The World is Open!

There is a great feeling of hope all around us, there are invites to parties and events coming in the mail, we’re dining out, traveling a bit and I’m getting to see friends and family…and HUG! Oh the hugs are the best part! We’ve all been witness to so much in the past year plus - fear, anxiety, sadness, grief, change (so much change), quiet, solitude, a refocusing of priorities, indulgences in simple pleasures and a reminder of just how important being in community with one another truly is. I have been so humbled and grateful to my clients who have kept my small business afloat this past year. Your trust in me and your willingness to change our approach be it via Zoom consults or masked on install day just reminded me how lucky I am to work with such incredible clients.

The shifts and pivots in my business weren’t without their challenges (hello home office disorder!) but I also found myself seeing a lot of positives that I am looking to carry forward. At the beginning of the pandemic I started offering home consultations via Zoom and I have loved every single one! It has given me the chance to connect with more clients in a day and not spend the day driving around. I have been able to be more responsive to questions and I have been able to expand my client base. Zoom easily allowed me access to my clients homes mask-free! In addition I have been able to engage with my vendors more seamlessly through video calls. I look forward to expanding this part of the KMI docket of offerings.

Working one on one with a high school student by Zoom to discover and encourage her creative spirit and teach about Interior Design that she can use for High School Credit.

As I look towards the future (which I am finally feeling like I can do now that we seem to slowly be emerging from the isolation of last year) I feel a growing need and desire to mentor young people. My partnership with Seacoast Soul Models is a continuing commitment and I feel this organization and its work is more important than ever after these young women spent a year isolated at home away from their friends. In general, I see a great need to expand the horizons for women and all young people in the design and trades industry - we need to break the mold! Our tradespeople (electricians, plumbers, carpenters) aren’t getting any younger and for the sustainability of our industry we need to foster the next generation. I get excited about the future of this industry with the fantastic young people I’ve met through our house build project, at my recent visit to High Point Market and through the Boston Design Center. I want to help share their stories and work and to showcase what opportunities are available be it forgoing a 4-year degree for journeyman’s path or interning in high school rather waiting till college. If we all learned anything this past year is - the way it’s always been done isn’t the only way! The time is ripe for a rebirth and a refocusing on the next generation, as a mother to four incredible young people the saying is not trite - the future is bright!

Sitting on what will become our front stoop at our new home in Southern Maine.

Coming out of this last year of lockdowns, isolation and staying in place, there are big things to come for Don and I too with our house build on the coast of Maine (see #KMIProjectDunegrass). I am so excited to expand my business into Southern Maine and to meet more makers, artisans, tradespeople and especially homeowners in our new region. Maine has a long and storied history of authenticity in design and craft and I look forward to bringing that into my clients homes. From the traditional seaside escape to a modern luxury townhouse KMI will bring our intuitive, vibrant design to create space that nurtures and brings in the beauty of Maine.

So, as we turn the corner and look to a summer without all the isolation and lockdown of the last year, I want to thank you for your continued support of my business, my story, my work - it is only because of your support that I can do what I love and I feel incredibly lucky to be able to do that.

Let’s Design for Good,

Kim