Today we’d like to introduce you to Kristy deGina.
Kristy, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
As an LA-based designer and artist, I originally formed franklinAve to assist with space-planning challenges and provide storage solutions for small space city dwellers.
With housing prices on the rise, the emerging trend of small-space living is as popular as ever. When I personally made the decision to downsize, I realized how difficult it was to create a space that was as beautiful as it was functional. It took over a year to finalize a design after much trial and error, and once it was complete, I decided that I wanted to continue designing tiny spaces as a way of giving back to the community of people who may struggle renting and budgeting to fit their lifestyle.
While renters are experiencing an abundance of options in the city, many are with limited square footage and often times unique architecture. After my tiny space and I had been published several times on blogs and websites like Apartment Therapy and Houzz, I quickly gained a strong reputation as small space designer that can work in any size space or budget. I have enjoyed the career move so much and have met so many amazing people in the Los Angeles area that I decided to expand to New York after one year in business. I currently book appointments in New York two times a year and hope to increase that by next year.
I continue to sell my artwork through custom requests and now have collections on my website as well. Soon after I launched and started growing the brand, I had several requests for a curated, modern home decor collection and I just recently launched the E-commerce portion of franklinAve this fall season! It has been a whirlwind of change and growth, and I have loved every minute of it. Not only am I able to help people customize their small space, but I have also been participating in local pop-ups in both Los Angeles and New York with a new and exciting product!
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has not always been a smooth road! It was very important to me to have creative control over the brand, and that means putting in many long hard hours. There is also so much learning when you start a business, and I have always tried to have a complete open mind while making the best business decisions that I can make.
Wearing many hats can be extremely challenging, and I hope to one day be able to employ people who have the same drive in life and community as I do. Making the decision to start out completely on my own has definitely been a struggle, but it has also been very rewarding a the same time.
Please tell us about franklinAve.
Our mission at franklinAve is to bring affordable design to those experiencing the challenge of small-space living. Through an in-home design process, we can make decisions to add, edit and organize together. Our goal is to create a visually stimulating and functional space within your budget and limited square footage. There is no space too small! Our signature style is modern, minimal, and monochromatic.
Influenced by both east coast and west coast city living, we like to consider ourselves California modern with a New York edge. Every space we design is functional yet unique, and all spaces are custom tailored to our clients. We are transitional, bicoastal, and have something to offer for every style of space. We specialize in custom artwork and modern home decor. We also host other amazing local artists and designers on our website. We believe in supporting the community and the arts.
I think there are a few things that set us apart from other businesses. We are one of the few companies that offer flat rates for our design services under certain square footage. This helps us bring affordable design to more of the community. We also have strong and very special relationships with not only our clients, but our vendors, pop up shop hosts, local artists, other brands, local charities, and more.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
My favorite childhood memory was winning an art contest in school where we had to design our own personal flag for a new community we created and describe what it meant to us. Mine was a bit overly detailed compared to the bold graphics of the others, but I was very proud of it. 🙂
Contact Info:
- Website: www.franklinave.space
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: @franklinave_losangeles
- Facebook: @franklinave
Getting in touch: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
