We’re proud to announce that our project “Wood Farmhouse Kitchen & Dining” was featured on Houzz! That’s up to 24 million readers learning how we turned a cabin into a modern home full of charm. Below is a snippet, and you can find the full article here.
New This Week: 6 Modern Farmhouse-Style Kitchens
See how designers mix subtle old-world details with new finishes and features for a modern-day look with timeless charm
Houzz Editorial Staff. Home design journalist writing about cool spaces, innovative trends, breaking news, industry analysis and humor.
In a previous article, we looked at kitchens that embraced a classic farmhouse style. Here, we showcase beautiful kitchens that feature a more modern-day spin on a farmhouse look. Wood details, apron-front sinks, lantern-style lighting nod to the farmhouse aesthetic, while fashionable finishes and contemporary appliances and storage features anchor the spaces firmly in the present.
Homeowners’ request. “The homeowners wanted a light, airy and modern look, which was a challenge if we were to keep the heavy cedar walls,” designer Kimball Starr says. “We landed on an […] organic look using curved, smooth shapes juxtaposed against the rough wood.”
Farmhouse details. Apron-front sink. Rough-hewn knotty cedar walls. “This was a unique home in the hills of San Mateo, California, where it had elements of a ski cabin,” Starr says. “The knotty cedar walls were essential to this home’s structural integrity. All the wood walls were constructed like a log cabin, where the wood was stacked to create the structural exterior walls. Instead of covering up the walls with sheetrock, we decided to highlight this feature and update the overall look from log cabin to modern farmhouse.”
Other special features. Blue backsplash tile, blue island base and blue glass pendants.
Designer tip. Using oversize transparent glass light fixtures allows them to be a focal design point, while the transparency allows sunlight to pass through them so they don’t overwhelm the space. “Uh-oh” moment. “The kitchen cedar wall is 6 inches thick, so you can’t run power through it, but code required us to have receptacle outlets on that wall. The electrician wanted to mount the receptacle box smack on top of the wall with exposed conduit pipe. Instead, I came up with a solution where we boxed out the quartz backsplash to run the conduit inside and the receptacle plugs sat flush with the top of the quartz ‘box.’ ” Sink: Whitehaven, Kohler; countertops: Frosty Carrina quartz, Caesarstone
If you have a project that could use Kimball Starr’s interior design skills, get in touch! Kimball works with clients through the San Francisco Bay Area and Lake Tahoe, meeting remotely or in-personand socially-distanced.
I love happy clients! One of my favorite things about my work is the satisfaction of action items getting checked off my list, and then the happiness of my client once the whole design is done.
In the above photo, our contractor holds up cabinet hardware options on the client’s job in progress. She left a detailed review of her experiences working with us on her San Francisco home. We’re delighted that she’s delighted!
Design and photo by Kimball Starr
We’re proud of our work on this project. Above is a view of the living room close to completion, with beautiful built-in cabinetry and a new modern fireplace.
Client review courtesy Houzz
“Kimball is amazing… She frequently suggested things that at first I didn’t gravitate towards, but I would end up choosing in the end because they were the right choices.”
Design and photo by Kimball Starr
Here’s a look at the kitchen during construction, with a floating island visible towards the front. You can see the wood flooring is mid-process of being stained. I hope you enjoyed getting to peek inside my work!
Kimball Starr designs beautiful homes for delighted clients throughout the San Francisco Bay Area and Lake Tahoe. Contact her today for a socially-distanced in-person or remote consultation.
Catching up on trends in tiling styles and designs in the USA.
Photo courtesy Original Style
New Heritage tiles – These look great in traditional, transitional, and contemporary homes.
Photo courtesy Mandarin Stone
Retro concrete tiles – we’re seeing a lot of wall patterns like this, for a fun and funky space.
Photo courtesy Mandarin Stone
Hexagons and colorful shapes are a big trend right now in bathrooms and kitchens.
Photo courtesy Mandarin Stone
Dark drama – The trends here are two-fold: Large, oversized tiles, and also a dramatic blend of color and pattern.
Photo courtesy Tile of Spain
Spa style tiles – The keys to this trend are texture, layering, and harmonious materials.
Kimball Starr designs stylish homes throughout the San Francisco Bay Area and Lake Tahoe. Contact her today for a socially-distanced in-person or remote consultation!
I don’t know about you but I can’t start my day until I’ve had a cup of coffee. That rich, aromatic smell of ground beans, the sumptuousness of adding thick creamer and sugar, the ritual of holding a hot mug and sipping until you’re pleasantly awake and alert. To create a coffee bar in your home, here are some ideas.
Photo courtesy Designpad
Choose whether to have a full-service coffee machine, French press, or single cup server like a Keurig.
Photo courtesy HGTV
Where will you locate your coffee bar? A dedicated set of shelves and counter space or a classy built-in are good options.
Design by Peti Lau, Inc / Photo by Leslie Fisher
Providing a place to sit and talk or read while you sip your hot coffee is delightful for you and your guests.
Photo courtesy InDetail Interiors via Houzz
Personalize your coffee bar for that down-home touch. What a great way to kickstart a fun day!
Kimball Starr designs welcoming homes with coffee bars throughout the San Francisco Bay Area and Lake Tahoe. Contact her today for a socially-distanced in-person or remote consultation!
Design by Félix Candela / Photo courtesy archdaily.com
Today we’re looking at designs created with concrete. “It’s too severe to be inspirational” I hear you say. Well, let me prove you wrong!
Design by Félix Candela / Photo courtesy rkett.com
Many architects and engineers use the ability of reinforced concrete to produce structures of surprising lightness which, despite being made of masonry, barely appear to touch the ground.
Félix Candela was one of the earliest and best to focus on arches and vaults in the form of parabolas, efficiently directing the structural forces inside the material, which makes this 1958 Mexico City restaurant called Los Manatiales lighter still.
Design by and photo courtesy joaquim portela arquitetos
Cohen Chapel in Switzerland, built in 2017, both protects against the elements and invites elements in, with beams of light streaming down onto simple bench seats, surrounded by stratified concrete walls with a textural feeling, open to the sky at the top.
Design by and photo courtesy joaquim portela arquitetos
The unusual design of the chapel is a hideaway from the mountainous countryside, a way to focus on more spiritual concerns.
Design by Atelier Jean Nouvel / Photo by Luc Castel via Getty Images
In the Louvre Abu Dhabi, light-colored concrete blocks seem to float weightlessly, while the stainless-steel-and-aluminum dome forms star-shaped patterns when the light shines through in a dazzling effect for this 2017 storied art museum in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates by Atelier Jean Nouvel.
Design by Atelier Jean Nouvel / Photo by Iain Masterson via Getty Images
Another of Jean Nouvel’s buildings is made of 539 disks, forming the walls and ceilings. Glass-fiber-reinforced concrete cladding consists of 76,000 panels, made from 3,000 master molds, completed in 2019.
Limited window glazing is deep-set, shading openings from the intense sun and protecting the art inside the National Museum of Qatar, in Doha, Qatar. Modern, bursting with style, uplifting, and made with concrete.
Kimball Starr designs stylish homes throughout the San Francisco Bay Area and Lake Tahoe, inspired by some of the most stunning architecture across the world. Contact her today for a socially-distanced in-person or remote consultation!
The world is opening up again as the global pandemic slows, which makes people want to travel more. I’ve enjoyed traveling to gorgeous Thailand multiple times in years past.
However, I’ve read Thailand is currently struggling with the biggest COVID-19 surge since India’s. My heart goes out to this beautiful country and their wonderful people. I wish them a speedy recovery, so that travelers could again enjoy views like these in the future.
Photo by Kimball Starr
Above, sunken seating with rows of colorful pillows perfectly matching the blue-green water surrounding it is a real wow-factor. Color is absolutely key to this Thai experience.
Photo by Kimball Starr
In the jungles of Northern Thailand, this hotel pictured above and below features a gorgeous infinity pool with a spa house at the head, where I received relaxing and nourishing treatments for skin and body. Ahhhh!
Photo by Kimball Starr
Below, this Thai reflecting pool shows off balanced rocks lit from underneath that appear to float effortlessly at sunset, contrasting the city skyline and modern buildings beyond. The warm color of the lit stones is energizing yet peaceful, stoking my desire to return again and again.
Photo by Kimball Starr
If you want to help Thailand during the pandemic, donating to Doctors Without Borders is an excellent choice.
Kimball Starr designs inspired homes throughout the San Francisco Bay Area and Lake Tahoe, and visits Thailand whenever possible. Contact her today for a socially-distanced in-person or remote consultation.
