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Drapery Drama

May 09, 2022 | Posted in How To & Decorating Tips |

There are a million-and-one ways to dress and cover your windows. Wooden louvers, venetian blinds, roman shades, cellular shades, plantation shutters, curtains – the list goes on! With all of these options, one of my favorite ways to style windows is with draperies, a classic, enduring choice. Read on for my top tips!

Luxurious Layers

Living room with peachy walls, blue-grey ceiling, fireplace at the left with art above it and bookcase to the side, a periwinkle sofa with dark blue piping, 2 large pillows in lime green, and 2 large pillows in a blue, yellow, and white, floral with dark blue edging. Two lime green chairs are just out of view at the forefront, while in the rear, stacked and gathered gold spotted draperies flank a wall of 5 windows with wood edges and translucent blinds that fold up. A gold table lamp sits upon a side table, and a coffee table is dressed with books and flowers in the center.

In high-end projects, attention to detail is paramount. This one is an inspiring example because the homeowner was willing to spend time creating something he really loves.

Periwinkle sofa with dark blue piping, 2 large pillows in lime green, and 2 in a blue, yellow, purple, and white floral with dark blue edging. Stacked and gathered gold spotted draperies draw your attention to the dark wood window, with translucent blinds that fold up. A gold table lamp sits upon a side table, dressed with a blue vase of greenery and an artistic sculpture in yellow.
Design by Kimball Starr / Photo by Eric Rorer

To balance the straight architecture of the room and the amount of wood on view, stationary side draperies are stacked in sage green outdoor fabric to prevent sun-fade over time, while accent trim stands out from the face edging, a luxury detail. The sage green fabric tones with the exterior color of the house for additional curb appeal.

Close-up of a dark wood-edged window and stacked and gathered gold spotted drapes, showing edging in a moss green check, repeated as a tieback with repeating tassels in a lighter green. The natural grass blinds underneath have a textural quality, while a fabric liner at the back keeps light from spilling around, creating a soft light.
Design by Kimball Starr / Photo by Eric Rorer

Replacing the old wood shutters with woven natural grass Roman shades meant we could add a fabric liner in the back: Pull down for privacy, or up to allow a lovely filtered light through the natural grass. A beautiful and useful result.

Techno Style

Looking from the second floor down over the ground floor in a colorful condo. Orangey-yellow full height textured draperies are stacked at the sides of the window, while a slightly transparent roller shade comes down just to the top of the transom and door underneath. A large curved tan sofa with a chaise long on the right wraps around a circular coffee table in yellow, in front of a TV, with a corner fireplace to the side. A yellow and brown paisley patterned rug defines the space, while glass pendant lights and bronze teardrops help bring the height down.
Design by Kimball Starr / Photo by Joe Fletcher

For this San Francisco loft created to remind you of a Moroccan bazaar with a midcentury element, because of the height of the space, the best solution is remote roller shades with automated floor-to-ceiling draperies.

Colorful condo viewed from the ground floor. Orangey-yellow full height textured draperies are stacked at the sides of the window, while a slightly transparent roller shade comes down just to the top of the transom and door underneath, showing a large potted plant outside. A large curved tan sofa with a chaise long on the right, stuffed with a riot of colorful pillows in different sizes and shapes, wraps around a circular coffee table in yellow, with a corner fireplace in the back. A yellow and brown paisley patterned rug defines the space. A shiny red console table under the TV is dressed with a pair of red lanterns, and a large potted plant stand just to the side of the console table.
Design by Kimball Starr / Photo by Joe Fletcher

The weight of the draperies allows light to filter through, a sumptuous moving artwork created with patterns of sunlight that adds life to the selection of colors, patterns, and textures in the space.

Join me next time for part 2.

Kimball Starr designs beautiful window treatments for luxurious homes throughout the San Francisco Bay Area and Lake Tahoe. Contact her today for a remote or socially-distant in-person consultation.

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Flexible Spaces

Apr 18, 2022 | Posted in How To & Decorating Tips |

This year’s Houzz Home Survey reveals that homeowners want design options offering more flexibility within the existing footprint of their homes.

Searches for TV armoires with pocket doors, queen Murphy beds, and nesting side tables have increased on Houzz, all of which create dual-use rooms by creatively hiding when not in use. Swivel accent chairs create flexible definitions between rooms, while custom cabinetry offers multiple uses. Clever storage and guest bed solutions for dual-use rooms are all increasing dramatically in demand.

Here are a few from my own portfolio that are very successful solutions. I hope these give you ideas for your own spaces!

4 images of a home office with a convertible bed hidden behind custom cabinetry, with the bed up and desk closed, desk down, bed partially down, and bed fully down and dressed for a guest.
Design by Kimball Starr / Photo by Paul Dyer

Custom cabinetry conceals a bed AND a desk in this smart combo I designed for a couple who own a condo in San Francisco.

A wall of white custom cabinetry accented with a pop of yellow and red conceals media, books, and office supplies, while displaying vases and collectibles. In the foreground, a dining table and chairs, dressed with fresh yellow flowers, and a modern glass ball chandelier.
Design by Kimball Starr / Photo by Paul Dyer

In the same condo, custom cabinetry hides away the mess to make a home office/living room/media space work in the same room alongside a dining table and chairs.

Metal circular staircase with silver railings is complemented by an orange-backed bookcase that twists around the stairs, and can be hidden by a moveable white wall.
Design by Kimball Starr / Photo by Joe Fletcher

In this San Francisco loft, a staircase doubles as bookshelf storage in dual-use design. The bookshelf slides to hide the storage away.

A convertible Murphy bed pulled down and dressed with bedlinens, ready for a guest. Translucent walls slide into a stack to reveal the guest bedroom, with built-in lighting over the bed.
Design by Kimball Starr / Photo by Joe Fletcher

Still at the SF loft, this guest bedroom transforms to additional living room seating with retractable light-transmitting walls. The transforming bed makes this possible – get this look only with custom cabinetry.

Kimball Starr designs homes throughout the San Francisco Bay Area and Lake Tahoe, specializing in flexible spaces. Contact her today for a remote or socially-distant in-person consultation.

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Textures Transform Your Home

Apr 04, 2022 | Posted in Inspirations |

Have you ever seen one of those all white interior design spaces and wondered how they made it look so appealing? The key isn’t keeping it’s clean, it’s using a variety of textures! Read on for inspirational images of brilliantly-designed textural homes.

White painted subway tiles with a pair of plan windows set off the dramatic black soaking bathtub with brass fixtures, next to a real hewn tree as a side table, both sitting upon herringbone wood flooring in a variety of shades and colors, though tending towards the lighter end of the wood spectrum.
Photo courtesy HereDwelling

Herringbone wood floors, white imperfectly-painted subway bricks, glass chandelier, glazed ceramic tub with brass fixtures, combined with an unexpected wood stump side table show how disparate textures can work together luxuriously.

A beehive-shaped woven basket as a pendant light over a marble pedestal table on a sisal rug. Nearby is a plant-based woven sofa with 3 white embroidered pillows. In the fireplace behind, 2 large urns sit, while outside the fireplace is a plant frond in a clear vase.
Photo courtesy MyDomaine.com

Bright and light space. Love the rough, plant-based furniture, woven rug, the amazing basket-like pendant light, and the neutral colors, paired with marble and painted white walls, all of which are very popular right now.

A concrete floor is a solid base for a white pedestal dining table and 2 warm wood chairs with arms, in front of a faux-marble countertop and backsplash with a brass faucet, and light wood cabinetry. Finally, two white globe lamps hang from brass fixtures in the kitchen area.
Photo courtesy Alexandra Ribar

A smooth marble island and splash-back, slick wood chairs and cabinetry, architectural concrete, and round glass pendant lights all create movement and interest.

A pair of white fluffy stools with square brass legs, almost looking like an ostrich bent over, sit underneath a mottled console table holding Five pieces of white or black pottery. Two more black and white vases sit to the left, holding white cow-lily plants, in front of a window.
Photo courtesy LuxeDeco

Fluffy stools with brass components contrasted with the sleek console table and multiple vases and ceramics give a fun sense of glam.

Design by Kimball Starr / Photo by Eric Rorer

This dramatic city skyline view is complimented by the textural sensations from the faux fur rug, soft pillows and blankets, the smooth wood flooring and sleek blue vases filled with fresh flowers. I’d love to cozy up here and spend hours taking in the view, wouldn’t you?

Kimball Starr designs for textural, sensual homes throughout the San Francisco Bay Area and Lake Tahoe. Contact her today for a remote or socially-distant in-person consultation.

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Mudrooms

Mar 21, 2022 | Posted in Inspirations |

What’s the one thing you can put into a home that increases its financial value, frees up hours of time weekly, and makes your life easier, better, and happier? A mudroom! Here are some inspirational ideas.

A white marble-topped sink, dark blue subway tiled dog-washing station, white washer and dryer beyond that, and matching white chest of drawers on the right in an award-winning mudroom at the San Francisco Decorator Showcase. On the walls is a mural in blue and white.
Photo courtesy SF Decorator Showcase participant Dina Bandman Interiors

A mudroom with a pet-washing station next to the washer and dryer is a grand idea. This one was a winner at the San Francisco Decorator Showcase house.

Wood paneling on the walls and trim all painted in white, while the ceiling and tops of the walls are in a beige grey. 5 cubbies have hooks for coats and a place for bags. Underneath is a drawer for shoes. Baskets at the top, with white cabinetry above. A wooden platform just above the shoe drawers allows people to sit to put their shoes on. A black stable door is open at the half, while a pair of black lamp light fixtures hang above. A blue rug runner makes the black tiling feel warmer.
Photo courtesy Houzz user Hadley Court

This traditional mudroom entry with barn half-door allows for greetings while pulling boots off.

A wooden paneled wall with a long bench seat and spaces for tucking shoes away underneath sits atop a quatrefoil patterned tiled flooring in shades of blue. A bicycle whose basket is filled with flowers rests in front of the door, which has hazy light spilling in. Hooks on the wooden paneling for coats, hats, and scarves with a shelf above and baskets for capturing personal items.
Photo courtesy shelterness.com

Fancy tiling distracts from the dirt brought in on adorable tiny wellies in this mudroom.

Beige-grey herringbone wood floors underneath dark cabinetry featuring a brass metal grill-fronted 2-door dog crate, next to 4 cubbies for shoes, 4 tall spaces for coats, hats, and scarves with hooks, and brass handles.
Photo courtesy Murphy & Co.

Love this look! Custom dog crate integrated into a mudroom space, with classic herringbone flooring and dark, dramatic cabinets.

Kimball Starr designs luxury mudrooms for homes throughout the San Francisco Bay Area and Lake Tahoe. Contact her today for a remote or socially-distant in-person consultation.

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Create an Art Wall

Mar 07, 2022 | Posted in How To & Decorating Tips |

My favorite part of completing an interior design project is arranging the artwork. A room isn’t considered finished until it has art, but what is the best way to display it? Read on for my top tips!

First, if you’re not familiar with Minted.com, you should be. They have the biggest collection of custom online art, canvases, art printing, posters and cards, canvas bags, printed gifts and handicrafts, so you can find just the right piece to finish off your home or office design. I use them all the time when I need to create a custom piece unique to my client. And here’s how I like to display them:

A ledge full of framed artwork floats above a blue sofa with grey and blue-green pillows, atop a latticework rug.
Photo courtesy chrislovesjulia.com

Ledges are great for a casual look. Put artwork against the wall and change it up as often as you like without having to remove nails or hooks.

A tan-framed image of a plant frond sits on the floor next to a black-and-white-image of a woman reading, next to a metal-potted plant also on the floor, and a stack of magazines topped with a fern next to that.
Photo courtesy Sandra Roe via Apartment Therapy

Lean prints against the wall, either from the floor, a shelf, or a picture rail. Another great way to display art, and easy to update.

Photo courtesy CarlaAstan.com

Stacking frames of different sizes together creates groupings and combinations that tell a story.

A large display of framed artwork in various sizes, colors, textures, and frame colors, hung with wire along a concrete wall, with a pair of beige slipper chairs and red back pillows between a table, under a gold pendant lamp.
Photo courtesy Rabatin Family via arakawagrip.com

Hanging systems like rods or wire and clips are fun and creative. You don’t have to commit to a single location. Change and update them as desired, and you don’t have to repair the wall afterward.

Design by Kimball Starr / Photo by David Duncan Livingston

Unify multiple frames with size or color. Using all black frames, or all the same size frames, or making all your photos black and white are good ways to unify them. Here we’ve hung pictures from a picture rail using grosgrain ribbon, befitting the client’s Craftsman home.

Kimball Starr designs for luxury homes throughout the San Francisco Bay Area and Lake Tahoe. Contact her today for a remote or socially-distant in-person consultation.

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Entertaining Spaces

Feb 21, 2022 | Posted in Trends |

According to the annual Houzz Trends Report, people have been relying on their homes to provide new avenues of activity and entertainment since the beginning of the pandemic and it shows in emerging search trends for art studios (up nearly 10x), home bars and wine cellars (up nearly 4x) and home theaters, home gyms and home offices (up 3x, 2.5x and 2x, respectively).

Let’s take a look at some wine cellars and home theaters today, spaces I enjoy creating.

BEFORE photo, lots of chairs and boxes
BEFORE
Wine chiller sunken into the wall at left, pedestal table and chairs in front of a colorful painting
AFTER Design by Kimball Starr / Photo by Eric Rorer

Above is a before-and-after wine storage solution we created in a San Francisco condo’s open plan dining area. The owners wanted something contemporary and sleek, while still welcoming and convenient.

We sunk the wine storage into the wall for a clean look, with slide-out racks. Beside it, a built-in credenza makes it easy to serve a flight of wines for tasting, with hors d’oeuvres. Above that, custom artwork ties in colors from their beloved vacation destination of Guatemala, so our retired couple can enjoy a glass of wine and share happy memories for many years to come.

Enclosed glass room-within-a-room featuring dozens of wine racks stored on their side, label out. Outside the glass room, a leather chair and fuzzy ottoman sits next to a glass pedestal table, for resting your wine glass.
Photo courtesy Millesime Wine Racks

Here’s another way to create wine storage with a small footprint: A climate-controlled environment within a room.

A grand tasting room with counter-height leather chairs and a table in the center, surrounded by illuminated wine racks.
Photo courtesy Kitchen Design Partners Chicago

This grand tasting room and storage space has an elegant feeling, where you can really spend time enjoying your wine.

A brown and white corner sofa under a sunken ceiling with recessed lighting, in front of a large TV screen, and a ribbon fireplace underneath. Across the room is a wine bar with counter-height seats matching the sofa colors.
Photo courtesy Charles Cunniffe Architects, Aspen

A contemporary living and entertaining room can be created with coordinated furnishings that tie the spaces together, such as this corner sofa and seating at the bar.

An open-plan room with a billiard table in the center, a wine bar with counter-height seating, a living room area to the left, and on the right, a kitchen space.
Design by Surreal Systems LLC / Photo by Jeri Koegel

What a beautiful coffered ceiling over the game space, coordinated with the living room and wine bar in this open-plan entertainment room in Orange County.

An outdoor living area with a stone-clad fireplace and TV above it, chairs and sofa with tan and light turquoise blue colors, matched in the center rug.
Photo courtesy Outdoor-FX Inc.

This transitional porch with a pergola and outdoor living room has everything you need to relax and entertain outside, with stunning views.

You can have the wine cellar or entertainment space of your dreams! Kimball Starr designs for homes throughout the San Francisco Bay Area and Lake Tahoe. Contact her today for a remote or socially-distant in-person consultation.

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