mom moment that I had always dreamt of, making my kids’ Halloween costumes.

What other special memories do you have around fall? What traditions do you like to do?

We love the local pumpkin patch. We like to go every weekend in October. My dad and their cousins meet us there. They have a hay maze there, and all different types of gourds and corn. Every time we go, our kids pick out one little pumpkin. Then we decorate our porch or dining table with them. It feels very small town considering we live in a big city.

What do you like to do around the house to celebrate the season?

Flowers are the number one thing that signify the change in seasons in our home. In terms of fall, it’s early bedtimes, lighting candles at dinner — things we don’t do in the summer when it’s light and bright out. We start to bring in these slower routines, but in terms of a visual, flowers are my thing.

What flower says “fall” to you?

My favorite fall flower is the black-eyed Susan.

What’s your go-to arrangement style?

I like arrangements that are one type of flower, one species. I like my floral arrangements to look a little more gathered than arranged, so I go with one type of flower in different areas, like a garden in the home.  

What is your family tradition for celebrating someone’s birthday?

For every birthday in our house, I make a magical birthday setup with balloons, a birthday sign, and gifts. We start the day by all coming together and listening to music, and then opening presents. Then that person gets a breakfast sweet treat of their choice, usually a donut with a candle in it, and then we spend the day together.

I’m into this magic of childhood, celebrations, holidays, and how special they are, so I like the “A-ha” moment of walking outside the room and seeing something special.

What are your tips for choosing a unique gift for the one blowing out the candle?

I try to be really personal with gifts. Of course, it’s different for a kid versus an adult. In general for adults, I like to get people things they wouldn’t get themselves, like a luxurious fancy body wash, something that feels special.

With kids, I really go for their interests. I don’t buy all 5-year-olds the same thing. First, I ask the parents and then I go on a treasure hunt for what is the most exciting thing that is unique or special they wouldn’t have thought of or seen before, like a vintage book.

What’s the best birthday party you can remember and why?

My 30th. I had a dinner party in my backyard with a bunch of other girls, maybe 20 of us. It felt really intimate and cozy having all girls and all my friends from different walks of life, laughing together. I did it all myself — I did get the food catered — but I served everyone. It felt really nice to be celebrated while also giving and hosting other people. 

Are you more modern or traditional when it comes to décor?

I would say modern but classic. More mid-century modern. When we were building our house, and with everything we purchased for our home, our number one question we asked ourselves was “Will we like this in 10 years and how will this age?” We didn’t want our house to look “of a time;” we wanted a more timeless look.

How do you and your husband keep the romance going? Any fall-specific ideas?

We love to go see movies. It’s really kind of childish and feels exciting, like we’re kids again. Just holding hands and going to the movies feels really romantic. We go out to dinner after with something to connect over that’s not our kids and not our jobs.  

Thanksgiving

First things first: planning. Any special tips for getting the ball rolling for the big day?

The way that I start is how I start any other celebration — a lot of lists, starting with what I want to cook, what I want it to look like, Pinterest pictures, or searching through Instagram, and thinking about flowers, honestly. The second stage is delegating. Start with a list of what you need to do, then see who can support you, or find people to do it with together. 

I’ve hosted a few times, and I’ve helped at a friend’s house, like this past year. It felt really balanced. It all came together, it wasn’t one person’s vision, there were no fights. That’s my tip: Do it with your friends.

Can you share some advice on setting up the space?

Weeks before I start looking at inspirational images. The day before, everything comes out, and the day of, I set the table. I like things to look casual; I don’t want it to be perfect looking. The joy of Thanksgiving for me is the messiness, not the perfection. 

What flower says “Thanksgiving” to you?

I’ve done dried flowers, fall-colored dahlias, and cosmos. Really, I just go to the farmers market and choose whatever looks beautiful.

What ways can you decorate the space to make it feel on theme with the occasion, beyond the table?

I love candles. They really set the mood in terms of the rest of the space. Candle holders and traditional candlesticks on the table, and maybe around the house I have more scented candles. We also decorate with gourds and dried corn and the things we get at the pumpkin patch.  

What do you serve for dessert?

I make pies. I wouldn’t call myself a pie maker, but I usually do make a pumpkin pie. I love pie, and my kids love pie. I try to make one pie at least every Thanksgiving. And yes, I make the crust.

I also like to make crumbles, like a berry crumble. It feels very fall and doesn’t take a lot of time.

What makes Thanksgiving such a special time to connect?

I think there is no better way to connect than over food. It’s the most comforting thing there could be, having everyone you love all together, eating food. Thanksgiving is very nostalgic; everyone has their own memories — whether good or bad — and we always have something to share.

Tell us about a Thanksgiving tradition in your family.

Going around the table and sharing what you are thankful for. Being open and vulnerable while eating food with people you love or people you just met is very formative, and connecting.

If you had to send a Thanksgiving gift, what would it be?

A beautiful floral arrangement or a dessert — something to make someone’s hosting day easier. Or something they can use, like beautiful candlesticks.

What’s the best thank you gift you could receive as a host?

This past year when my friend hosted Thanksgiving, someone brought their dish on a platter they were gifting to their host. I thought that was so smart.

Another great gift idea is to send someone to help clean up the next day. Or give a manicure or something to help the host relax after hosting.