Looking Back on 2020

Wow, who could have ever predicted what all this year had in store for us? In February, I underwent major back surgery and within four weeks, we were under quarantine. My husband began working from home and the remainder of my daughter’s senior year was spent at home and then on to a very challenging first semester of college. Then there was the loss of my sweet, precious father…. 

For of all us, this year brought a lot of struggles.  Covid brought stress, worry, and fear and profoundly affected us on both a personal and professional level. I knew that if KDID was going to survive, it was a time to either pivot and grow or freeze and just wait and see.  Thankfully, I’m all about the pivot. KDID has grown in many ways this past year, and I’m forever grateful.

In early March, I started working with Claire Lewis, owner of Claire EL, and it was the best decision I have ever made for my business! Claire EL specializes in photography, content creation, and social media management for creative industries. Claire has beautifully displayed my work for all of you to see and she has taken my website and social media to the next level. In addition, she has become someone I trust to push me to grow myself and stretch my “old school” ways of doing things by helping me transition to all things digital. It turns out, you can teach an old dog new tricks.  If I had advice for any of you, ALWAYS surround yourself with creative, smart, younger people to help you grow.  

As I look back on my projects for 2020 there are so many that come to mind that I’m so pleased to have had the opportunity to design. So, I thought I’d share a few with you and give you a little of my insight on them.

The Takle House

The Takle house was a true joy for me! It was my baby and I worked on this project daily for over a year. I was on the job-site several times a week designing floor plans and making selections for the interior as well as the exterior and there is nothing that fulfills me more about my job than watching a project come together from the ground-up . To pick something special about this project to highlight is very hard to do, because I’m so proud of each and every selection but I really want to share with you just how incredible our tile and lighting selections were.

The home has 7 ½ baths, a mud/laundry room, and desired kitchen backsplash, so I had many tile selections for this project. When I first found the tile that I chose for the guest bathroom and the kitchen backsplash, I was in love. I just knew I had to convince the homeowners to let me use them (lucky for me, it didn’t take much), and the results are simply incredible! One of the powerful things about all the tile that was chosen for this home is that as gorgeous as each room is in its own unique way, each room is still a neutral palette for many colors to be used with them if the homeowners decided to change the wall or accent colors in the room.

The lighting selections in this home all started with a chandelier that my client chose.  Originally she was thinking it would be a good choice for the living room, but I knew the size and scale was perfect for her keeping room.  This gorgeous chandelier then set the tone for all the lighting selections for the home. We wanted a beautiful blend of rustic and formal, traditional and contemporary, which I believe we achieved. Often throughout the process, my client’s husband would have concerns about my lighting choices, but in the end he agreed that everything turned out absolutely stunning. I love these clients dearly and have worked with them for years, and I look forward to more projects with them in the future.

The Lake Jackson Project

The Lake Jackson project grew near and dear to my heart very quickly.  I had the opportunity to be a part of most of the design decisions at this incredible home, and I’m so pleased with the results. From the flooring and tile to the cabinets and the countertops, I had so much fun working with the home owners and loved creating this beautiful space. If I had to choose my favorite part of the project, I’d probably say, it’s the furniture and textiles.

When selecting furniture, style and scale is imperative. When selecting textiles, texture, functionality, durability, pattern and color are of utmost importance. The combination of furniture textiles mixed with the rugs and window treatments must work together to create the intended atmosphere. We began by choosing all of the upholstered pieces first. Once we selected each piece, we jumped head-first into all of the custom fabrics. Then as time went on I selected their coffee table, accent tables, dressers, night stands, bar stools, etc. It’s important to me that a home is unique and reflects the owners style and lifestyle so I pay close attention to every detail and strive to create an eclectic mix of new, vintage, and heirloom items. Nothing cookie-cutter here! I’m extremely happy how each room in their home turned out. These clients were so much fun, and I loved creating a beautiful home for them.

The Pham House

The Pham’s hired me after their project had already begun, but they needed help selecting all their finishes like lighting, tile, paint and stains, etc. Once those selections were made, I was able to create a design plan for all the furnishings, rugs, art, and finishing touches for their main level.  I knew I wanted to create a space that was not only fitting for this grand home, but also create a space that was comfortable and truly liveable for this family. We did just that. In this home I would say that I am most pleased with the window treatments and all the finishing touches.

Blending the grand or the formal with the casual and comfortable can sometimes have its challenges, but that is what keeps my job interesting. Fabrics and window treatment design as well as lamps and accessories played a large role in blending the two in this home.  I think we nailed it! The Phams were so laid back and easy to work with on this project. Through the crazy shipping delays of Covid and all those immense challenges they remained patient and understanding.  In the new year, we will have photos of the formal living room. Due to all the shipping delays, we were not able to get the window treatments installed before Christmas, but those photos will be well worth the wait!

Lastly, we had a few kitchens and a bedroom makeovers that bring a smile to my heart every time I think of them. These clients were amazing to work with and as always, I look forward to working with them again on their next project!

2020 has definitely been a unique year with its challenges, but we made it through with many reasons to be grateful.  I’m very hopeful for 2021. One of my favorite quotes is from Albert Einstein, “Imagination is everything. It is the preview of life’s coming attractions. The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination….”  Let’s all imagine an incredible 2021. I know that imagination is powerful, and I’m excited to explore mine this year. I hope you will continue to join me on this journey!