Not many people can claim to be an illusionist, but Kelly Lockwood Padgett can.

For the past four years, Padgett has produced possibilities from the seemingly impossible with her Richmond-based creative design and custom fabrication studio, Wood & Locks. A small vintage camper? Voilá — now a bustling mobile coffee shop. A living room couch? Within a snap of a finger it transforms into a bed.

“It’s important being flexible and creative, thinking outside of the box,” Padgett says. “I’ll always make it work, I’m a creative problem solver.”

Padgett specializes in smaller and experience-focused spaces, like Airstreams, tiny homes and accessory dwelling units (ADUs); crafting escapes that aren’t only functional but add to the enjoyment of life. This designer has created everything from a retro Jetsons-inspired Airstream that was on display at Burning Man to a private family multifunctional meditation studio.

But while “tiny,” these jobs are deceivingly intricate. It’s why Padgett requires a “North Star” to guide each one which is three non-negotiables, like a must-have color scheme or light fixture, that keep the project in check.

“Everything else is nice to have, but you have to stay true to these spaces most [which are] tight,” she says.

One client in California wanted to modify an Airstream into a traveling summer home for her and her three daughters. The North Star? There needed to be enough sleeping space for four women, that it was eco-friendly and hypoallergenic, and as elegant and elevated as possible.

“It ended up having a cobalt stove, brass fixtures, integrated solar panels and hypoallergenic materials,” says Padgett. “[There was] natural light and some of the most lounge space in an Airstream…it slept eight people pretty comfortably. It was just really gorgeous and one of my favorite projects.”

Everything from photo-realistic renders to mood boards are utilized ensuring the design fits one’s vision. Padgett also collaborates with lighting and wallpaper artisans, metalworkers, carpenters and engineers whose talents combine to help bring these dreams alive.

But while each aesthetic is based on a client’s unique personality and needs, there’s usually one noticeable Wood & Locks trademark.

“There’s typically some sort of customization,” says Padgett. “It could be a pop-up bar in a sideboard or a drop-down desk that’s also a cupboard on a wall to provide more space and functionality.”

A love of small spaces

Padgett’s passion for the creative world sparked in childhood. Born in Norfolk, her father was a Navy surgeon resulting in several family moves. During these relocations, she discovered a love of designing and interacting with small spaces. After returning to Virginia in 2001, she continued exploring the world, eventually living in Spain and Italy for a time – something that heightened this interest even more.

It was while in Europe sharing apartments with others that Padgett truly realized the importance of space and how much we often take it for granted.

“It really [made me] appreciate space and how inherently to become more modular, more nimble with how to find space,” she says.

This life-long wanderlust has also been one of the biggest influences in Padgett’s design approach.

“[It’s] understanding that everyone has a story and you take these different locations, colors and visual aesthetics and reapply them into an interior space,” she says. “Everything from international cuisines to different architecture and landscapes – it’s really incredible to bring that back and share with clients.”

Padgett returned to Richmond in 2014 soon attending graduate school at VCU’s Brandcenter and continuing work in experiential advertising, a decade-long career that helped set the stage for Wood & Locks.

“Brands would hire me through an agency to solve a problem whether that was product launches or big festivals — it was all built around strategy and how consumers live and interact within that space,” she says. “[I use] that same strategy, the golden thread of storytelling, into Wood & Locks.”

Amazon’s banana stand

Her business debuted in 2021 and has completed around 40 projects so far, including some as far away as Bolivia and many regionally, like B-Side Bakehouse, Ellie Burke Life Coach Meditation Studio and Brambly Park’s wine-tasting bar.

She’s also assisted corporate brands, like Amazon, for whom she designed the “Banana Stand.” Created in 2023, the renovated 1947 Ford mail delivery box car is displayed at Amazon’s Arlington headquarters serving free bananas to the community.

One of Padgett’s latest focuses has been producing a sustainable modular furniture line alongside local carpenter Leah McNamara.

“With custom furniture I’m trying to do things that aren’t cookie-cutter,” she says. While still in the prototyping phase, some soon-to-be launched include a fold-down wall desk with built-in storage and a piece that acts as a side table, seat and storage.

“I recently finished a rental property in Church Hill and am testing [the furniture] out there and how people react to it,” says Padgett.

But apart from designing immersive havens and defying the status quo, Padgett hopes her work could also help make a difference.

She adds that right now she wants to get more involved with affordable housing and how tiny homes and highly functional spaces could help combat the housing crisis, she says.

“Whether it’s people experiencing homelessness or students coming out of school into the workforce and can’t afford anything… how can my expertise be utilized?” she asks. “As corny as it is, leaving a place better than I found it.”

Photo credit: Lindsay Kagalis