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Houzz Winner x2

May 13, 2024 | Posted in Starr Spotlight |

Light colored living room with white walls and ceilings, honey-colored wood flooring, grey sofa and area rug, and a swooping modern white pendant light in the center of the room. Windows with green trees outside at the rear of the room, and to the right side, the dining area.
Design by Kimball Starr / Photo by Eric Rorer

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!

Multiple awards from Houzz.com, including Best of Houzz Service 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020, 2022, 2023, and 2024, plus Best of Houzz Design 2016, 2023, and 2024. 6 more Houzz Badges including I Use Pro Software, 5 star reviews, likes, shares, and 100k saves.
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:

On the left, a photo of a modern farmhouse kitchen with white cabinetry upper and lower, grey countertops, and wood open shelving dressed with herbs in small pots. The black circular pendant light, potted plants, and vegetables have white tags so you can shop the items on Houzz.com.
Design by Kimball Starr / Photo by Eric Rorer / Layout by Houzz
White bedside table with drawers and gold handles, a yellow bedside table lamp with yellow shade, pink upholstered headboard, pink and white striped sheets and a white blanket on the bed, with a yellow and white patterned pillow at the front.
Design 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!

Refreshed kitchen with green Ann Sacks ceramic tiles, honey colored wood flooring, white cabinetry and countertops, and open wood shelves next to the windows.
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.

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Sounds Good: Design for Audio Clarity

Apr 15, 2024 | Posted in Inspirations |

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!

4 types of sound reduction fixtures. Walls, ceilings, baffles, dividers.
Photos courtesy Carnegie

There are generally 4 types of applications for sound-reducing design elements: Walls, ceilings, hanging baffles, and room dividers.

Multiple triangular shapes in different colors of grey with and without patterning up on a wall to reduce excess sound.
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.

A sound-dampening hanging lace created by embroidered hexagonal shapes filled with thread and connected together, with some hexagons left open.
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.

A set of 3 sky blue unconnected hanging screens with wavy-shaped cutouts that get smaller toward the bottom in a room with a set of table and chairs in front of the screens, and an armchair and side table behind, against a white wall. The screens separate the two spaces visually.
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.

A set of connected panels in an earthy mud/brick color but more orangey with a series of connected geometric lines running horizontally and vertically, connecting in the center and creating boxes and rectilinear shapes. A pile of rolled towels sits on the grey carpeting in front on the floor.
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.

On the ceiling are grey hexagonal shapes that are pushed in to meet in the center, creating a geometric pattern. Where there are no ceiling tiles, a black background shows through, and some lights hang down. This is in an open space with purple chairs next to a grey rectangular table with white edging and white pedestal. A matching sofa table is behind an angular grey sofa with more chairs and tables beyond. At the back of the space is a hallway and several glass doors to small meeting rooms. In the wall are two cutouts that allow a person to lay or sit down in and on them. The cutouts are orange with wallpaper on the inside walls.
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.

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Light Demo Reno

Mar 18, 2024 | Posted in Before & After |

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 light renovation, a kitchen with white cabinetry, white countertops, and jewel-green subway tiles, plus stainless steel appliances. Open wood shelves on the right end of the counter near the sink. On the left side of the kitchen, an island with counter seating.
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 kitchen light renovation, with sage green cabinetry, a wooden kitchen island countertop, and white counters with purple flowered wallpaper as backsplash.
BEFORE Photo by Client
AFTER light renovation of kitchen with white cabinetry, white countertops, and jewel-green subway tiles, plus stainless steel appliances. On the left side of the kitchen, an island beneath two pendant lights.
AFTER 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: A stainless-steel kitchen and cooktop with large hood and two floating metal shelves either side of the stove. Red brick backsplash behind. Plain white walls and plain dark flooring.
BEFORE Photo by Client
Same stove but updated with green subway tiles that match the rest of the kitchen, plus side shelves to hold the KitchenAid, cookware, and a shelf for the microwave, with a metal countertop above for cooking that creates some open space next to the cooktop. A bright green teapot sits on the hob.
AFTER 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: The L-shaped end of the kitchen counter with a drinks sink, sage green cabinetry above and below, and purple floral wallpaper.
BEFORE Photo by Client
The L-shaped end of the kitchen counter, now with wood open shelves and green Ann Sacks subway tile, plus a wine fridge next to the drinks sinks and white cabinetry below white countertops.
AFTER 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: View of the breakfast nook with purple cushions and out into the lanai. A random rug and some folding chairs and tables are strewn about. A white pendant light hangs above.
BEFORE Photo by Client
AFTER the light renovation, which is mainly matching the kitchen flooring to the existing flooring elsewhere. We're looking out towards the lanai. Inside, the breakfast nook features a corner bench seat in turquoise blue on the seat pillow, and a floral pattern on the back pillows. Overhead is a white pendant light. The walls are white and the flooring is a honey blond wood. You can just see a bit of the white countertop and the handle of the wine fridge.
AFTER 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 Client
AFTER 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!

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Elevate Your Sofa’s Look

Mar 04, 2024 | Posted in How To & Decorating Tips |

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

Contemporary San Francisco design firm uses springtime colors to fill the downtown SF Lumina condo with pink and lilac flower rug. yellow velvet swivel chairs, and shadow leaf patterned wallpaper, all designed by award winning design firm Kimball Starr
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.

Springtime colors fill a downtown San Francisco condo on a pink and lilac flower rug, yellow velvet swivel chairs, and shadow leaf patterned wallpaper, all designed by award winning interior design firm Kimball Starr
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

A luxurious living room with peach painted walls, warm wood window surrounds, fixed curtains either side of the window wall, green velvet armchairs, and a periwinkle sofa filled with overstuffed custom pillows in green and blue and yellow florals and patterns. Soft blinds diffuse the light coming from behind the sofa.
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.

A periwinkle sofa filled with overstuffed custom pillows in green and blue and yellow florals and green pierced patterns.
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

A living room with a double aspect window corner wall and view of city buildings in San Francisco. Inside the living room, there is a red sofa dressed with primary colored pillows of yellow and blue. Nearby are a pair of modern yellow chairs, a pair of grey patterned tub chairs, a glass coffee table, and a pair of red poufs on a black rug with white geometric lines.
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.

A closer look at the red sofa dressed with a yellow patterned pillow. Nearby are a pair of modern yellow chairs, a pair of glass lamps, one grey and one black, and a coffee table created from a glass top over a metal frame previously used to carry brides through the streets of Guatemala on their wedding day.
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.

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No Demo Reno Kitchen

Feb 19, 2024 | Posted in Before & After, How To & Decorating Tips |

Have you ever wanted to change your home’s interior spaces, but not go through months of construction? Wouldn’t it be great to have a new space for the new year, but without all the headaches of tearing out walls and rebuilding?

Here’s how we did a no-demolition-renovation of a San Francisco kitchen recently.

A beautiful kitchen in off-white vertical ceramic subway tiling and countertops, cornflower-blue upper and lower cabinetry with silver drawer pulls, silver and black cooktop and hob, silver refrigerator, and a butcher block island countertop with 3 white counter height stools. Above hangs a pendant light that resembles the famous artichoke light, plus there are recessed lights in the ceiling. The far right end of the kitchen opens into a mostly white dining area with windows at the end.
Design by Kimball Starr / Photo by Steph Dewey

This is what the space looks like after we completed the work. I just love how light and refreshing it feels!

The imitation artichoke pendant light is an affordable way to add a standout design feature, while the butcher block is both practical and useful as a countertop and a dining/seating area.

The same kitchen but in warm wood tones, white countertops, and silver appliances. No color other than wood, white, silver and black. 3 modern black and silver counter height stools sit in front of the butcher block island, which is finished entirely in matching wood vertical surfaces to the countertop.
BEFORE photo by SFARMLS

The kitchen was easily usable with plenty of counter space and cabinets, but also totally bland in wood tones and white, without much texture, color or pizazz. We didn’t need to move anything, just update the finishes.

A close-up view of the corner with veined white countertops, vertical white tiling, cornflower blue upper and lower cabinets, warm wood open shelving dressed with plants, cookbooks, and sculptures of birds. On the counter is a pair of flowers in square white pots, with a pair of tiny chairs, one in yellow and one in orange, next to the flowers.
AFTER Design by Kimball Starr / Photo by Steph Dewey

We kept the same countertops, painted the cabinets, and added open shelving for storage and display. I set subway tiles on the vertical instead of horizontally, creating a much more modern look.

We chose cornflower blue as a color that communicates trust and safety, something everyone’s home should support. It’s also a great backdrop for colorful, delicious food!

Now my client enjoys her new kitchen and didn’t have to go through months of construction dust and displacement.

Kimball Starr designs for unique 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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Pantone COTY Peach Fuzz

Feb 05, 2024 | Posted in Trends |

Drawn in peach color: A person blowing on a dandelion, with white text saying Embrace the Warmth, and in a small square, Color of the Year 2024 Pantone and underneath Peach Fuzz 13-1023.
Image courtesy Pantone

It’s here: One of my favorite January traditions, discovering the Pantone Color of the Year, and thinking about how I can utilize it in my 2024 work!

A panel with a slightly darker peach background and a sample of the new Pantone Color of the Year: Pantone 13-1023 Peach Fuzz on the left side. On the right side is a quotation and photo of the speaker. The text reads: What is PANTONE 13-1023 Peach Fuzz? It captures our desire to nurture ourselves and others. It's a velvety gentle peach tone whose all-embracing spirit enriches mind, body, and soul. Leatrice Eiseman, Executive Director of Pantone Color Institute, says, "In seeking a hue that echoes our innate yearning for closeness and connection, we chose a color radiant with warmth and modern elegance. A shade that resonates with compassion, offers a tactile embrace, and effortlessly bridges the youthful with the timeless."
Swatch and quote courtesy Pantone

Below are a few ways companies are responding:

On the floor, an area rug in creamy orange and a 3/4 circle of darker orange. Upon the rug sits a pink loveseat sofa with 3 throw pillows: A grey vertical stripe, a round solid orange, and a white faux fur. Next to the sofa is a white modern side table dressed with two books and a small plant. Next to the table are a wall-hung mirror and a fiddle plant. Above on the wall is a pink and green and maroon abstract artwork.
Photo courtesy Ruggable

Ruggable created custom Peach Fuzz designs that are simple, sweet, and pretty. They make me want to wiggle my bare toes on their rugs with a cocktail in hand.

On a light peach background stands a gold and black phone with peach and white and pink colorful striped shapes on the screen and 11:35 showing as the time. Next to it is another of the same phone, folded in half and standing upright, showing the camera lenses on the back which are now on the front as it stands folded. More of the gold edge is visible on the folded phone.
Photo courtesy Motorola

Motorola collabs with Pantone to unwrap what’s likely the first of many new phone designs we’ll see this year, but possibly the only one with a foldable concept.

3 square examples of the winning fabric designs from Spoonflower and Pantone. On the left, the Grand Prize Winner, "Large Peaches Branches with Leaves on Cream by Elana Amo." In the center, Runner Up, "Sunrise Crane Flight - Large 14 by Shelly Penko" featuring large white birds in front of pink clouds against a peach sky. On the right, Runner Up, "Rosy Pelicans by artypeaches" shows multiple large white and pink birds standing between pink plants and reddish pink textural dappled dirt.
Images courtesy Spoonflower

The fabric firm Spoonflower and Pantone together unveiled unique designs by three artists — each featuring florals, plants, or animals — with more planned, including a series of design challenges.

I can’t wait to use this warm, welcoming color in a project this year. Will it be yours?

Kimball Starr designs for trendy and timeless 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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