Being a Designer is Like Being Fred Astaire

When I get a new client, I rejoice in the process of getting to know them. Their physical space and their dream of how this "space" should look and feel. A house is a house, so, you have the same elements to work with every time. A living room and bedroom, a bathroom, a den etcetera, etcetera...

Yet, no matter the familiarity with the bones of the house, you still have to "dance" with the imagination and desires of the home owners to make it a space that truly belongs to THEM! You have to make it a "home" and not just a house. Every client is different and every dance is different even though the elements you work with are always the same.

This simple truth reminded me of Fred Astaire. You're probably thinking "Whaaaa...". Well, in the video below, taken from the FABULOUS movie "Royal Wedding", Fred Astaire's character is on a cruise ship (lucky beggar) and goes to the gym on the ship to practice dancing (MAN! That's a steady ship!). He has the same tools and space that everyone else would work with. However, he adapts and puts an entertaining spin on how to interact with these elements. Some may get it. Some may not.

My main point is, when it comes to style, beauty is always in the eye of the beholder. And the beholder is the person I'm trying to understand. I want to make the beholder's dreams come true.

FYI, I grew up watching Fred Astaire and I've always gleaned inspiration from his creativity and physicality. Enjoy! :)

Home Decor Illustration

Working in Interior design and decoration in Los Angeles is really fun! Clients in the city of angles love to get pictures and visual aids to help them make their spaces look super stylish. They also like to get lavish items, which as a designer, is a BLAST to work with!

I recently did a couple of perspective home decor illustrations for a client of mine. The idea was to get a feel for his style and make tweaks as the project progresses. We didn't go with this concept and just kinda winged it, but these illustrations provided a great start. I thought I should share them below. You can check out more illustrations I've done for past clients on my Houzz.com page.

Perspective Living Room Illustration

Perspective Bedroom Illustration

Parting is Such Sweet Sorrow...

Kita Marie Williams - Owner and Designer at
KMW Interiors

I have to admit, I get a little attached to a home I stage or decorate. Every home I touch feels like my home. Or, at least that's how I'm inclined to treat it. Home Staging in Los Angeles is a very competitive business, and I think KMW Interiors has set itself apart with very professional, personal and rather "sentimental" service. I think it might be the genuine LOVE for my work that adds that special KMW Interiors magic.

This week, I had to pack-up up yet another successfully sold property. I'm glad that my work helps get these lovely properties sold! However, I always have to take a moment, look back, smile and say goodbye before I finally lock-up the property and leave it in the hands of its excited new owners. I'm so sappy...

Looking forward to the next home I get to call my own for a while...  :)

Check out my new home staging solutions presentation!

Exalted Home Goods Is On Fire!

So, we've been selling high quality comforters and other home goods on Ebay for about 3 months now under the store name "Exaltedhomegoods", and things are looking good! We have a best-selller and managed to get some buyers for our high-end products. YAY! Interested in looking at what KMW Interiors has for sale over the holidays? Check it out!

100% Cotton Shell Duck Down Filled Comforter
I LOVE this genuine Duck Down Comforter with a pure 100% cotton shell. The down is from European farms that are humane. That means no ducks where harmed to make you warm! There is NOTHING like genuine down. Buy It Now

100% Cotton Down "Alternative" Filled Comforter
This is our HOT item! People LOVE this comforter. Its great for lower budgets or those with allergies. The reviews on this one are fab! Buy It Now

We have a few other items for sale available for local pick-up. If you're in the area and need a stylish coffee table but have a small budget, checkout what we have to offer here.

Our Latest Staging Project

Good news! KMW Interiors recently staged a condo in Brentwood! The Condo had some older details, but we managed to update the look and highlight the spaciousness of the property as well as how to fill in some awkward areas. As a result, the condo sold in less than 30 days! YAY! Keep us in mind for Staging in Los Angeles!

I LOVE MY JOB! Check out a few pics of the space below:

Featured Deals!

KMW Interiors is now selling various home goods and furnishings online via ebay! YAY!

Here are a few deals that you all can take advantage of:

Down Alternative Comforters from Cotton & Downtown:
Full/Queen: $45
King/Cal-King: $55

Click here to see more details.

Kitchen Cart with Wine Rack:

$160

Click here for more details.

Small Modern/Contemporary Desk:

$120

Click here for details.

How to Put Grommets On Drapes

I was working on a design project and I found drapery panels with the prefect color and pattern, but for the style of drapery installation the client had, any drapes I found would have to have grommets. Unfortunately the ones I adored didn't. So, I thought to myself, why limit my options? I'll just put the darn grommets on myself! AND, I'm sharing with you lovely folks how I did it and how you can do it, too! :)

Now some of you may be thinking, what the heck is a grommet? Well, a grommet is is a durable ring that can be inserted in a hole in a fabric. See illustration of drapes with grommets below. Not only are they stylish, they make drapery installation easy. Drapes with grommets are also totally in fashion when it comes to home decor.

So, how do you add grommets? Simple! Here are step-by-step instructions to get started.

Step one:Select the grommets you want to add to your drapes. You can get them at any crafts store or order them online. Be sure to note any extra tools you may need and follow the instructions! Some require the use of an anvil and setting tool and others call for grommet pliers. See images below:

Step Two:
Lay your drapes out backside up so that any marks you make will not be visible on the front. Decide how far you want your grommets to be from the edge of both sides of the drapes and use the grommet as a stencil to draw the circle that you will need to cut out. I have an example I did on a smaller piece of fabric with small grommets as an illustration below.

Step Three:
When it comes to adding the rest of the grommets in the middle, you can do it in two ways.

1. You can measure the space you have between the grommets you will place on the ends and divide it by the diameter of the grommets, then decide how many and how far you want them apart. Or...

2. You can eyeball it! If you have the drapes laid out, you can easily place grommets across the top and move them back and forth or add grommets until it looks right to you. Then, you can mark the holes and cut them out.

Step Four:
Use the hammer and anvil or the grommet pliers to secure them in place. For this part, I will refer you to the instructions on the grommet set you purchased. The instructions will vary depending on the tools called for to secure the grommets. In my example below, I bought a set that uses the anvil and hammer technique. Be sure you put the front side of the grommet on the front side of the drapes!

Voilà!

You have just put a fabulous grommet on your drapes! Yay!

I hope you enjoyed this post! Feel free leave any questions or comments.

Want KMW Interiors to decorate or stage your home? Visit www.kmwinteriors.com for more info or contact us at (310) 592-9083.