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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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Fireplace Updates

Jan 22, 2024 | Posted in Before & After |

Potbelly Stove to Contemporary Custom Fireplace

View of a contemporary fireplace with art hung over it, a stool and rug in front of it over a wood floor, walls clad in knotty wood, an beyond on the left, a modern dining area with a tiered glass chandelier over a twist-legged table with leather chairs. A set of sliding glass doors allows light and greenery in from just beyond the dining area.
AFTER: Design by Kimball Starr / Photo by Paul Dyer

When winter arrives, people want to cozy up to a warm fireplace.

A black potbelly stove sits alongside a pair of folding chairs in front of knotty wood-clad walls.
BEFORE: Photo by Kimball Starr

This cute home has a cabin-y feel, with the knotty cedar wood paneling. While the potbelly stove did go with the environment, the client wanted a more modern, updated look.

A contemporary black ribbon fireplace with a greyish white wall above. On the wall hangs a black and white art canvas. In front of the fireplace sits a small mid-century modern wooden stool on a grey faux fur rug.
AFTER: Design by Kimball Starr / Photo by Paul Dyer

I custom-designed this simple, contemporary fireplace to be beautiful and also provide a place to display art. The raised hearth is cantilevered and reinforced with steel so it’s now a seating area, too. A mid-century stool and faux fur rug extend the warmth further into the room.

Tired 70s to Smart Retro Modern

A dated fireplace in a tan marbled tile finish, with a large step hearth and small mantle, over a warm wooden floor. Small photos and collectibles sit atop the mantle. Two logs are in the fireplace and another log waits in a handled basket on the right side of the hearth.
BEFORE: Photo by Kimball Starr

My client’s plain fireplace really needed an update.

AFTER: Design by Kimball Starr / Photo by Steph Dewey

We upgraded the vertical surface finishes with elegant white tiling and added geometric floor tiles instead of the old hearth box. I took away the mantel for a clean look. Now it’s modern, fresh and fun!

Kimball Starr designs custom fireplaces in contemporary 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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Refresh and Renew

Dec 31, 2023 | Posted in Before & After |

Welcome to 2024

I just love a new year, getting a chance to have a fresh start, and time to renew yourself and your environment to prepare for the year ahead. If you’re dreaming of a refreshed and renovated home, read on for a beautiful before-and-after!

View of white kitchen with blue accent color backsplash tiles and silver appliances. The kitchen island's cabinetry is also painted blue with a white marble countertop, and blue glass pendant lights hang above the island. A medium wood door is visible at the left and windows on the right.
Design by Kimball Starr / Photo by Paul Dyer

Above is how my client’s kitchen looks now, after I shifted a wall and added a door and an island.

Left photo: Looking into the kitchen at the sink in front of a pair of windows, limited by sheetrock walls as you enter the kitchen. Right photo: Open kitchen entrance showing the sink and windows directly ahead of you, plus a blue kitchen island with white marble countertops on the left, and matching backsplash tiling on the walls to the right. Warm wood-clad walls face you, and blue glass pendant lights hang above the sink and island.
Left: BEFORE / Right: AFTER Design by Kimball Starr / Photo by Paul Dyer

You can see how limiting the sheetrock walls were. After removing the walls, now the kitchen is open and welcoming.

Left photo: A warm leather recliner sits with its back to the corner entrance to the kitchen. Wooden beams are just visible at the ceiling. Right photo: Standing at the corner of the dining room, clad in warm wood wall planks with a circular tiered glass chandelier above a white and dark wood modern dining table and blue chairs. On the left is the kitchen in blue and white, a wide open space flanked by white cabinetry and the blue painted island in the center.
Left: BEFORE / Right: AFTER Design by Kimball Starr / Photo by Paul Dyer

We changed the container of the space to improve flow and make it more usable. The sheetrock corner went away, we added a beam overhead, and clad the dining room wall to match the rest of the space.

Left photo: Two pairs of windows are visible on the wall, while a tile-topped kitchen peninsula sticks out under a row of white cabinets, with many items on the surfaces. Right photo: Kitchen in blue and white, a wide open space flanked by white cabinetry and white countertops, warm wood on the far wall, and the blue painted island in the center. Blue glass pendant lamps hang above the island and kitchen sink.
Left: BEFORE / Right: AFTER Design by Kimball Starr / Photo by Paul Dyer

On the left is how the kitchen previously looked in my client’s San Francisco home. Cramped, dark, and no place to put things down while cooking. On the right, my solution to create a light and airy kitchen with style!

Standing in the kitchen looking past the white counterop of the kitchen island, with 2 lucite counterheight seats. Across from the island is the aluminum refrigerator and more white cabinetry. A peek of the blue wall tiles is seen on the left as you pass through the kitchen into the living room. You see the fireplace as you enter that area.
AFTER Design by Kimball Starr / Photo by Paul Dyer

Looking through the kitchen towards the living room and dining room, you can see how interconnected everything is now in my clients’ bright and contemporary home.

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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