Biography

I had the good fortune of growing up in a small, Canadian prairie town, where I was able to wander on my own and investigate with great curiosity every feature of the local environment. With my girlfriend Ginny, I visited the "nuisance ground," what would be known today as the salvage or recycling depot, and drove around the countryside in her father’s pick-up truck, exploring abandoned farmhouses and observing all the shades of the architectural landscape and character. Through town activities and social gatherings, I saw the interiors of homes, boarding houses, churches, and public buildings. I became enthralled with imagining the histories lived in both these private and public places.

It was my mother’s passion for clothes that brought me to study the latest Vogue pattern books, and I came to love fashion. People dressed up for every social event. Alas, I was too young to ever attend the now long-defunct trousseau tea. My maternal British family also engendered my fascination with cultural history; I loved to read about royalty, high society, castles, and manor homes. I was captivated by my father's stories of living in an ancient manor estate during the Second World War, far away in every sense from my prairie home.

A turning point of my young life occurred when the movie Pillow Talk, starring Doris Day and Rock Hudson, arrived at our town theatre. My mother confirmed with Miss Third, the theatre’s manager, that the movie was not too risqué for me to attend. Pillow Talk portrayed a confident, independent, upbeat career girl in a New York setting. I was smitten. Her stylish apartment, clothes, and profession as an interior designer became my inspiration.

A further influence was Jacqueline Kennedy. Ginny and I were glued to the television when Mrs. Kennedy gave a tour of the White House restoration. We were sure one of the antiques in Ginny's family’s grand farmhouse was just like the one in the White House. I now set my sights on a career in the interior design of historic buildings.

I first pursued a degree in design and textiles, which allowed me to teach interior decoration and art. Meeting several prominent Canadian designers encouraged me to return to university to study the restoration field of interior design. All of my professors had studied and worked in New York and proved a wealth of knowledge and experience.

I am very blessed to have a career that has been well beyond my childhood dreams. I have spent over twenty-five years in the design and restoration of historic buildings and have had the honour of designing guest suites and public spaces for recent official visits of kings, queens, and heads of state. I am grateful to current and past staff/collaborators as well as the many colleagues at Canadian Pacific Hotels and Fairmont Hotels and Resorts for their support and kindness throughout the years. My design experience also includes many fine residential homes and unique ventures such as luxury coach houses and private railway cars. I look forward to future projects where I again work in partnership with my clients.

The gallery of my artwork features a sampling of my recent mixed media painting. These works usually begin with my becoming intrigued by a subject and following an idea that has enough of a story to develop into a series. I can’t help but be consumed by the research into this other world. This approach blends my interest in historical accuracy with my design aesthetics as I recreate my subject within a narrative structure. The timeline for the artwork might span a century or a decade, but the piece always carries a nod to the style and ambiance of the era that informs it.

I hope you enjoy the photo galleries of my interior design and artwork.

Kerry Busby Interior Design is based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

Regards,

Kerry

Historic photographs appear courtesy of Glenbow Archives, Alberta Archives and National Archives of Canada;

Hotel photographs appear courtesy of Fairmont Hotels and Resorts as well as Kerry Busby Interior Design Ltd.

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