So you’re buying, inheriting, or rehabbing a vacation home, and you’d like to make it your own. As a designer of many years and many homes, read on for my top tips on key questions to ask yourself to create the vacation home of your dreams.
Vision and Functionality
Photo courtesy TahoeRealty.com
What is the feeling you want for your vacation home? Relaxing? Fun and playful? Luxurious? Consider gathering keywords or inspirational photos onto a mood board to help guide your choices.
Who will use your vacation home? Just you and your partner? Extended family? Multigenerational groups? Will you AirBnB or VRBO when you’re not there? Factor in age ranges and accessibility needs.
How often will you be using it? Weekend getaways or longer stays will influence furniture and fabric choices for durability.
What activities will you do there? Entertaining? Cooking elaborate meals? Relaxing by the pool reading a book? Design the space to support these activities.
How much maintenance are you comfortable with? Leather furniture looks good, but is it ideal if the house is empty much of the year, or being rented out?
Budget and Logistics
Photo courtesy TahoeRealty.com
Have you set a realistic budget for the entire project? This includes designer fees, furniture, decor, and any potential renovations.
Are there existing pieces of furniture or decor you want to incorporate?Tell me about these so I can integrate them into your design.
How long is the project timeline? Influenced by the designer’s availability, lead time for furniture, and any potential construction. This is something I can really help with, because I’m knowledgeable about lead times, and I often have relationships that can help move the process along.
Will you be managing the project remotely or locally? If remote, discuss how the designer will handle communication and onsite needs. I’m available to meet remotely or socially distanced, in person.
Location and Sustainability
Photo courtesy TahoeRealty.com
What is the climate at your vacation home? This affects material choices for furniture, flooring, and window treatments.
Does the location have any design considerations? Beachfront property might need rust-resistant furniture or special flooring, for example.
Are there local artisans or sustainable materials you’d like to incorporate? Supporting local businesses and eco-friendly choices can enhance your vacation home’s character.
By reflecting on these questions before meeting with an interior designer, you’ll have a clearer vision for your dream vacation home and a smoother collaboration with your pro.
Kimball Starr designs for first and second homes throughout the San Francisco Bay Area and Lake Tahoe. Contact her today for a remote or socially-distant in-person consultation.
You’ve finally gathered together all your family portraits and memory photos, and you want to create a gorgeous, luxe photo wall display. Here are my top designer tips:
#1 – Freeform Thin Black Frames
Image courtesy DigsDigs
Select all black and white images. Use the same frame color and frame width, without matting. Loosely line up your frames and photos in a pleasing layout.
#2 – Wood Frames in a Corner
Photo courtesy Brooke Wagner Design
Stagger and align your wood-framed black and white images images with same-size white matting along two walls in a corner for easy viewing of a larger collection.
#3 – Gold Frames, Aligned
Photo courtesy DigsDigs
Use the same size white mat for all your images. Gold frames really make the black and white prints pop and a pleasing rhythm is created by keeping the same number in each row, creating a grid.
#4 – Picture Ledge
Photo courtesy DigsDigs
Mismatched frames on several ledges create a casual display that’s easy to change up. Add small plants or collectibles for additional interest.
#5 – Stairway Stagger
Huge, oversized white matting inside identical black frames make these staggered images going up the stairs draw you through the space. The huge matts have a gallery feel, drawing you in closer to see the art.
#6 – Aligned Edges
Image courtesy Lumas
Line up all your frames by one edge to unify them. You can also create an aligned grid for even more interest.
Image courtesy Lumas
Kimball Starr designs for artistic homes throughout the San Francisco Bay Area and Lake Tahoe. Contact her today for a remote or socially-distant in-person consultation.
We couldn’t be prouder to share that we’re a multi-award winner on Houzz this year, jumping from 10 to 12 in 2024!
Awards and badges courtesy Houzz.com
Houzz is the well-known social media focused on interior design, connecting designers with clients. They separate categories into Houzz Design and Houzz Service. We won in BOTH categories for 2024 – how about that?!
The project featured in the Houzz winner’s spread is our Modern Farmhouse Kitchen Design:
Design by Kimball Starr / Photo by Eric Rorer / Layout by HouzzDesign by Kimball Starr / Photo by Eric Rorer
To win in the service category, you must have at least one five-star review for the year. Humblebrag: ALL 28 of ours are five-star reviews!
Design by Kimball Starr / Photo by Eric Rorer
If you want to be part of the winners’ circle, come work with me on your next remodel or interior design project.
Kimball Starr designs for award-winning homes throughout the San Francisco Bay Area and Lake Tahoe. Contact her today for a remote or socially-distant in-person consultation.
Have you ever been inside a grand, beautiful home, but it has an echo-y sound that ruins the effect of the space? There are now many modern solutions to this challenge. Let’s take a tour!
Photos courtesy Carnegie
There are generally 4 types of applications for sound-reducing design elements: Walls, ceilings, hanging baffles, and room dividers.
Photo courtesy Carnegie – Xorel Artforms
When thinking about residential materials, you want something cool and creative with flexible applications, such as this beautiful Xorel Artform from Carnegie that can create multiple shapes and patterns on any flat surface.
Photo courtesy Carnegie – Veil
This beautiful material called Veil forms a delicate textural lace that also absorbs sound and keeps it from bouncing between spaces, especially good for open plan rooms and lofts.
Photo courtesy Keirei – Echoscreen Current
Another solution excellent for lofts are these patterned screens from Keirei. Despite appearing open, Echo Screens easily absorb and soften sound while providing structure. Use them to separate your dining and kitchen spaces, for example.
Photo courtesy Keirei – Santa Fe Panels
If you admire solid walls instead of open panels for your loft, these beautiful etched Santa Fe designs from Keirei are simple and stylish.
Photo courtesy Keirei – Echostar Ceiling Panels
When you want a dropped ceiling but not the boring, department store-look, you’ll love these EchoStar hexagonal ceiling panels, especially good for lofts with their high ceilings. You can even leave them unfinished for an industrial look.
Kimball Starr designs custom acoustic solutions for fabulous homes throughout the San Francisco Bay Area and Lake Tahoe. Contact her today for a remote or socially-distant in-person consultation.
Continuing our series on before-and-after renovations, today I’m sharing a project that required very light demolition, mostly replacing finishes.
This is an easier type of project to take on because it’s completed faster, creates less construction dust and waste, and costs less than a full renovation that removes everything and starts again.
AFTER Design by Kimball Starr / Photo by Client
The biggest item we replaced was the kitchen flooring, which we matched to the rest of the house to provide unity throughout.
BEFORE Photo by ClientAFTER Design by Kimball Starr / Photo by Client
In the kitchen, we updated the dingy green cabinet doors with white and added cheerful green ceramic Ann Sacks tiles, and a set of open shelves near the sink that we repeated at the far end of the kitchen.
BEFORE Photo by ClientAFTER Design by Kimball Starr / Photo by Client
The oven needed an update from this commercial-looking afterthought. Now it’s a cute, modern cook-station with personality that harmonizes with the rest of the space.
BEFORE Photo by ClientAFTER Design by Kimball Starr / Photo by Client
The corner counter drinks station was wasting valuable space. The L-end cabinets were blocking light from entering the kitchen, so I took them out, replacing them with the same green ceramic tiles from around the corner. I added open shelving and a wine fridge for a modern touch.
BEFORE Photo by ClientAFTER Design by Kimball Starr / Photo by Client
Now the breakfast nook is colorful and sunny, with a custom built-in corner bench seat, table and chairs, leading to the lanai.
AFTER Design by Kimball Starr / Photo by ClientAFTER Design by Kimball Starr / Photo by Client
Look how much more natural sunlight is reaching the interior of the house! It makes the newly-replaced golden wood flooring shine.
Kimball Starr designs beautiful, refreshed homes throughout the San Francisco Bay Area and Lake Tahoe. Contact her today for a socially-distanced in-person or remote consultation!
As we approach spring, it’s an opportunity to elevate your environment and raise your spirits, starting with your sofa!
You will always do well to purchase the best quality furniture you can in a neutral color with no excessive curves. Stick to classic, sophisticated shapes in fabrics that will last, then follow my tips to bring in texture and color. A few favorite examples follow.
Neutral Grey with Spring Colors
Design by Kimball Starr / Photo by Eric Rorer
My client wishes it was spring every day, so I created it for her! I started with a neutral backdrop so the vibrant palette doesn’t overwhelm, using a shadowy pattern cast by the leaves of a tree on the living room wall.
Design by Kimball Starr / Photo by Eric Rorer
Relaxing on the contemporary grey sofa, it makes you feel as if you’re sitting next to a tree on a sunny day, with a field of flowers underfoot. The bright rug and chairs are balanced by throw pillows in similar colors on the neutral sofa.
Luxurious Custom Cover and Pillows
Design by Kimball Starr / Photo by Eric Rorer
My Bay Area client wanted luxury in his living room and also wanted to keep his existing sofa. The solution? We had the sofa reupholstered in a custom form-fitting cover. Using a high-end upholsterer who has the skill to create this fit is absolutely key; it’s still removable but looks like a million bucks.
Design by Kimball Starr / Photo by Eric Rorer
Opulence and luxury are expressed through a double-layer of custom throw pillows in colors and patterns that tone with the sofa and velvet recliners. Each decorative pillow with contrasting welt was carefully selected from fabrics at the San Francisco Design Center along with my client, for a personal touch.
Inspired by Travel
Design by Kimball Starr / Photo by Eric Rorer
The residents of this downtown San Francisco condo love bright colors, which also reflects their love of travel to the colorful country of Guatemala. We combined these interests by placing a bright red wool sofa in the center of their living room. It’s okay to break the neutral-color rule by intentionally making a choice, as long as you love it and are prepared to keep it a while.
Design by Kimball Starr / Photo by Eric Rorer
For our travelers, I added a glass top to a Guatemalan wedding relic to create a custom coffee table that pairs beautifully with the tight back red sofa. It doesn’t need a lot of ornamentation, hence the yellow throw pillows to bring in the yellow from their nearby chairs. Beautiful, balanced, and bright!
Kimball Starr designs custom furniture for fabulous homes throughout the San Francisco Bay Area and Lake Tahoe. Contact her today for a remote or socially-distant in-person consultation.