Words by Laura Spencer | Photos by Aaron Leimkuehler
Designer Kelee Katillac blends history and pop culture —and references two historic Missouri properties—in new award-winning tome.
ansas City-based interior and architectural designers Kelee Katillac and Steve Heiffus relocated their company, Heartland Historic Homes, to the tiny town of Arrow Rock, Missouri, in 2015.
At first, Katillac thought the move would provide a bit of a break for the busy husband-and-wife team. But then, she says, almost immediately after moving in, they took on the 19th-century Henry Blosser House, located a few towns over in Malta Bend.
The property was in a state of decay—so decayed, in fact, that it earned former Missouri Governor Jay Nixon’s 2014 designation as the most endangered historic house in the state. Looking back, Katillac describes it as “a gigantic, 360-degree project.”
For instance, its architectural features—from fireplaces to moldings to doors—had been completely stripped away or vandalized.
“And I could tell it was going to be the challenge of a lifetime,” she says.
Katillac’s latest book Historic Style: Honoring the Past with Design for Today, co-authored by writer Jorge Arango, is a colorful coffee table book that explores 40 rooms in private homes and public places across the nation. It includes several great American house-museums, such as Mount Vernon, Montpelier and—of course—the Henry Blosser House. In 2024, it was named the “Coffee Table Book of the Year” by Independent Publisher Magazine, earning the book a prestigious Gold Medal at the IPPY Awards.
“So with humor and tongue in cheek, we are pulsing back and forth between the old and the new,” Katillac says, elaborating on her approach, “the truly good and historical period pieces, and those which are our modern reinterpretations.”
The book highlights some of Katillac’s work recoloring bygone period patterns from Adelphi Paper Hangings, the world’s leading archive of historical wallpapers. It also provides insight into her creative process with design diaries featuring playlists by famous artists such as Alanis Morissette and Kendrick Lamar.
“Music has always been a major influence, as well as pop culture, in terms of literature, movies and art,” she explains. “When we surround ourselves with the influences that we find aspirational or inspirational, it helps our lives to be more complete.”
Katillac says their firm works on projects ranging from restorations of buildings up to 300 years old to brand-new construction. With a new build, she says, “It’s a blank canvas; we can either sink or swim in our vision.” In contrast, restoring a historic property—especially one on the National Register of Historic Places like the Henry Blosser House—comes with restrictions.
“We specialize in making these legacy projects for our clients a lot of fun,” Katillac says. “We take the headache out of the historic tax credits work and process, the redevelopment of the property, and so on down to the last sheet of wallpaper and detail for a project.”
Interior Designer: Kelee Katillac, @keleekatillachistoricstyle
Book: Historic Style, historicstyle.com
Wallpaper: Adelphi Paper Hangings, adelphipaperhangings.com
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