In Jackson Hole, Kara Mann Lets the Landscape Lead
people • designers
In Jackson Hole, Kara Mann has opened The Shop, the first physical expression of the KARA MANN world. Bringing together antique and vintage furniture, handcrafted objects and the studio’s design practice, the space reflects Mann’s longstanding attraction to materiality, imperfection and pieces with a past.
For a designer whose interiors are defined by a collected, instinctive ease, Jackson Hole offers a fitting new landscape. Designeers spoke with Mann about the influences that shaped her eye, her connection to Wyoming, and what it means to translate a design philosophy into a space of its own.
Words: designeers
september 2026
WEBSITE: karamann.com
INSTAGRAM: @karamanndesign
DESIGNEERS
Kara, you grew up just outside Chicago in a late-1800s Arts & Crafts home, surrounded by art, music and a family who loved antiquing. How much of that world still lives in the way you design today?
KARA MANN
It really laid the foundation for how I see the world. Growing up in a family who appreciated the arts and the beauty in old things naturally shaped my perspective. I fell in love with antiquing at an early age, and over the years I’ve continued to refine and evolve my own point of view. My mom had an innate sense of design and an incredible eye, which definitely influenced me. I’m grateful to have grown up in a home where beauty and function existed together so effortlessly.
DESIGNEERS
You studied fine art and ceramics at Tulane in New Orleans before finding your way into interiors. What did making things with your hands teach you about design?
KARA MANN
It made me appreciate the time it takes for something to be made with care. Working with clay taught me to pay attention to material, texture, proportion and the small imperfections that make something feel human and special. I think that appreciation has stayed with me in how I approach interiors. I’m drawn to things that show the hand of the maker and feel considered, rather than overly perfect.
DESIGNEERS
You’ve always had an entrepreneurial side alongside your creative practice. Where does that instinct come from?
KARA MANN
I’ve always had a curiosity to try new things and see where they might lead. Work energises me, and that instinct has just always been in me. Design has been the constant through all of it; it’s never left.
DESIGNEERS
You’ve brought your design world to Jackson Hole, a place with a very different landscape, pace and way of living from Chicago. What was it about the region that made it feel like the right home for The Shop?
KARA MANN
I’ve always loved Jackson for the landscape, the pace, the nature, the sense of calm. It felt like the right place to create something that reflects both the KARA MANN point of view and the relaxed, lived-in sensibility of Jackson Hole.
I think design should always be attuned to where you are. The Shop is rooted in its surroundings, with pieces and materials that feel right for the landscape and the way people live here, while still carrying the perspective of the studio. It’s really about finding that balance.
“The landscape is so vast and humbling that the homes need to respect it rather than compete with it.”
KARA MANN
DESIGNEERS
The Shop brings together vintage and antique furniture, art, handmade objects and one-of-a-kind pieces, curated to feel more like an evolving home than a traditional space. What did you want people to experience when they walk in?
KARA MANN
Whether it’s a client coming in for a meeting or someone’s first time in The Shop, I want people to feel curious. To take their time, look a little closer and find something they didn’t expect to find. The collection will continue to evolve, so each visit will feel a little different.
To make The Shop feel like you’re walking into a home rather than a traditional retail space, I mixed vintage, antique, handmade and one-of-a-kind pieces. Nothing is meant to feel overly styled or precious.
DESIGNEERS
As you begin working with clients in Jackson Hole, what are you curious to discover about the way they live and what they want from their homes?
KARA MANN
From the clients we’ve worked with in Jackson Hole, we’ve learned that people really want to embrace a slower way of life, and they want their homes to reflect that. The landscape is so vast and humbling that the homes need to respect it rather than compete with it. Things don’t need to be flashy or loud to make an impact.
I always want to keep exploring how the landscape, the pace of life, and the incredible craftsmanship and artistry of the region can shape a home in a way that feels authentic to Jackson.
DESIGNEERS
What is your favourite hotel in the world, and what do you love about its design?
KARA MANN
The Chelsea Hotel. Knowing that I had a hand in its evolution will forever be one of the more meaningful moments in my career.
I also love the Amangiri. The place is breathtaking. So refined, so elegant, so impactful. Plus, my mom and I stayed there right before I had my daughter, which makes it a very special place for me personally.
DESIGNEeRS
You’ve said that you often look to fashion when developing a space, even once building a room around Alexander McQueen gowns. Who is your design hero?
KARA MANN
Too many to pick just one: Phoebe Philo, Hedi Slimane, Virgil Abloh, Haider Ackermann and Vivienne Westwood.
DESIGNEeRS
You’ve said that family meals were a big part of your childhood. If you were hosting a dinner party, who would be seated around the table?
KARA MANN
Dolly Parton, Rihanna, ASAP Rocky, Michelle Lamy, Elsa Peretti, Prince, and I hope Ina Garten helps me cook.
There is a certain consistency to Mann’s world, even as the scenery changes: an attraction to things with history, to the evidence of the hand, and to rooms that feel assembled over time rather than resolved all at once. In Jackson Hole, those instincts find a particularly natural setting. The Shop may mark a new chapter for KARA MANN, but its premise feels familiar, look closely, remain curious, and leave enough room for the unexpected.
photography credits: William Jess Laird
