There is good, there is great, and there is Kyoko Jackson of Yumi Interiors. Whether you are…read morelooking for a few decoration ideas, a complete remodel, or building a house from scratch you need to hire her.
To understand what makes Kyoko so great you need to understand who she is and what she does.
What -
Kyoko is trained as an interior architect. So while she has all the skills of an absolute top-notch interior designer, she is also very capable of spatial work more commonly associated with architects. She is also a superb project manager, managing the selection, sourcing, ordering, tracking and eventual installation of hundreds of discreet pieces (everything from bed knobs and countertops to shower drains, soap holders, bolts and couches)with effortless efficiency.
Who -
Dedicated, organized and unflappable, Kyoko is a pleasure to work with. She is also unusual among design professionals in her versatility. In my project, she was asked to take elements from a previous house and extend them into a totally different, and much smaller, structure. It was not an easy task, but she knocked it out of the park.
My Experience -
Kyoko joined me about four months into the down-to-the-studs renovation of an old Berkeley home. Her first task was to effectively use a kitchen space, a task a previous designer had struggled with. In less than a day she had not only great drawings but a rendered animation so I could easily understand how the kitchen would work. After that I asked her to check our blueprints for anything that seemed off. She found a subtle but major error that, had it stood, would have made for a much less good house. And so went the rest of the project, with Kyoko, again and again, delivering excellence as a designer, as a planner, as a decorator, and as a project manager.
Yes, she's that good. And you are welcome.
