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 inquiry 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 outlined 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! read more

"Each room belongs in a Design magazine!" - what I hear from everyone who walks in :) I remodeled an entire condo and Kimball guided the design process. Her keen sense of design, professionalism and most important - patience, made it a pleasure to work with her during an otherwise stressful period. Brining a vision of how I wanted my home to look, Kimball educated me on finishes, color combinations, textures and overall design protocol. For the kitchen and bathrooms, she meticulously drafted the plans for the contractors ensuring our unique designs came to life, and consulted on furniture selection and placement. Saying I love how the condo turned out would be an understatement. I highly recommend Kimball Starr! read more

We hired Kimball to help us remodel a small bathroom and office space, and it was a great decision. I literally cannot (and don't really want to) imagine what decisions we might have made, left to our own devices :-) Kimball encouraged us to think a little more broadly about how to use the space, perhaps a bit forcefully at times, but all in the service of providing a great, livable design that fits our lifestyle and aesthetics. She was also a great advocate for us with the contractor, especially for the tile layout. Excellent communication, she listened carefully to the input from my husband and me, and helped us navigate our differences. Highly recommended! read more

Me and my fiance were at a loss as to how to make our 800 square foot place livable for two people. Enter Kimball, who did our friend's modern place in SF and craftsman place in Palo Alto, both of which we loved. She walked through our place, listened to our priorities, and came up with various tangible suggestions on how we could reorganize our space for storage, livability and aesthetics. She also suggested different options for different budgets (websites for furniture, carpeting, window blinds) as well as vendors ranging from mass production to cookie cutter. She spent a ton of time with us, measuring tape in hand, and was smiling and pleasant as we worked through our "personal space issues" in front of her. In short, she's creative, pleasant, affable, resourceful and a seamless dream to work with. If redecorating is stressful, do yourself a favor and mitigate that with Kimball. read more

Highly recommend Kimball's design services. We initially contracted with another designer who did not care to listen to our input. Kimball was a breath of fresh air after that experience. She worked with us to spruce up our living room and second bedroom, and to create a lush, inviting bar room with exactly the look/feel we wanted. We were a challenge because my wife and I have very different design tastes, but Kimball was so great at listening to what each of us wanted and providing options that would appeal to us both, and coached us along until a compromise could be met. We worked together for many months (mainly due to slowness on our end) and she was always available to us -- whether it was consultations at home, going to the design center to pick out fabrics or tile, or putting us in touch with contractors for new built-in shelving. We really valued and trusted Kimball's experience, advice, and suggestions throughout our project. I look forward to our next project together! read more

Kimball Starr is a top notch interior decorator! Instead of abandoning our rent controlled apartment in the city, we decided to invest some money and enhance the space. I love to shop for furnishings and have strong opinions, initially it didn't occur to me that I could use a designers help, I couldn't have been more wrong! We chose to start with our bedroom and Kimball provided several, well thought out ideas for us to chose from (all within our budget: love that!). I couldn't be happier with the process and the end result, even my boyfriend said "It looks like a different room!". I look forward to working with Kimball on more rooms in our apartment! read more

Kimball is amazing. She was our designer for a full remodel and guided us through decisions ranging from light fixtures to wood floor stain colors to hardware to doing the layout design and elevations for our LR built ins, laundry room, office and tandem desk. I loved how she was opinionated but not pushy, and really advocated for what I laid out as my vision at the beginning of the project. She is very low key and warm without being a pushover. She frequently suggested things that at first I didn't gravitate towards, but I would end up choosing in the end because they were the right choices. She also worked extremely well with our contractor and was always professional and personable with vendors. I highly recommend Kimball for any interior design or more complex design projects read more

We just finished a complete remodel of our master bath and we hired Kimball to help with the design. What a great experience! Not only did she help us navigate the design process but she also helped us make all of the color and finish decisions along the way. The result is both beautiful and functional. Kimball is easy to talk to and has a wonderful sense of humor. In addition to help with colors and finishes she made sure everything was to scale in the room and in line with the style of our 90 year old house. If you're planning a remodel you should consider Kimball. We would definitely hire her again. read more

We recently remodeled our kitchen, laundry and dining room and converted a storage room into a bedroom with Kimball as our designer. It ended up being a 7-month project, largely because we accidentally timed it to coincide with Covid-19 lockdown (I don't recommend this). In total, it cost over $200K, so not a trivial project. Kimball was essential because (1) neither my husband nor I have much in the way of design flair and yet we disagree on almost everything, (2) we didn't understand the process, and (3) we needed help finding the right builder, cabinet-maker and countertop manufacturer. Design Kimball brings the perfect blend of design chops, pragmatism, fortitude and calm. She stuck to her guns when it was important (and she was always right), but was adaptable to our input where it made sense. She listened carefully to us and our divergent perspectives and somehow magicked up designs that we both liked. We love the renovated dining room, where Kimball advised on color scheme, furniture, furnishings. She was very heavily involved in the kitchen remodel, which has been a life-changer for me. She dramatically improved the layout, getting rid of pinch points and opening up the line of sight. She came with me to work on the countertop layout (I had no idea that was so complicated). Our storage room has been converted into a cozy bedroom with a built-in closet that makes best use of limited space. Kimball provided clear instructions to the building team so the lights, power sockets, tiles etc. were in the right places aesthetically and from a practical standpoint too: she balances form and function. She presented curated selections for tiles, paints, cabinetry, so my husband and I weren't overwhelmed with choice. She spent a lot of time on color, what works, what doesn't. Without Kimball, we would have stepped on lots of landmines. Process I was worried that working with a designer would be loose and fluffy, but Kimball is organized, structured and thorough. She gets into the weeds, produces accurate drawings and double checks things so we don't have mistakes to rectify later. She explains the process and what needs to happen when in order to stay on track. Contacts Kimball introduced us to our contractor (who did a great job), our cabinetry contact (who also did a great job) and our countertop company (ditto). From what I read/hear, it's rare for a renovation to go as smoothly as ours did, much of this during a global pandemic, mind you. Kimball was a pleasure to work with. She's fun and funny, able to navigate serious differences in the opinions of her clients to get to an excellent outcome acceptable to all parties. I would wholeheartedly recommend Kimball to friends and would definitely use her services again for future remodels. read more

Kimball just did the design of my bathroom and kitchen renovation at my condo in Civic Center Heights. I really could not be more pleased with the process and the result. Kimball is a good listener. She has a way of understanding what your driving toward even if you cannot fully explain it. She is knowledgeable, personable, a good communicator -- and affordable. In fact, her fee as a percentage of the total cost of the project is quite small. Considering the time it takes to do these projects and the time I'm going to live with them, it was a good value and a good investment. Kimball was also able to act as my project manager when I was out of town. She interfaced easily with my general contractor, keeping the project on schedule and on budget. I would definitely use Kimball again and have no hesitancy to recommend her. read more

We've worked with Kimball on two very different projects, and can't recommend her highly enough. The first project was a gut renovation of a tiny bathroom. The size of the bathroom made design choices especially important because we needed to maximize the use of space. The second project was a whole-house remodel, where she was involved every step of the way, from space planning to physical layout (walls, electrical, etc.), selection of all materials (tiles, flooring, fixtures, paint colors), interior design, and serving as our liaison with the contractor throughout the whole, year-long process. We could not have made it through the process without her. Here are some things that worked really well: - She did a great job of listening to our design preferences while also offering clear recommendations and guidance. She contributed expertise vs just implementing our initial, uninformed opinions. - She is extremely organized and a skilled project manager, tracking every decision that needs to be made, understanding how choices are integrated, timelines, ordering, delivery & installation processes, etc. - She's incredibly detail-oriented and can envision exactly what things will look like once they're finished. This means that she could give us practical advice on things that we didn't even realize were important. She also offloaded an incredible amount of work, which was critical for us. - She made the process efficient by quickly guiding us towards designs & products that met our criteria, saving us time and money by not having to conduct a wide, laborious search. She would take direction from us re: how involved we wanted her to be. If we wanted her to choose specific options and bring them to the house to evaluate, she could do that. If we just wanted general guidelines & do something ourselves, she could set us up for success there, too. - She has deep experience working with contractors. She spoke their language and so could communicate with them much more productively than we could. She could also incorporate construction considerations (what would it take to install? what else would it affect?) into our choices. For example, she worked directly with the tile expert to lay out the tile so that the final tile design incorporated the contractor's expertise and also met our design objectives. She also developed the specific electrical plan and worked with the contractor on specific placement of walls, etc. - Of course, her sense of design is impeccable. And she's skilled at client management, so she always had diplomatic ways of steering us towards good choices. :) You absolutely can't go wrong hiring Kimball. While I hope to never renovate our house again, if we did, I would seek her out. read more

We used Kimball when we first moved into our house to help us with paint colors for our open floor plan. The prior owners had left the house soul-less, with "gasp" shiny, shiny white walls everywhere. She came over, listened closely to who we are and what we are looking for and brought out ideas that just made sense. In the end the color palette that Kimball helped us create was perfect for not only our living space, but also our personalities. We would recommend Kimball to friends and family without hesitiation. read more

Kimball helped us select furniture for our living room. As an interior designer, I believe her greatest skill set is her ability to listen and incorporate the styles of her customers. Sam, my fiancé, and I each had our own unique style. Kimball blended our decorative styles, adding a sophisticated touch. She is very patient, flexible, and friendly. We went through 3 different living room layouts and looked at several couches before we found the look we loved. She gives excellent and honest feedback. I was really thankful to have her by my side at furniture show rooms because she knew the right questions to ask and is very knowledgeable about her industry. Redesigning a room with Sam was very meaningful experience for me. It is symbolic of our new journey together and we thank Kimball for the great kick-off. read more

I decided to re-design my office and enlisted the help of Kimball Starr. I never worked with a designer before so I wasn't sure what to expect. I have to say it was the right decision! Kimball was wonderful!!! She was very attentive, and really understood what I was looking for. I very much appreciate how thoughtful she was when it came to what I wanted. I was nervous at first but her personable and fun personality put me at ease right away. She came into my space with a confidence that let me know she could get the job done, and done very well, and in a timely manner. I have to say I'm not the type of person who usually would enlist help when it comes to creative matters, but I'm very glad I did. I highly recommend her services if you have any design needs, I couldn't have been happier with the results. THANK YOU KIMBALL STARR!! read more

We feel so lucky to have found Kimball Starr! After working with some wonderful design-savvy but time-limited friends for over a year, we realized we weren't making as much progress furnishing our home as we wanted. Our living and dining rooms were wonderful canvases but we needed a LOT of assistance with wall art, furniture, decorations, storage, etc. On a whim, I researched interior designers on Yelp and found Kimball. Upon meeting her, I loved her energy, vision, and love for color as evidenced by her questions and her portfolio online. I felt an immediate connection and decided to move forward. My husband and I have slightly different styles and she worked very hard to make sure we were both heard in the process. Our goal was that we would turn our wonderful, open, and warm house into a home filled with objects, nature, and color that represented us and she NAILED it. She was great about our feedback. Sometimes her suggestions were good but not exactly what we wanted only we couldn't articulate the reason. She really took the time to draw out our feelings (this was hard for us because neither of us are design people!) and she always came back with something that we loved. Who knew that decorating could be so much fun! We receive several comments each month on how inviting and special our living space is and I couldn't agree more. If I was ever moving or building a new home I would absolutely consult with Kimball again as I've never been so happy in any apartment or house I've ever lived in. Thank you Kimball! read more

After a great deal of research via phone and emails of other designers in the SF Bay Area, finding Kimball was finding a light in the darkness! A fairly small project in terms of space, I really needed help transforming my "hold everything" mess of a room into a functional home office for me and my husband AND a baby space. It was an odd project that required a great deal of patience for the few things we knew we needed and wanted, alongside creativity and ingenuity to work in the things Kimball could see we needed. Kimball afforded us the luxury of asking questions of someone who could hold a master plan in her head, without being judgmental (something other designers I spoke with weren't very good at)l. She listened to both our ideas on taste, talked to us about our favorite stores, and respected our budget. And, with great kindness, she let me sit on the project when I got pregnant in the middle of it and decided to hold off for months on finishing the baby half until I was really ready to do so. Now, just a few weeks from the expected arrival of our little one, the room is functional, sweet, attractive and modern. You will never find a professional more amenable to working with you on your terms than Kimball! read more

Kimball Starr has recently completed working with us to redesign and redecorate our condo, and we are thrilled with the result. We found her to be the best interior designer we could have hoped for, and the reasons are almost too numerous to list. She is a nice person who is very easy to work with. She works alone so you are never going to get stuck with some assistant doing the work for you. Our home turned out to be exactly what we wanted, what we might have envisioned if we had had the ability to envision it before we actually saw it. Her color sense is incredible. People are amazed at how beautiful the colors are in our space. She is flexible. At every step of the way she told us her ideas and asked for feedback. She understands budget constraints. We found that if she suggested an item that was more expensive than we wanted to pay, that she was willing to look for something similar at a price we liked better. We had a number of pieces of art and Central American fabric that we wanted to use. Kimball incorporated these things into the space in a way that enhances the furniture and cabinetry that she helped us select. The contractors she uses such as the painter, upholsterer and the glass supplier, were all superior and reliable craftspeople. To sum it all up, we are extremely happy with the end result: our lovely, comfortable and beautiful home. Kimball was for us the best designer we could have chosen. read more