I know what I like when I see it, and I’m lucky to be a part of Prairie Hive. All the collaborators are so creative, artistic and inspiring.
I don’t have a design background, other than having a massive magazine habit (at one point I had 10 subscriptions), so I’ve developed my sense of home style all on my own.
Renovating a 1950s home with my husband on journalists’ salaries can be challenging, but I’m inspired every day at work (I’m a home and garden and features writer) and all around me. Good design to me is making it look easy and effortless. The first challenge we took on when moving in our home were the living areas. Dark paneling and 1980s carpet were the first to go — we painted over the paneling in the living room with a almond-colored paint and it turned out far better than I could have ever imagined.
I love to place bursts of primary colors to break up the browns and neutrals, and again, I’m lucky to have creative friends, namely my best friend, an artist. The two paintings and sculpture she gave me are my prized possessions and are all about color –reds, oranges, yellows. And the works are so special because they are custom.
I guess that’s been my design theory over these last 5 or so years: Make it custom, no matter what your budget is. And have patience. That’s something I continue to struggle with. My home is a work in progress and so am I.
That’s how the word “hive” really resonates with me. Making my hive my home is a long but meaningful process, and the mistakes are part of the journey. We hope we can help inspire your hive here.
Design obsessions: Gray has been an obsession of mine for some time. I love pairing a stone-gray with a bright hue, especially for my spring wardrobe. But I’ve recently put a kibosh on any more gray, black or white clothing purchases!
At home, I like gray with a smoky purply color, especially in the bedroom area. We recently remodeled our master bath with white and gray tile, and we painted the walls with a color called “Wet Cement.” I absolutely love it! In fact, my tiny master bath is my favorite room in the house because I chose every inch of its design.
I’m also obsessed with the lack of color — I love a good neutral, so I can change the accents with bright, bold colors. I hope to repaint my kitchen white this year, so I can finally hang my favorite Ikea purchase of all time, a square Wassily Kandinsky print that is bursting with color.
What’s on my Kindle:
- Bossypants by Tina Fey
- Tender is the Night by F. Scott Fitzgerald
- The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins
What I’m listening to:
- Hang Me Up to Dry by the Cold War Kids
- These Fangs by Say Hi to Your Mom
- Bixby Canyon Stairs by Death Cab for Cutie
- Debaser by the Pixies
- Cities by Talking Heads
Kim A
Kim is a public relations pro by day, homebody by night. Kim worked as a newspaper features writer for more than a decade and she has written hundreds of stories on others' homes. But she is still discovering her own style. Kim and her husband are renovating their late-1950s home, making it their own. For Kim, staying home is a destination. She frequently entertains friends and family, so keeping it simple and comfortable is important (with the exception of her closets – her shopping and bargain-hunting habits take up some serious space). Kim’s perfect place is snuggled up in her PJs eating a homemade meal in front of the TV with her husband.
Follow Me:
