Feb 08, 2022 | Posted in Inspirations |
Remember this post about dreamy bedrooms?
Dreaming of a beautiful bedroom? Kimball Starr designs for homes of every type. Contact her today for a socially-distanced or remote consultation.
Jan 24, 2022 | Posted in Trends |
What does is look like when a color in the real world and a color in the digital space come together?
Pantone’s Color of the Year 2022 is Very Peri, a combination of red and blue that might appear familiar to Microsoft users.
Matching to this completely made-up brand-new color is going to be interesting. You read that right, a brand-new color: The first time in global color authority Pantone’s history they’ve done such a thing.
Dubbed Very Peri (Pantone 17-3938), the dynamic periwinkle blue boasts a warm violet-red undertone and signals novelty in these continuing unprecedented times.
“As we emerge from an intense period of isolation, our notions and standards are changing, and our physical and digital lives have merged in new ways,” the company shared in their press release. “Very Peri illustrates the fusion of modern life and how color trends in the digital world are being manifested in the physical world and vice versa.”
Periwinkle blue (or violet, if you prefer), is a color that takes its name from the periwinkle plant’s flowers, or myrtle. This particular blue has a violet-red undertone, which conveys “a spritely, joyous attitude and dynamic presence that encourages courageous creativity and imaginative expression,” said color guru Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute.
We’re looking forward to seeing all the ways that people utilize this color in their world. I look forward to finishing my periwinkle blue kitchen cabinetry project once the hardware arrives!
Custom color is Kimball‘s specialty! She designs colorful homes throughout the San Francisco Bay Area and Lake Tahoe. Contact her today for a remote or socially-distant in-person consultation.
Jan 10, 2022 | Posted in Before & After |
In the New Year, if pandemic conditions allow, we’ll be hosting some friends and family again, and that means providing seating for everyone! Here’s a look at a before & after project featuring chairs and tables.
This San Francisco loft was mostly empty when we started. The client wanted a look inspired by a Moroccan bazaar, with lots of color, texture, and patterns. A pair of slipper chairs would be a great seating option, but they needed a complete overhaul.
I re-upholstered the chairs with a beautiful pattern and added a metal side table for a great place to relax and read with a cup of tea or enjoy a conversation with a friend.
A matched set of mid-century modern dining table and chairs was the look the client wanted, but the original upholstery was boring and drab – unthinkable!
Reupholstering the chairs in a funky striped material made them fit in better with their new surroundings, and a bit of furniture polish brought the table and chairs back to as-new condition. Now the brightly-colored pendant light shines down onto a vase full of fresh flowers, ready to welcome guests to a drink or meal at the table.
Now the dining area fits in with the loft’s adjacent kitchen space, and is beautiful to look at as well, putting the fun back in functional.
Kimball Starr brings furniture back to life in homes throughout the San Francisco Bay Area and Lake Tahoe. Contact her today for a socially-distanced in-person or remote consultation!
Dec 27, 2021 | Posted in Inspirations |
Globalization is more than a trend, it’s a process that’s been happening since the first time two different peoples met, where multiple cultures and influences are combined together to form a new type of design.
Think: Scandinese (Scandinavian-Japanese) also known as Japandi, Mexicanese (Mexican-Japanese), or Britainese (British-Chinese). Let’s explore one of these creations: Japandi.
Discovering beauty in imperfection, Japandi spaces embrace things like serene colors, eye-pleasing items that also serve a practical purpose, and high-quality craftsmanship. Wabi Sabi’s ethics, well-known in Japan, are based on love for natural and artisanal imperfection. Therefore, choosing furniture in simple and natural but high-quality materials — such as wood and other natural fibers like bamboo, rattan, and paper — is key to achieving the look of Japandi. Wooden furniture performs its function in different rooms of the house, but at the same time they are design objects that embellish the environment.
The name derives from the fusion of the country name “Japan” with the Scandinavian “scandi”. Two geographically very distant cultures but which have a lot in common, beginning with a minimalist aesthetic. The primary goal is to create a relaxing place by first eliminating strong and bright colors, preferring those found in nature. Above, Scandinavian warmth in wood tones is counterpointed by shibori blue and black slate.
At FYN Restaurant in Capetown, South Africa, the order of the day is a melding of eastern minimalism and western comfort to form a mysterious mixture that draws you in with textures and subdued dark colors. The Bonsai tree on the counter is a giveaway of Japanese values in nature, while the Scandinavian legs and rounded chair backs on the counter stools ground the design in smooth style.
Pairing Scandinavian design elements with ice cream-like colors, this mixture results in a subtly cool duck egg blue, powder puff pink, and sage green restaurant designed by Harlen & Holden. Sugared Scandi is based in the Philippines, a country that has long been under the influence of western culture. Here the long, low furniture allows your eye to travel without interruption.
Again, here we see the colors of sage green, powder pink, and pale blue-grey, combined with fresh green plants and warm wood tones. The combination of concrete and soft textural fabrics is a modern perspective on the Japandi style, one we’re beginning to notice in many city apartment buildings.
Whatever approach to Japandi you decide to take, you can’t go wrong with this beautiful combined aesthetic.
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.
Dec 13, 2021 | Posted in Inspirations |
Are you anticipating this year’s winter holiday season? Looking for ways to take your décor up a notch, even without in-person guests and parties? Here are some ideas on a theme I love: Monochrome holiday decorating!
Monochrome should be softened with a touch of color. Here greenery creates a welcoming indoor/outdoor feel. I adore the wreathed chair-backs!
Here’s another way to use monochrome with other colors – the traditional red and green really pop when used with black and white.
I like the idea of placing wrapped gifts in a decorative fireplace. Love the print pillow here – it really adds depth to the scene!
The bedroom can also be decorated to match this theme, as long as the dominant furniture colors don’t interfere.
Stripes are so traditional for the holidays. Why not try something different? Polka dots in black and white and gold are sure to be a hit, as much as the gift inside.
It’s not too late to get help on your own holiday decorating! Kimball Starr provides ideas and easily executable plans for homes throughout the San Francisco Bay Area and Lake Tahoe. Contact her today for a remote or socially-distant in-person consultation.
Nov 22, 2021 | Posted in Before & After |
As the seasons change to autumn and winter, I always want to cozy up to a warm fireplace, especially as the holidays approach. There’s nothing nicer than gathering around a fireplace with friends and family and a hot cup of cocoa. Today I’m sharing two of my fireplace redesigns!
This cute home in a San Francisco neighborhood has a cabin-y feel, with the knotty cedar wood paneling. While the potbelly stove does go with the environment, the client wanted a more modern, updated look.
I custom-designed this simple, contemporary fireplace to be beautiful and also provide a place to display art. The raised hearth makes it easier to tend the fire without having to bend to the floor. I added a mid-century stool and faux fur rug to extend the warmth further into the room and invite you to stoke the fire.
The fireplace can be seen from nearly every room on this floor, so it was important that it fit in with the surrounding spaces. My client is delighted and so am I!
In another project, this San Francisco loft was not being shown at its best by its dated fireplace and surround.
For a dramatic ‘after’, now the fireplace is a feature that makes use of the theatrical high ceilings.
A closer view shows how cozy the living room is, a multi-textured seating area that celebrates pattern and color akin to a Moroccan bazaar, with a corner fireplace that extends comfort and complements the space.
Kimball Starr designs beautiful homes with welcoming fireplaces throughout the San Francisco Bay Area and Lake Tahoe. Contact her today for a socially-distanced in-person or remote consultation!
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