Kara Mann’s Jackson Hole Boutique Brings Her Collecting Eye Into Focus
The newly opened design shop gathers a richly curated trove of antiques, artisan-made furnishings, and one-of-a-kind finds that have long elevated her craft-driven interiors
After two decades of designing sumptuous residences and hotels infused with a subversive rock ‘n’ roll edge, Kara Mann found herself craving an alternative creative outlet. “I’ve always collected objects, antiques, art, and pieces from artisans whose work I admire,” says the self-described “punk-rock classicist,” whose firm is headquartered in Chicago with designers in New York and Los Angeles. “Over the years, that instinct became a larger part of my design process.” Opening a permanent design shop, she reasoned, could give those interests a dedicated home alongside her growing practice while sharing a more personal expression of her design perspective.
The question was where. Jackson Hole, the affluent enclave tucked beneath the jagged peaks of Wyoming’s Teton Range, had long captivated her. “It has been one of my favorite places for years,” Mann explains. “There’s a sense of authenticity and restraint there that I find incredibly inspiring.” Beyond the sagebrush-covered plains, soaring granite summits, and elk grazing across open meadows, she found a particular kinship with the region’s tight-knit community drawn to craftsmanship and the outdoors. Residents and seasonal visitors alike flock to the valley for world-class skiing, fly-fishing, and an increasingly vibrant arts scene. “People there are deeply connected to craft, nature, and quality of life in a way that feels increasingly rare,” she says.
The destination proved an ideal setting for Kara Mann The Shop, her newly opened boutique stocked with the antiques, handcrafted furnishings, and collectible objects that frequently weave their way into her fashionable interiors. Located in a corner storefront on Jackson Hole’s Westbank, it channels the friendly character of a beloved local mercantile but through Mann’s unmistakable lens. Wood floors, chalky limewashed walls, sheer drapery, and the soft glow of Isamu Noguchi paper lanterns all conjure a warm backdrop for an array of vintage European oak tables, hand-carved wooden pieces, ceramics, woven baskets, and unique works by artisans she has long admired.
Throughout the boutique, Mann juxtaposes a rich range of materials, styles, and eras. Birch bark candelabras by Finnish jewelry house Kalevala Koru stand beside a pitch-black heirloom throw woven by ascendant Paris-based textile designer Grace Atkinson, while nearby vintage Brutalist-style floor lamps rise from stems fashioned from interlocking iron chain links. One particularly striking vignette pairs French oak dining chairs with woven rush seats and a cerused oak dining table, both dating to the 1940s. Handwoven baskets appear throughout alongside sheepskin rugs, ikebana bowls, and unexpected finds such as pinecone-shaped table lamps, a pair of antique Native American snowshoes, and stained oak and glazed ceramic console tables by French craftsman Dominique Pouchain.
The wide-ranging assortment is a handsome reflection of Mann’s passionate affinity for artisan-crafted objects, especially ones bearing the imprint of their makers. “I gravitate toward natural materials, handwork, and objects that reveal the maker’s hand,” she says. “I love antiques because they bring a sense of history, but I’m equally interested in contemporary pieces that feel timeless instead of trend-driven. The common thread is integrity. I’m looking for objects that feel honest and enduring.”
Mann views the venture as a natural extension of her studio, one that offers a direct introduction to the sui generis perspective behind her stylish residences and hotels. “The Shop reflects the same values as our projects: thoughtful curation, strong materiality, and a sense of permanence,” says the designer, who will also maintain a working studio in the space’s rear rooms, giving her a place to develop new products and pursue collaborations with the region’s rich community of artists and makers.
The storefront represents a departure from Mann’s original plans for a larger office. After taking on a second-floor studio, she realized the arrangement lacked the sense of connection she sought. “I knew immediately that combining a studio and retail was the right opportunity,” she continues. “Retail meant an open door, a chance to share those discoveries, and a real way to become part of the community.” She ultimately views the boutique as an extension of the creative instincts that have long informed her interiors: “I want it to feel less like a store and more like an evolving reflection of everything that inspires us.”