Relieve Mental Fatigue

Jan 11, 2021 | Posted in How To & Decorating Tips |

The New Year is an opportunity to re-focus, re-prioritize, refresh and renew. We’re especially excited that COVID-19 vaccines are on the way! But they’re not here just yet.

Since we’re spending so much of our time indoors with technology, it’s more important than ever to take care of ourselves, and each other. Here are some tips that will help you relieve mental fatigue, and start the new year off right.

Clear the Clutter

View into a neatly organized closet, with handing rails for clothes, racks for shoes, shelves for purses, and a drawer. Everything is spaced evenly, and easy to see. The walls outside the closet are grey, with a small framed image of a palm frond and a grey armchair to the right side. — *_{Photo courtesy Ashley Furniture}*

Nothing feels better than a clean, organized home! Utilize filing cabinets and drawer separators to keep your stuff tamed, and surfaces clear of clutter. Have a system for filing mail and pocket items when you come in the door. When your eye sees fewer items on tabletops and counters, you feel calm.

Avoid Bad Habits & Build Good Ones

Photo of a person in a hat and backpack, running and jumping, while in the background, a wide open space is filled with light and a blue sky. — *_{Courtesy iamthatiamapp.com}*

We all have them, and you probably know which ones are plaguing you right now. It’s more difficult to change a bad habit once it’s become an actual habit, so stop it before it gets there. First notice that something isn’t serving you, then observe how this habit is triggered. Interrupt the cycle, preferably with a more positive action.

Limit Screen Time & Take a Break

A cell phone in a person's hand with a white screen and timer graphic showing the words "Time Limit - you've reached your limit on Facebook". To the side is a coffee drink. — *_{Photo courtesy BusinessInsider.com}*

Since our workdays can happen at any hour of the day now, or any day of the week, and our phones and computers are constant reminders of work that needs doing, it’s important to take a break from that work. The best way is to physically take a break from screen time itself. I recommend adding that into your calendar as if it’s an appointment with yourself.

Set & Defend Your Boundaries with Office Hours

Drawing of a clock showing 3pm, and a generic flip calendar. — *_{Graphic courtesy Vectorgraphics}*

We used to go into an office, and that defined our workday. Having a clear delineation between work time and personal time is critical to mental health, so set specific office hours and days, and communicate those to your colleagues and clients.

Watch for Digital Fatigue & Get Support

A man with his head down on a laptop computer and drawings of gears and springs popping out. — *_{Courtesy LinkedIn}*

Information overload, digital or mental fatigue can manifest in ways you might not expect, such as making mistakes, showing up late for meetings, and checking social media too often. To fix it, notice how you feel. Don’t be afraid to ask for support, either from a friend, a therapist, or a hotline, if need be.

Create Physical Space to Work

Photo of a dark wood desk with a red chair, both with silver legs and matching silver drawer pulls on the desk. A task lamp and vase of greenery sits at one corner, a pair of framed photos at the other corner of the desk. Above the desk on the wall are 3 dark wood chunky floating shelves dressed with books, artwork, shells, vases, and other collectibles, neatly organized. — *_{Design by Kimball Starr / Photo by Eric Rorer}*

Since we’re all working from home, it’s important to create a separation between our workspace and our home lives. If you have to work from your sofa or kitchen table, make sure to clear those spaces off once you’ve finished your work. Set your papers or computer aside, out of view.

If you’re lucky enough to have room for a dedicated home office, make it beautiful. Accent your space with plants, artwork, and gorgeous collectibles. Design it with quality furniture that reinforces good posture. Make use of natural light. These are all things that will help relieve mental fatigue, and start your new year off on a positive note.

Closeup view of a custom corner desk, with a white counter, large square silver legs, and a rolling office chair in black and silver. The worktop is dressed with a laptop computer and some animal statues. Above the desk, light colored L-shaped shelves are dressed with framed photos, books, vases, and other collectibles, neatly organized. — *_{Design by Kimball Starr / Photo by Eric Rorer}*

Create a positive space with Kimball Starr Interior Design! She designs homes throughout the San Francisco Bay Area and Lake Tahoe. Contact her today for a socially-distanced in-person or remote consultation.

Labels: healthy interiors, home office, home organization, tips

Trends: Hot & Not

Dec 28, 2020 | Posted in Trends |

I see a lot of less-than-ideal designs, as an interior designer. Sometimes the idea is good, but the execution leaves something to be desired. Here are a few trends I wish would go away, and what we should replace them with instead.

NOT: Form Over Function

2 photos side-by-side. On the left, a blue round glass vessel sink with round faucet that looks like a mushroom pouring into the sink. On the right, a centerset faucet with 2 knobs and a center spigot very close together. — *_{Left photo courtesy Amazon.com / Right courtesy Build.com}*

Chairs you can’t sit in comfortably. Vessel sinks, which are hard to clean and not user-friendly for those who are short, have disabilities, or are seniors. Barn doors that don’t block light, sound, or smells, like a door should. And my personal bugbear, centerset faucets. These are just a few examples of the trends that result when we place art or appearance above the functional use of a space.

HOT: Simple, Good Design

Photo of a sleek modern wood sideboard with a sliding white front door that reveals a set of 6 simple drawers in multiple colors of blue that start light in color and get darker as you go down. The legs are also simple wood with a metal finish. — *_{Photo of Finn Juhl Sideboard courtesy Eternity Modern}*

Simplicity is not actually simple. It’s the result of hundreds of considered choices along the path of designing a home for the people who will live there. Choosing quality is always in vogue, whether it’s quality materials or quality craftsmanship, so take the time to research, and you won’t be sorry.

NOT: All Matching or All One Style

Photo of a bedroom suite in all white, distressed finish, country style, with a matching side table, chest of drawers, and bed with headboard and footboard. — *_{Photo courtesy RoomsToGo}*

All-white rooms, or any space with all-one color that isn’t layered or textured to provide a sense of rhythm, harmony, and balance. In a similar way, buying a living room or bedroom suite in identical legs, finishes and colors doesn’t guarantee good design, it guarantees boredom, and the same will happen if you use all midcentury modern furniture (even though we love that style, used sparingly!)

HOT: Eclectic Selections

Photo of an eclectic living room, with white ceiling and trim, light turquoise walls, wood flooring with a white shag rug with brown giraffe-lines, a silver and orange patterned chair in the foreground, a light-colored round wood coffee table in the center of the room, a brown 3-seater sofa with multiple mismatched throw pillows in orange and turquoise, plus a table with two matching lamps behind the sofa. — *_{Photo courtesy Decoist.com}*

Select pieces individually, to reflect your personal style and taste, and tell the story of your life through your surroundings. It’s important that the shapes and lines and colors still work together, but you don’t have to discover every piece of furniture at the same time. Choosing just the right pieces is part of the fun of designing interiors!

NOT: Toxic Materials

Photo of a woman sitting on the floor, adding vinyl wall coverings of fake white bricks onto her wall. — *_{Photo courtesy AliExpress.com}*

We used to design to make things last as long as possible, which is still true to a certain extent, but we’re thinking more holistically now. Reduce man-made unhealthy materials such as vinyl wall coverings, which aren’t good for the environment or for us.

HOT: Earth-friendly Materials

Photo of natural wool with a few strands of grass caught in the wool. — *_{Photo courtesy Wikipedia}*

Wool, cotton, leather, linen, and even alpaca textiles are all great materials that age beautifully with use, and don’t off-gas – especially important now that we’re spending even more time than ever indoors. Wood, stone, and bamboo all develop a patina that naturally increases with time. When your space becomes more beautiful as you use and enjoy it, you’ll feel even better about investing in your home.

Update your home with Kimball Starr Interior Design! She renovates homes throughout the San Francisco Bay Area and Lake Tahoe. Contact her today for a socially-distanced in-person or remote consultation.

Labels: bathroom, color, healthy interiors, living room, trends

Tropical Holiday at Home

Dec 14, 2020 | Posted in Inspirations |

Hammock between two palm trees with Christmas lights at a Caribbean beach at sunset - Christmas in the Caribbean — *_{Photo courtesy Getty Images}*

I’d much rather be on a tropical holiday than stuck in the cold and rain, wouldn’t you? If you want to create your own tropical escape at home, here are some ideas to borrow.

Photo of a realistic-looking wall mural of tropical fronds and plants, behind a white tufted upholstered armchair, next to a small wooden table dressed with books and a teacup. — *_{Photo courtesy Etsy.com}*

Style elements to adore: Tropical plants wall mural, tufted upholstered chair

View of a dark wood bedroom with slatted wood blinds, a textural footrest at the foot of the bed on a woven floor mat. Crisp white sheets are accented by a brown blanket tucked neatly across the foot of the bed, with layers of white and tan pillows. — *_{Photo courtesy Crismatec.com}*

Style elements to adore: Dark wood blinds and furniture, woven floor mat

A dark wood headboard and bed dressed in white sheets with olive green striped pillow and matching green blanket across the foot of the bed, dressed with a dark wood serving tray. Behind the bed is a bold red and gold patterned wallpaper of pineapples. A pair of table lamps rest either side on dark wood bedside tables. — *_{Photo courtesy Philpotts Interiors}*

Style elements to adore: Pineapple-inspired wallpaper, island bed tray

View of a Bahamian living room featuring cane chairs and sofa in pinks, a cane glass-topped table in minty green, and matching green shuttered blinds on the windows. Multiple green plant fronds are scattered around the space. — *_{Photo courtesy Well Appointed House Blog}*

Style elements to adore: Bahamian pink and green cane furniture and wooden shutters

Looking into a living room with wood ceilings and walls, gauzy striped white and sand-colored curtains, light blue-green and white striped rug, a white sofa across from dark wood chairs with coordinating light-blue-green upholstery. — *_{Photo courtesy Design Chic}*

Style elements to adore: Tropical wood walls and ceiling, gauzy curtains and striped rug

Photo of a bright, light-colored kitchen with 3 counter-height chairs in dark rattan with a pair of matching dark rattan pendant lights hung above the white counter. A large palm tree grows from the center of the counter's end cap. — *_{Photo courtesy Bali-Interiors.com}*

Style elements to adore: Rattan furniture and pendant lights

Photo of a grand bedroom, featuring shiny wood tiled flooring in orange and pattered brown to look like a rug, a huge four-poster-bed with white netting tied to the corner posts, crisp white linens, and a monumental high wood ceiling above. — *_{Photo courtesy Decoist.com}*

Style elements to adore: Grand bed netting and coffered wood ceiling

To create your own tropical getaway at home, ask Kimball Starr Interior Design! She customizes designs throughout the San Francisco Bay Area and Lake Tahoe. Contact her today for a socially-distanced in-person or remote consultation.

Labels: bedroom, color, living room, plants, texture, travel series, tropical, vintage furniture

Retro Bright is Back

Nov 30, 2020 | Posted in Inspirations |

View of a loft dining room with Scandanavian-style striped dining chairs with blonde wood under a bright red pendant lamp. To the left is a convertible guest room with sliding walls. In front are two slipper chairs in bright colorful pattern with a silver metal table. The walls are painted a mossy green. — *_{Design by Kimball Starr / Photo by Joe Fletcher}*

What’s old is new again! Retro is back, not only in style, but in clashingly colorful furnishings. Check out these bright interiors from around the web, plus a project of my own.

Photo of a corner of an office space, with a long red desk with 3 drawers painted in 3 colors of yellow, light green, and white. Patterned wallpaper in red and white covers the walls and sits in rolls on top of the desk. A red stool sits in front, with a metal bin also filled with wallpaper nearby. — *_{Photo courtesy retrotogo.com}*

Style elements to adore: 1970s Lavaliers wallpaper by Little Green Paint Co. and a multicolor long paper storage desk.

A peacock blue and gold hexagonal patterned wallpaper covers the walls behind a burled wood drinks cabinet with one open door revealing glasses and mixers inside. — *_{Photo courtesy Cole & Son}*

Style elements to adore: Hicks Hexagon wallpaper with burled wood drinks cabinet.

Photo of a light colored open-plan living and dining area, with a bright pink chair, a bright yellow coffee table, a bright yellow footstool, bright red floral patterned rug, a second footstool in multicolored stripes, and multiple pillows in colorful patterns. — *_{Photo courtesy Rover.eBay.com}*

Style elements to adore: Patterns galore, on rugs, furniture, and soft furnishings.

A modern living room with wooden wall at the back, a half height rock wall in front of that, an orange velvet sofa with a white faux fur on top of a patterned rug and a light colored coffee table. To the left of the sofa sits a green plant. Above the sofa hangs a dozen orange wood round pendant lamps. — *_{Photo courtesy We-are-Scout.com}*

Style elements to adore: Orange velvet sofa with a faux fur under multiple pendant lamps.

On the left, an image of a colorful table place setting with a teal plate stacked under a white plate under a yellow plate, with an orange folded napkin and a teal drinking glass. On top of the plate stack sits a small orange and white polka-dotted package wrapped with a teal bow. A red clock next to several orange and yellow flower arrangements sit atop an orange tablecloth with white polka dots, matching the gift package. ON the right are 4 squares showing the main colors in the design, labeled teal, bright red, orange, and ochre. — *_{Photo courtesy Bliss Inventive}*

Style elements to adore: Colored glassware with matching place settings, and coordinating floral arrangement.

An open-plan living dining area as viewed from behind the white dining table with bright green acrylic chairs on silver metal legs, with 2 yellow head chairs. Across the room, a set of lime green shelves and storage units adorn the wall, while red and pink sofas sit atop a plush red rug. — *_{Design by Kimball Starr / Photo by Eric Rorer}*

Style elements to adore: B&B Italia multi-directional lounge furniture atop a plush crimson rug, contrasted by bright green AV storage and acrylic chairs.

If you want to try retro bright color but don’t know where to begin, Kimball Starr Interior Design can help! She creates personalized designs throughout the San Francisco Bay Area and Lake Tahoe. Contact her today for a socially-distanced in-person or remote consultation.

Labels: color, colorful dining room, pendant lights, pillows, wall accents

How To: Virtual Thanksgiving

Nov 16, 2020 | Posted in How To & Decorating Tips |

Overhead photo of a Thanksgiving meal spread out over a dark wood table, with turkey, pie, apple slices, artichokes, carrots, grapes, and plenty of candles and flowers spread throughout. — *_{Photo courtesy Alex Raths/Getty Images}*

We’re entering the holiday season, and having meals together is one way we cement our family and community bonds. If you can’t be together in person, join each other virtually! Here’s a step-by-step guide to hosting a great virtual Thanksgiving, or any kind of group meal online.

Decide how to connect

Photo of a father and two young girls waving at a computer screen, sitting on a leather couch. — *_{Photo courtesy FamilyDinnerProject.org}*

There’s a cornucopia of platforms and methods for connecting on the internet: Facebook or Instagram Chat, Facetime, Google Meet, Skype, and Zoom are the most used. Whichever method you choose, make sure everyone has the right hardware and software available.

Invitations

Once you’ve decided on a platform, set the mood by inviting everyone with flair! Whether it’s a fun email or an evite, get everyone excited by making your dinner announcement special.

Be sure to include these key details:

Event time
Joining information: Links to the event, dial-in information and access codes
What to expect

If you’re playing games that will require access to a website, collecting household objects ahead of time, or making a centerpiece for a competition, say so!

This is the perfect opportunity to set expectations about timing up-front. Provide a start and end time, and let guests know that if everyone is ready to sign off early or wants to play one more game, that’s okay.

Food share

Image of a person's handing taking a photo with their cell phone of a delicious meal on a plate. — *_{Photo courtesy FamilyDinnerProject.org}*

Have a show-and-tell about the food you’ve prepared. What’s your favorite dish? Why did you pick the one you made? This can often bring up family memories of prior Thanksgivings together, and the traditions that made them special.

Toast with a signature cocktail

Photo of a cocktail glass with an orange mixed drink, a cinnamon stick, and a clove with a slice of apple and some ice, set upon a dark wood table, surrounded by other glasses in the background. — *_{Photo courtesy Instagram user sagetosilver}*

It’s fun to send out a signature drink recipe, so everyone can feel connected from afar. If you choose to make a toast, consider sending a prompt in advance. Ask guests to reflect on what they’ve learned in 2020, or, there’s always the Thanksgiving standby “What are you thankful for?” which may feel especially poignant this year.

Centerpiece competition

Photo of a white rectangular container in the center of a dining table, filled with small pumpkins, dried plants, pine cones, and scattered leaves on the table around it. — *_{Photo courtesy Better Homes and Gardens}*

If you want to get really creative, we recommend a centerpiece competition. Anyone who wants to take part can create something ahead of time, then show it off and explain the meanings behind their choices.

Games

*_{Photo courtesy Inc. Magazine / Getty Images}*

Story by sentence

This game is good for mixed age groups with kids. Have one person begin telling a story. After they’ve spoken a sentence or written it in the chat, another person continues the story with their own sentence. Keep going until someone says “The End.” Go alphabetically by first name.

Rose, thorn and bud

This game and conversation starter is especially good for Thanksgiving. Each person takes a turn telling about their roses (things they’re grateful for or what makes them happy at the moment), thorns (a disappointment or a difficult moment from the day), and buds (something they’re looking forward to or hope to do). Keep it to simple words/phrases instead of a long explanation.

Family Photo

Photo of a multi-cultural family at the dinner table posing together for a cell phone photo: Asian dad in a white shirt, Middle-eastern mom waring a yellow hajib, a boy and a girl both in red shirts. — *_{Photo courtesy FamilyDinnerProject.org}*

Just because you aren’t in the room together doesn’t mean you can’t take a family photo! Get everyone to pose, do something fun and funny, and make a memory to share for many years to come, just by taking a screenshot. This is also a great way to end the gathering on a high note.

Opening and closing the circle

Photo of a person drawing a circle with a black pen. — *_{Photo courtesy Medium}*

Don’t forget about beginnings and endings. When everyone’s sitting in front of their individual screens, it can be hard to figure out how to settle into a rhythm, and even harder to know when to sign off. Try choosing ways to start and end your virtual dinner so the beginning and end are clear.

For example, you might start with everyone doing a show-and-tell of their food, or the centerpiece competition. To wrap up, you could ask, “What’s one thing you’re looking forward to the next time we do this together?”

Remember: A typical family dinner is only about 20 minutes long, so you don’t have to spend hours online together — unless you really want to. When you set up your virtual dinner, keep it to 60 minutes or less, and try to make expectations clear during the event. “Now that we’ve all had dessert, how about we take our family photo and then sign off?” This ensures everyone has a good time. And that’s something to be grateful for!

Kimball Starr Interior Design is thankful for all her clients and friends in the San Francisco Bay Area and Lake Tahoe. Contact her today for a socially-distanced in-person or remote consultation to create a memorable dining space.

Labels: dining room, holiday entertaining

Bathroom Bling

Nov 02, 2020 | Posted in Inspirations |

The smallest room in the house is a great place to experiment, get wild, add some bling! Here are some inspiring powder rooms and bathrooms from around the web.

A beautiful curved powder room features white and grey marbled flooring, reflective mosaic wall tiling that bounces light from a round pendant light, and a glamorous silver mirror above a white marble sink and counter. A modern white toilet is visible in the front at the right, while the open white door appears at the left, framing the space. — *_{Photo courtesy Harper’s Bazaar}*

Style elements to adore: A wall of metallic mosaic tiles that bounce sparkling light from a beautiful pendant lamp.

Two photos side by side. Left photo shows a French style sink and mirror with cabriole legs on a marbled sink and gold patterned tiling on the main wall. Right photo shows a Victorian-style etched mirror above a gold faucet and taps and a tan marbled sink counter surface. Both images feature a purple flower to counterpoint the gold colors. — *_{Photo left courtesy papercitymag.com / Photo right courtesy homesoftherich.net}*

Style elements to adore: Cabriole sink legs, gold leaf tiling, and etched mirrors. Notice how each historic design style in gold — French on the left and Victorian on the right — is accented with a purple flower to give it life.

Faux brick mirrored tiles behind a freestanding silver-leaf clawfoot tub painted black in the outside, with silver taps from the wall. Above, multiple round lightbulbs are exposed in a modern chandelier light fixture. On the left wall hangs a black towel on a silver towel rail, and a silver waste bin sits in the corner, atop white and grey horizontal tiled floor. The white door is just visible at the right of the image. — *_{Photo courtesy Tilebar.com}*

Style elements to adore: Gorgeous freestanding tub painted black, balanced on curved silver-leafed legs. The epitome of elegance, under a modern chandelier.

A white and grey marbled bathroom counter and walls are counterpointed with brassy and silver patina vessel sink with a curved gooseneck faucet. Brass detailing around the counter, mirror, and storage elements match the vessel sink and are reflected in floor-to-ceiling mirrors. — _{Photo courtesy Glam Squad 30 via Chairish.com}

Style elements to adore: Patina metal vessel sink and curved faucet, contrasted with sinuously marbled walls, singing out refined taste.

A 1930s-style powder room includes gold faucet and taps, a gold towel ring on the left wall, a large circular mirror on the rear wall, atop copper and black tropical jungle-themed wallpaper. Above the mirror is hung a double-pendant lamp with white globe shades. A green plant in a white vase adorns the countertop next to the taps. — *_{Photo courtesy 1stDibs.com}*

Style elements to adore: Art deco double sconce and circular mirror paired with copper-toned wallpaper in a tropical pattern beckons you to imagine traveling through far-away jungles, returning from your adventure, clean and refreshed.

If you want to be daring, try something new, experiment, Kimball Starr Interior Design can create YOUR perfect powder room throughout the San Francisco Bay Area and Lake Tahoe. Contact her today for a socially-distanced in-person or remote consultation.

Labels: bathroom, pendant lights, powder room, wall accents

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