Kelsey Coppetti on Creative Process, Partnership, and the Making of Studio Marrant

Kelsey Coppetti and Dustyn Ellis of Studio Marrant are a truly inspiring duo whose creative partnership seems to know no bounds. Whether they’re riding motorcycles side by side, building homes from the ground up, crafting their own ceramics, designing stunning landscapes, or even cultivating a vineyard in their backyard, they’re involved in it all. Their hands shape every aspect of their shared vision, reflecting a rare blend of artistry and craftsmanship.

I’m thrilled to share a conversation with my longtime friend Kelsey over tea, delving into the beginnings of Studio Marrant, their dreams, and what lies ahead. Kelsey has been a part of so many pivotal moments in our lives—whether standing as our wedding witness, celebrating the news of our first home at their own wedding, or riding motorcycles through the desert together. Witnessing their journey and the unfolding of their design practice has been endlessly inspiring. Always graceful and effortlessly stylish, Kelsey brings warmth and vision to everything they do, and I’m so delighted they agreed to this interview.

Let’s start from the beginning—When you were kids, what did you want to be when you grew up?

When I was young young I wanted to be a vet, but when I was teenage young, an editor in chief at a fashion magazine. And Dustyn a radio DJ by way of marine biologist, at a younger age.

How did you two meet and when did design enter the picture?

“We always made a conscious choice to be around it and to build design-focused projects on the weekends.”

We met on a motorcycle camping trip that our mutual friends had put together. Dustyn drove the chase van due to a motorcycle-induced injury and I rode my 1977 Honda CB, and we left the trip with a tentative first date. Design was always in the picture in so much as being part of the things we enjoyed and bought—antiques, old vehicles, fashion, where we spent our time and such. Dustyn was an art handler at the time, and I worked at a creative agency. We always made a conscious choice to be around it and to build design-focused projects on the weekends. Lots of DIY, landscaping communal outdoor areas of our apartments (bad investment), renovating a camper van, building bookshelves and tables; we always kept busy on projects. A couple years of doing that and I remember we were on a long walk and started talking about our love for hospitality and well-designed hotels and after walking by a vacant multi-tenant building, dreamt of making a boutique hotel together. We started researching zoning in LA that night. Maybe a dream a bit over our heads, but that talk planted the seed into working side by side in the design space.

At your wedding, a wonderful speech highlighted Dustyn’s early passion for craftsmanship and the strong partnership you two would build. Even as a child, his determination for perfection showed—he would even freeze his favorite jeans to maintain their shape, a true testament to his dedication to the art of great denim and design even back then. And in a recent conversation, you mentioned that design had been on your mind for years, even though the path to it wasn’t always clear. Looking back, was a career in design always a shared dream for you both, or did life take you there in unexpected ways?

Ha! The freezer denim... It speaks volumes to who he and we are—always making sure we do things with care and intention backed by way too much research (on Dustyn's part), even if it's the long way around. Yeah I'd say we both knew at a base level, that we'd find our day-to-day work needed to be creative or around a creative industry. Having a larger dream, and building that together evolved slowly as we got to know each other. But it was hard to know if what we started to imagine was to be something we'd actually be successful at, and we certainly didn't have a clear vision of how we'd get there. We looked towards Joshua Tree in 2018 as an opportunity to explore that. The financial stars all aligned, and I mean, the house we bought was wretched—it was the bottom of the barrel starting grounds—but it's what we could afford and was the perfect compromise for a financial risk taker (Dustyn) and a penny pincher (me).

“Having a larger dream, and building that together evolved slowly as we got to know each other. But it was hard to know if what we started to imagine was to be something we'd actually be successful at, and we certainly didn't have a clear vision of how we'd get there. “

Kelsey and Dustyn during the construction of their Orange Grove project.

What was the defining moment when you realized, "Yes, this is what we’re meant to do"?

For me, about mid-way through our renovation in Joshua Tree. I started an Instagram (now Studio Marrant IG) just sharing progress photos and cataloging the work we did on the weekends, and it started to become well-received. Some brands reached out in hopes for product placement, future guests wanted to know the date we'd go live, but I specifically remember the day Leanne Ford DM'ed me about wanting to stay at, what is now Arro Dunes, and it just felt like what we wanted to make and share was really working. But more importantly, the thing we didn't expect to discover there was how well we work together. And that became the true catalyst of confidence into doing this again, and making the next thing bigger.

“I specifically remember the day Leanne Ford DM'ed me about wanting to stay at, what is now Arro Dunes, and it just felt like what we wanted to make and share was really working.”

Do you each have specific roles in the studio, or is it more of a collaborative free-for-all?

Yes, big believer in roles here! I do all the design work, city logistics, procurement and money stuff. Dustyn manages the day-to-day and project management of the build on-site with his team and subs. All opinions are listened to and open for collaboration, but there's veto powers within our roles. Also not all our projects and clients are shared.

A bedroom designed by Studio Marrant for their Orange Grove project.

A Studio Marrant–designed bathroom from the Orange Grove project, accented by a vintage designer lamp above the tub.

Where do you find inspiration, both in your work and in daily life? Are there any recent discoveries—places, people, or experiences—that have sparked your creativity?

I find a lot of inspiration in archived design magazines or books, or pieces of antique furniture—most of my designs are in reference to antiques or spaces drenched in nostalgia. We often turn to Japanese and European craftsmanship for special custom details or ways in which we can think about hand-built things differently. We seek patina and age and, in that, hope that the things we create and build will find their own age through time. Also when we travel or even just out and about, my phone fills up quickly with photos of details or color palettes around me—sometimes it's wrought iron posts on a 20's era spanish apartment or the floor mosaic of our neighborhood dive—there's nothing like seeing design choices in action around you and I find they're often jumping off points to how I might incorporate a similar detail or do it differently.

A kitchen in Pasadena, Los Angeles designed by Studio Marrant

“Setting time for intentional stillness and calm at the start of our day, brings those intentions throughout it.”

Do you have any daily habits or rituals that keep you grounded, inspired, and motivated?

We are slow morning people. Dustyn has a whole coffee routine that certainly takes time and care. Setting time for intentional stillness and calm at the start of our day, brings those intentions throughout it. I also incorporate a 1-2 hour workout and walk or run routine every day; my phone goes on Do Not Disturb and I get a lot of clarity and focus during that time and other moments where I can be phone-less.

Kelsey in the kitchen of their Los Angeles home.

What’s the secret to making both a business and a marriage thrive in such a high-pressure creative industry?

“Our biggest aid is that we're highly and perhaps overly communicative on all fronts. Ironically, I'm not talking about sharing notes or calendars or project management apps—we just talk and share a lot of information together about our day, our future, our stresses or reliefs.”

I don't know! You said it—it's a beautiful chaos of collaboration. But I can tell you what works for us. I think our biggest aid is that we're highly and perhaps overly communicative on all fronts. Ironically, I'm not talking about sharing notes or calendars or project management apps—we just talk and share a lot of information together about our day, our future, our stresses or reliefs. I also have parents who ran a business together for 40 years and remain happily married; they are a huge backbone to my own ideas around creating a balanced life together. It's hard work (talking about the relationship here) and this type of work (talking about design/build here) can truly feel all-consuming, but it's beneficial for us to acknowledge that it will never not be a stressful industry so that we can stay vigilant on playing hard. We maintain weekly work-talk-free date nights, in which we usually talk about work, but it's a highlight of our week. We take turns planning them and doing whatever the other wants to do—mini golf, hitting baseballs, getting massages, running the Rose Bowl... And at a baseline, we make sure to get outside a lot—camping, dirtbiking, fishing. Also, couples therapy—highly recommend.

What advice would you give to artists, dreamers, or couples wanting to create something together?

Start somewhere, anywhere. Take the small, or maybe even free, job; meet with someone you follow on Instagram who inspires you (it weirdly feels natural), join random local groups on the internet and talk about your passions. The more you're in it, the more your name grows and starts traveling through the mouths of others. Try to put aside jealousy and pride and ownership and let people humble you and teach you and share in the experience together. Stay open and kind and ask questions. At a partnership level—talk to each other, share your dreams of all sizes, create weekly or monthly check-ins where you can be honest about what's helping and what's hurting.

“Start somewhere, anywhere. Take the small, or maybe even free, job; meet with someone you follow on Instagram who inspires you (it weirdly feels natural), join random local groups on the internet and talk about your passions.”

What’s the most valuable advice you’ve received whether in your career or in life?

That you're the best person to rely on. That's my dad talking, I'm a lot like him. And in a way have followed down a road he started paving, as an architect. We're fast movers, him and I. If anything got in his way, or he couldn't be met where he was at, he responded with "fuck 'em" and kept going. Not many words involved there, but I saw him continue on when others might not have followed. It gave me permission to set the pace I yearned for without being slowed; to be my own leader.

And finally, where do you see yourselves in the future? What do you want to be when you grow up?

I want my hands to continue to touch, build, create—I want to feel fulfilled yet still hungry for creativity, for learning, and that I've successfully and with great intentionality, put a mark somewhere on this earth even for just a small speck of time.

Explore more of Studio Marrant’s work on their website: https://www.studiomarrant.com.

Photography, Interview & Words by Basak Barrett