Do you have a tiny home? Feel like there’s nowhere to put your belongings and the walls are closing in!? In this televised series of “Creative Living”, Kimball Starr is featured in this 2-part segment where she shares ideas on how to maximize the space in your home and live large in a small space. After you’ve watched this, the second half of the segment can be found at Design Tips for Small Space Living: Video 2 of 2.
Video transcript below:
♪[music]♪
– [Announcer] With your host, Sheryl Borden.
– [Sheryl] Kimball, thank you so much for being here. As a designer, I’m sure you’re asked all kinds of interesting questions from people but, today I thought it would be a fun if we could talk about a small living space or the space that we have available, but sometimes it’s so cramped that it’s hard to entertain or hard to, to have multiple tasks going on. What suggestions do you have for us?
– [Kimball] Exactly, you hit it on, you hit the nail on the head. Definitely, in small spaces, there are some things you can do. One: You can work with how the space looks so you can make it more contemporary, very little ornamentation, keep clutter out of the way.
– Keep it simple.
– Yes. Clever ways to store items and finding furniture that serves dual-purpose is really important. So something like a coffee table that you can sit on but it also serves storage needs.
– Aha. Oh, good. Okay, let’s look. This will be fun!
– So I have lots of examples here. So we’ve got a bathroom, which is, everyone’s got small bathrooms. Here, using this cabinet, using built-in storage. If people can afford to do custom built-ins, I definitely recommend it because every inch is invaluable in a small space. So when you walk in, the toilet is actually on the other side of this cabinet.
– So it’s a divider, right?
– That’s right. So instead of being against the wall, it’s actually perpendicular to the wall so it serves storage needs but it’s also a privacy divider. So, this is a situation where you’re using your furniture to serve multiple purposes. And then, angling your floor tiles will help make the space seem bigger as well. And in showers, if you use a curbless shower so you don’t have anything to step over which is easier to get in and out of the shower.
– That’s a good point.
– And it also makes the space flow and…
– Instead of breaking it up with that divider.
– And using the same floor material, so it’s the same tile that is on the outside going in so it’s just one seamless look. And then of course, as I just said, utilizing custom built-ins. This utilizes every square inch…
– Great space.
– …flush [to the wall] and then, it doesn’t feel cramped because we have the frameless shower glass on the left so you still have this visual open space.
– Oh, instead of something blocking if it were a solid, we can just continue our look.
– Absolutely. Now here’s a custom built-in media cabinet, which is wall-mounted. So by wall-mounting, it leaves space underneath for air to flow which is really important to not have a space feel cluttered, and this serves multiple purposes. We can serve alcohol and glassware up here. We can have this to serve drinks, and below is all the media and AV storage. It’s wall-mounted, the power goes straight through the wall. It’s wired into an overhead ceiling projector. The ceiling projector projects onto a pull-down screen. You can watch your internet, you can play video games.
– Oh my goodness!
– You can watch sports.
– And, and no wires. I love that. It’s not that cluttered look with all the wires.
– It’s amazing. That’s right, and you can roll the projection screen, which is also ceiling-mounted, up and down and get it out of the way and you don’t have to waste space storing a TV. And for a dining area, using transparent or translucent furniture lets the space feel more spacious. Glass coffee tables, translucent chairs….
– Again, because we see through it.
– That’s right.
– It doesn’t block or stop our vision. I see.
– Absolutely. And also with the cabinetry, it’s seamless in that it’s all the same color so it just fades into the background. But the nice thing is, having the glossy black of the refrigerator helps reflect light and actually gives it more depth. So, it feels like the space has more depth to it. And then if you’re lucky enough to have floor-to-ceiling glass windows…
– Oh, yeah.
– …that definitely, it makes the walls dissolve, but not everybody is quite that fortunate.
Kimball Starr is a San Francisco award winning interior design firm whose interior design has been featured on national television and globally published in a series of hardcover books. Diverse spaces spanning contemporary design to traditional interiors are indicative of the variety of styles provided by this San Francisco Bay Area design firm.
We are pleased to share that Kimball Starr has been published in her second hardcover book, Country-Style Residences! Her project “Hillside Retreat” is one of 34 projects highlighted as exceptional examples of variations on country style: British, French, American, and Modern. Kimball’s project falls under the Modern category.
Kimball Starr Interior Design | Photo by Eric Rorer
Kimball Starr’s ‘Hillside Retreat’ is a San Francisco urban location, surrounded by woods and natural elements. While the project leans toward the modern style, country style is displayed through the use of many plants, plant-themed decorative paintings, and floral-patterned fabrics, as you can see in the bedrooms. Though this project features a rich palette, it is unified by the use of a single dominant color in each room – chartreuse and teal in the dining room, cherry-toned wood in the kitchen, yellow in the master bedroom and tangerine in the guest bedroom.
Kimball Starr Interior Design | Photo by Eric Rorer
Translated into English and Chinese, this hardcover publication boasts many beautiful photographs illustrating why the projects were chosen from around the world.
Kimball Starr Interior Design | Photo by Eric Rorer
In this San Francisco home design, fabrics such as cotton, leather, wool, velvet and linen reinforce the tactile comfort of the spaces, while the carefully-selected furnishings bring in playful modernity, and provide a sense of lightness and fun.
Kimball Starr Interior Design | Photo by Eric Rorer
Kimball Starr Interior Design | Photo by Eric Rorer
In the beautiful hardcover book, we are proud to have our project featured next to the 2014 AD100 New York interior designer Jamie Drake of Drake Design, the Architectural Digest list that names the top 100 architects and designers in the world!
If you would like a copy to display on your own coffee table, you can purchase Country Style Residences through Amazon.com.
Do you have multiple tech items that you absolutely cannot live without such as a smartphone, tablet, computer, iPod, and camera, but could do without the mess of cords? We CAN live without the unsightly, tangled mess of wires and cables that inevitably goes along with all these gadgets. Here are some ideas for taming the tangle.
Design and photo by Sarah Dorsey
Houzz user Sarah Dorsey explains how to make graphic panels that easily conceal cables: “Using minimal tools and a damage-free hanging system, I created three panels for my desk — two act as stylish accents and one hides the outlet and messy wires. One of the best things about this project is that it’s completely customizable.” So customizable that she created her own stencil, too! Read the details on Houzz.
Design and photo by Kate Pruitt
For those who are less mechanically adept but still like to DIY, here’s an idea that’s the opposite of concealment – embracing the wires and creating a beautiful object out of them instead: “Electrical cords continue to vex those with aesthetic sensibilities; the majority of us want them to blend unobtrusively into the background — or better yet, disappear altogether. Say you have a cord that needs to stretch across a room, and you’re sick of the tack-it-along-the-floorboards approach… Make the cord the center of attention, perhaps a giant colorful braid that you probably won’t trip on because, well, you can’t stop staring at it.” Kate Pruitt shows you how with helpful step-by-step photos on DesignSponge.
Not ready to adorn your room with a huge braid of cords? Legrand offers an innovative range of office products to make those wires vanish while allowing access, portability, and even retractability. Their flat-screen TV cord and cable kit is a godsend for homeowners: “Do-it-yourself kit allows for neat and easy installation in under 30 minutes with no electrician or hard wiring involved.” The kit complements Legrand’s Cordmate II Cord Channel kit and Cordmate II Flex.
Kimball Starr Interior Design / Photo by Eric Rorer
And our favorite solution? Custom furniture! Here Kimball designed a wall mounted contemporary media cabinet to encompass the power outlet, eliminating all wires from view. The center shelf is positioned at bar height so it can be used to prepare cocktails or pour wine, while glasses and bottles are stored in the upper cabinets behind garage-style doors. The lower compartments store games and multimedia components which are wired through the wall connected to a ceiling mounted projector which then projects your video onto a concealed screen- not only tech savvy but stylish!
If you enjoyed these ideas get in touch through the contact page. We’d love to create a custom furniture solution to your cord calamity!
San Francisco interior design firm, Kimball Starr, provides custom furniture and interior decorating solutions for homes throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. Kimball works to “change lives one room at a time” through designing unique and creative interiors suited for each homeowner.
So you’ve decided you want to do some work on your home, perhaps refresh your dated bathroom, upgrade your home office into a tech haven, or rip out that frustratingly-designed workspace and gain the cook’s kitchen of your dreams. You have some ideas, but don’t really know where to start. How do you organize your thoughts into a coherent plan? Where can you find the fixtures and fittings you want? This is a great opportunity to bring in a professional interior designer, who can help you realize your goals.
Before you even begin to seek out a designer, start by gathering some inspirational photos. Go through old and new magazines, look at design blogs you enjoy and start to identify what your style and taste is. There are several easy ways to do this. If you have a Pinterest account, start a board with your favorite photos. Collect them together and you will start to see patterns emerge – maybe you like mid-century modern, or art deco, or maybe you like contemporary but definitely not too modern. It’s easy to gather products and vignettes on Pinterest and you can even share your board with your spouse or partner, and later with your designer.
You can also save photos of real interiors to an ideabook on Houzz, a fabulous resource for all things residential design. There you can follow specific designers whose style you admire, and you might even connect with a few designers and feel them out, asking questions about their selections and techniques. Another very happening source of inspiration is Instagram – tons of designers post their project progress photos, and items they are sourcing. Use hashtags to search on specific keywords and discover new designers that way, such as #fauxfinish or #modernkitchen.
Once you have an idea of what your style is, and maybe a few designers whose work you admire, sit down and think about your budget. Do this at a time when you are not rushed, and you have access to your financial information so you can record facts, rather than guesses. What is your budget range? Have a low and high end. Make sure you are not breaking the bank, but have a comfortable amount that is realistic for the project you have in mind. If you’re not sure what that is, when you start interviewing designers, ask them for their advice.
Photo courtesy inmobiliarialuxus.com
Here are some things to consider when selecting your interior designer:
Do you like their style? Have you seen their work – either online or in person? Do you like what they’ve done for other people? If not, keep looking.
What is their work personality like? Are they prompt about returning phone calls and emails? What is their communication style? If you don’t like reading long emails and you can’t get this person on the phone, then you might not be a good match.
What is their reputation? Do they provide references from prior or current clients? Do they have a Yelp and what are the reviews like?
Do they have a professional affiliation and credentials? Are they a member of the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) or the International Interior Design Association (IIDA)? Do they have a degree in interior design? From what school? Have they passed the National Council for Interior Design Qualification (NCIDQ) exam? Are they a Certified Interior Designer (CID)? They don’t necessarily have to have ALL these credentials, but they should be able to show that they are educated and knowledgable about the field in which they practice, and have specific current knowledge about building codes in the state(s) in which they work.
Do they share your values? Are you seeking a sustainable designer? They should be a LEED AP (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Accredited Professional) or certified in Green Globes or some other green building and construction program. If you are thrifty or have a lower budget, your designer should share that value as well, to watch the pennies for you. However, keep in mind that designers need to make money also, so your budget should not be so low as to only work for DIY.
Are they transparent about their fees? Does your interior designer take a certain percentage of the total budget cost or a mark-up on items purchased for you? Do they charge an hourly rate? What does that include? Will they be there for installation day or do they leave that to the contractor?
Do they have local and international knowledge? They should know whom to contact for draperies and where to source a specific sofa you’ve had your eye on. While of course you can order items from overseas and have them shipped, it’s good to have relationships with local showrooms, installers and shippers, in case you run into difficulties. A good designer will know people both locally and around the world.
Finally, when you sit down to interview your proposed interior designer, make sure you LIKE them. Remember, this person is going to be privy to not only your finances, the contents of your closets, and your personal relationships, but will also be with you for quite a long time. A renovation project does not happen overnight, so you need to enjoy this person’s company and feel comfortable with them, and above all TRUST them. Think of this not as a single project, but possibly a lifetime relationship – your designer can give you valuable advice about art, purchasing a new property and how to create an entertaining space that will make you the talk of the town. While you should of course consider this a professional relationship, it will be a more satisfying one if you genuinely feel a connection.
So now that you know how to do it, don’t wait – get started on that project of your dreams today! One final tip: Kimball Starr is an excellent interior designer who meets all the qualifications I’ve listed above. Contact her for advice on your next design project. You’ll be pleased, you have my word.
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JENNIFER DAVIDSON holds an M.F.A. in Interior Architecture and Design from the Academy of Art University. She is the Social Media Chair for ASID California North Chapter and consults with interior design professionals on their small business needs. Contact her viamakesocialmediaeasy.squarespace.com
Summer is here – you can feel it in the air! This is the season when we yearn to be outside, soaking up the sun and enjoying the cool breezes. If you’re lucky enough to have an outdoor space accessible to your property, now is the time to make improvements so you can really enjoy the summer months.
Kimball Starr Interior Design / Photo by Eric Rorer
In the Palo Alto bungalow above, Kimball Starr Interior Design used outdoor furniture made of a contemporary resin material with the look of wicker but much more durable. The patio’s umbrella has a built-in light, so you can read the paper well after sunset. You’ll never have trouble finding your cocktail with these playful illuminating cube tables that double as additional seating. And the outdoor fabric on these loveseats is designed to last through years of rain, wind and sunlight without fading or becoming frayed – it dries quickly and covers a comfortable foam cushion.
Kimball Starr Interior Design / Photo by Eric Rorer
On the deck of this SOMA loft, the stunning water fountain imported from Morocco features an uplight for dramatic nighttime scenes. It’s surrounded by large-scale textural floor tiles in multiple colorations, and a stylized patterned outdoor polypropylene rug that resists fading, which can be hosed off for easy maintenance. The entire space is dotted with easy-care live plants, including the succulent wall hangings on the trellis behind the water feature. An LED sconce will light the space for 50,000 hours before it needs changing. Durable outdoor furniture withstands the weather and remains welcoming, making this truly an outdoor living room.
If you have an outdoor space that needs sprucing up, we’re happy to help – just drop us a line using the contact page!
We recently saw the latest film from director Wes Anderson, The Grand Budapest Hotel, and can’t stop raving about his fabulous use of color! We’re not alone – there’s a whole Tumblr dedicated to observing his playful palettes! Here are two selections:
Photo from “The Grand Budapest Hotel”, color palettes by Wes Anderson Palettes Tumblr
Photo from “The Grand Budapest Hotel”, palettes by Wes Anderson Palettes Tumblr
To those, we’d like to add a favorite of our own: The elevator!
Photo from “The Grand Budapest Hotel”, palettes by Kimball Starr Interior Design
We’re inspired by Anderson’s bold color choices! Are you brave enough to try these in your home or office? Get in touch- we’re color experts!
