Daily Inspiration: Meet Kim Gordon

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kim Gordon. 

Hi Kim, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I am an artist and am sensitive to my surroundings. I have always paid attention to how spaces and rooms feel. Is it inviting, is it warm, is it cold, does it reflect the inhabitant? What is the space saying to people when they walk in? So, getting into Interior and architectural design was a natural fit. It’s not work so much as it is a part of my life. I ran a funky art studio in a tiny bungalow in Venice Beach – which was definitely not the hipster place it is now – and created cool sculptures and mosaics for clients across the county with local craftspeople I’d hire from Craigslist. It was pretty crazy. Purchasing a house in Venice at that time was pretty inexpensive, and when we sold it – we caught the flipping bug and made houses in Venice on different streets. I really believed that houses in California should be more indoor outdoor- being from the east coast I couldn’t understand why there weren’t more integrations, the windows were so small! I hadn’t seen steel windows in residential homes in Los Angeles yet – even though they were everywhere in Mexico, so we made them. Huge hit. Since then, I’ve hired a fantastic and smart group of designers and opened a storefront office on Montana Ave in Santa Monica, where we design all day long. We have recently completed an $18m ground-up remodel in the Pacific Palisades. Pretty exciting stuff for a self-taught architectural and interior designer… 

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
Business is never a smooth road, but I come from a problem-solving family, and I’m not afraid of challenges because I know that after the dust settles, I will see why it was happening. I am so often surprised and excited when it does reveal itself. During covid, for instance, we had to search out more local makers and scour Etsy for craftspeople and ceramicists so we could complete projects because shipping was impossible. We met some fantastic people working out of their garages. Clients can be challenging too as I think it’s hard for some people to understand the amount of work needed to complete a custom-designed home. Research, samples, shipping, invoicing, getting better pricing, tracing items. It’s a lot of work and requires an unreal amount of experience and organization to be successful. Also, as someone with an arty brain, I find it hard to be a manager, but I am learning. I never stop reinventing. 

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Perhaps the emphasis on room and house flow. If the house doesn’t have the right flow, you will not be comfortable in it. Somehow it feels inorganic. Starting from where you park your car and how you enter your home, and how it all feels is the first place to start. Flow and sunlight are first in all our design. Once that is committed, we work on the lighting and then the soft goods. OH, the fabrics that are available nowadays!!! And the LED light fixtures! The opportunity to create comfortable and luxurious spaces is everywhere. I am known for creating harmonious environments that seamlessly blend from room to room and from indoors to outdoors. I don’t stop at the walls; I design your entire property. I make your space a lifestyle. 

Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
Interior design is all about what fits YOU. There is no one way to do it. Strive to make your home a place that feels good to you and is enchanting to others. Big or small, be grateful for the space you have and do your best to fill the home with love, happiness, and alluring, thought-provoking items. If you need help, call me! 

Contact Info:

• Website: www.kimgordondesigns.com
• Instagram: @kimgordondesigns