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Award Winner + Client Praise

May 11, 2026 | Posted in Starr Spotlight | Share

Black background with white writing: We Won Best of Houzz! Design. A green slanted building with white Houzz logo in top left corner, bearing writing in white: 2026 Best of Houzz Design. Little green circles or bubbles in varying transparency are scattered across the black background.
Graphic courtesy Houzz

I’m so proud to announce that we’ve been awarded Best of Houzz for the 14th time, as winners of the Houzz Design category this year!

There are new projects in our Houzz profile featuring fully renovated properties and smaller projects such as custom kitchens, bathrooms, and bedrooms, so please go enjoy yourself.

Living room with white walls and ceiling, purple sofa with matching footrest, orange patterned rug, 2 purple chairs facing the sofa, a glass coffee table, and 3 jewel-green poufs tucked underneath a slatted wooden wall with under-mount lighting that shows off the large television. Pillows, bird sculptures, artwork, and tableside lamps provide interest. The floor is a medium warm wood color. Light streams in through the double window, while recessed lighting is also provided above.
Design by Kimball Starr / Photo by Client

It’s also my pleasure to share that one of my clients wrote a glowing Yelp review of our project together. I’m thrilled that she loves it so much.

A close-up view of the corner with the purple sofa and throw pillows, 5 framed photos on the wall behind, one of which is pink and the rest are black and white, with 3 more small artworks on the 90-degree wall. A light green ceramic lamp with a gold lampshade sits on the narrow white side table, casting light and shadows.
Design by Kimball Starr / Photo by Client

What a fabulous use of color – AND she’s one of my favorite clients of all time BECAUSE of her desire for color and texture!

Looking from behind the green dining table chairs and warm wood table dressed with orange and green flowers and an artichoke, we can see the living room just beyond, with the purple couch, framed photos, side tables, and lamps.
Design by Kimball Starr / Photo by Client

You have to experience the space as a whole, because the colors draw you in further as you see how the dining room tones with the kitchen, and the living room contrasts with the dining area.

A head-on look at the kitchen, with upper and lower cabinets in moss green and gold hardware, contrasting the white marble-look counters and backsplash. A black and gold faucet hangs over the silver undermount sink to the right side. A black with silver range and silver hood above sit in the center. A window is peeking off to the right behind the sink.
Design by Kimball Starr / Photo by Client

Green is still a popular kitchen color, especially when mixed with gold hardware, black accessories, and white marble surfaces.

A mostly-white bathroom with black hardware. A skylight above provides light in addition to the recessed lighting above the shower, which is glass with black framing and has black shower handle and knobs. A lighted recessed shower niche is filled with off-white tiles that match the rest of the shower, while the off-white and grey floor tiles are coordinating but not matching. A white toilet sits between the shower and the sink, which is finished with dark wood cabinetry and marble-look counters. Two artworks are framed in black on the wall above the toilet.
Design by Kimball Starr / Photo by Client

In the bathroom, black hardware counterpoints the oversize white floor tiles, and a modern lighted shower niche inset is beautiful and useful.

A five-star Yelp review from Laura G on 1/15/26 reads: Kimball is absolutely incredible--I had never hired an interior designer in my life, but then I was so overwhelmed by the task of furnishing a new house that I decided professional help was in order. Kimball got back to my initial query right away, offered an informed and realistic quote, and outlined her process in an appealing and accessible way. Then I learned that not only is she an excellent communicator and business operator-- she is a style genius. I gave her a deranged word salad of the aesthetic I was looking for and she outlines it into an action plan, developed a gorgeous color palette, taught me how to do simple home edits and fixes myself, offered a bunch of insider discounts, provided a range of price point choices for various items, helped me place orders, and made sure every single order was correct. At one point, she even came to my house to personally install two lamps and a rug because I was out of town when they delivered. When another lamp arrived damaged, she got me a replacement for free. By the end of her process, I was living in the most gorgeously decorated house I've ever seen, and the total expenditures came out significantly UNDER her original estimate. I loved working with Kimball and would recommend her to anyone! Underneath is a reply from Kimball, which says, Thank you so incredibly much for your kind words. You were an absolutely joy to work with! I'm happy you love your newly designed space as much as I enjoyed creating it.
Client review courtesy Laura G. and Yelp

If you have questions about materials, colors, methods, or furniture, I’m happy to answer.

Kimball Starr designs beautiful homes throughout the San Francisco Bay Area and Lake Tahoe. Contact her today for an in-person or remote consultation.

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