Podcast Summary: How to Decorate – Ep. 427: Crafting Contemporary Elegance with Kim Lapin

Date: August 19, 2025
Host(s): Caroline (Marketing), Taryn (Product Design), Liz (Creative)
Guest: Kim Lapin, Principal, Kim Lapin Interiors

Episode Overview

This episode features west coast designer Kim Lapin, known for her blend of elevated materials and casual, livable spaces. After renovating seven homes in seven years, Kim developed a distinct style balancing contemporary elegance with practicality. She shares the lessons learned from her rapid-fire home transformations, the evolution of her design voice, tips for using stone and marble big and bold, and the realities of designing with young children. The conversation is packed with actionable advice on developing your own decorating "voice," creating balanced spaces, and avoiding fleeting trends.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Kim’s Journey: From Accidental Designer to Reluctant Entrepreneur

• Background: Kim began her career in modeling and acting but felt unfulfilled. Her exposure to construction (her father and brother are general contractors) inspired the confidence to renovate.
• Seven Houses in Seven Years: "There was no intentionality thinking we were gonna start renovating homes. That was not the plan...My parents would buy the ugliest house on...the best street...and turn that house into their dream house over time." [04:34]
  • Over time, Kim’s confidence grew, learning technical jargon and processes with family help.
  • "I just started putting myself out there, and that’s how it snowballed into something." [06:46]

2. Finding and Refining a Design Voice

• Early renovations mimicied Pinterest and big-box store aesthetics—safe, but not individual.
• Over the years, she developed a signature style: "A foundational base layer of clean, laid-back design, layered with beautiful, delightful fun details...vintage lighting, custom furniture, and detailed millwork." [07:25–08:18]
• A-ha moments: "I would find myself on 1st Dibs till four in the morning...My heart would be racing and I’m like, what is this? Feeling passionate. I have passion for this." [08:14]

3. The Role & Selection of Stone: When Marble is the Star

• Stone is a signature design element; Kim strives to use it in unexpected and bold ways while keeping spaces livable.
• Collaboration with clients: “It’s always in collaboration with the client...but I do try and push them a little bit, because most of the time people just don’t know what they want.” [13:24]
• Favorite applications beyond countertops: “Fireplace surrounds are the things that I like. Have a lot of fun designing...what are the fun details I could throw into the surround and make it feel a little bit different?” [17:37]
• Design tip: "I try and have like, one star in any room, but not multiple stars...the stone is the star and maybe the chandelier, and everything else is like backup singers." [16:16]

4. Lighting Philosophy: Artful and Intentional

• Kim treats lighting as foundational, budgeting for it as if it’s art: "Lighting is, to me, it’s like art...If we don’t have the lighting right, then we don’t have anything right in life because it’s the permanent fixture of the house that brings so much soul and life and character." [25:57]
• She heavily favors hardwired lighting (especially sconces) over table lamps, partly for practical, kid-and-cord-related reasons. "I have three kids under five...cords—it’s a disaster. I have two dogs that barrel through my house." [30:27]
• Memorable:
  • “You’re a sconce lady.” (Host Caroline, [29:31])
  • “I’m a scon.” (Kim Lapin, [29:34])

5. Layered Interior Architecture: Why the Shell Matters Most

• Kim considers the architecture and built-in features paramount. "My love is the construction and my love are the permanent parts of the home because...if you can nail that, you can do a really simple furnishings plan...and the house will be stunning either way." [22:12]
• She strives for a balance: investing in architectural drama (arches, custom stone, unique millwork), then keeping furnishings pared-back.

6. Real Life with Kids: Practical Design Mistakes and Adjustments

• Kim candidly reflects on what she’d do differently: "I kind of don’t feel like you should do plaster in your house unless you have kids over a certain age that won’t draw on the walls." [34:07]
• Lessons learned:
  • Avoid impractical finishes (like plaster walls, integrated stone sinks, or wood floors in bathrooms) until kids are older.
  • "At the end of the day, my house is meant to be lived in...I want to have fun with them and not be the mom who’s like: don’t touch this, don’t touch that." [38:21]

7. Designing Her “Forever” Home (For Now)

• Kim discusses her current project—a sprawling, ranch-style home with sweeping ocean views, which she’s designing as her "forever home" (though she notes this is their “seventh forever home”). She highlights:
  • Leaning into a blend of French and Italian vintage influences
  • All-plaster walls and ceilings, bold stonework, art deco fireplaces, and murals in powder baths
  • The logistical (and emotional) challenge of making every detail perfect when you know the possibilities.
  • “I want it to be perfect, because it represents my ideal style...there’s pressure to make it look right, you know, and so there’s so much in my brain just constantly going, like, is this the exact right choice?” [44:18–45:33]
• FF&E (furnishings) plan will balance custom and “big-box” for kids' rooms, recognizing the cost vs. real-world wear and tear.

8. Children’s Rooms and Realistic Budgeting

• "I have this fantasy of like doing this beautiful velvet Pierre Frey...custom bed...No, I don’t think that’s very smart. I think I’m gonna do like a Crate and Barrel bed...They’re gonna trash them." [48:48]
• On designing client child spaces: dream big, then reality/budget negotiations mean accessories and finishes get swapped for more durable or inexpensive options. "Oftentimes the FF&E gets slashed when the budget conversations start to happen with the GC." [51:02]

9. “On Trend But Not Trendy”: Avoiding the Pinterest Trap

• Kim’s mantra: “Just do you and collect things over time that you enjoy and love for no other reason than it just brings you delight. That is all that I ever want as a trend.” [53:38]
• She avoids faux materials and “copy and paste” trend-following, believing timelessness comes from quality and personal resonance.
• “If you’re focusing on quality and using the real materials, you can’t go wrong. And if you’re also just utilizing things that give you joy... you can’t go wrong...It’s never going to go out of style if you love it.” [55:23]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On finding her style:
  "You refine your style, you realize what your style is, you refine your style, and then you kind of go like, 'Oh, if I could do this for someone else, this is how I would do it.'" — Kim Lapin [05:15]

• On approaching risk and unfamiliar territory:
  "It was just learning and curiosity and realizing like, okay, vintage lighting is a big thing for me and if it’s not vintage, it’s vintage-inspired or it has that maybe an art deco shape to it." — Kim Lapin [10:40]

• On balancing bold and pared-back elements:
  "I think I do a good job balancing the masculine and the feminine, the details and then paring back and like knowing when to let something shine and then being like, this feels good—I’m going to stop here." — Kim Lapin [11:57]

• Stone as a “rock star” design moment:
  "I like to have like a rock star and then backup singers because otherwise it’s too much going on and I find it to be overstimulating..." — Kim Lapin [16:16]

• Philosophy on lighting:
  "Lighting is, to me, it’s like art...If we don’t have the lighting right, then we don’t have anything right in life..." — Kim Lapin [25:57]

• On living with kids:
  "I design from my perspective...If the table lamp is like five feet from a wall...that will be really inconvenient and then there’s going to be like a power cord in the way. Even though in the photo you won’t see it, but for their everyday living, it will be there. I think that is why...I try and hardwire as much of the lighting as I can." — Kim Lapin [30:27]

• Design mantra:
  "Just do you and collect things over time that you enjoy and love for no other reason than it just brings you delight. That is all that I ever want as a trend." — Kim Lapin [54:00]
  “Love can’t be wrong.” — Kim Lapin [57:58] (as suggested episode title)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Introduction & Kim's Journey: [00:33–06:46]
• Evolving Design Style: [06:50–11:53]
• Stonework & Its Role in Design: [12:57–17:37]
• Lighting Philosophy: [25:45–29:59]
• Living with Kids & Practical Adjustments: [33:41–39:19]
• Current/Forever Home Project: [39:59–45:33]
• On Trends & Timelessness: [53:10–57:58]
• Conclusion, Kim’s Design Mantra: [57:42–58:45]

Final Thoughts

Kim Lapin’s approach is refreshingly honest, rooted in both aesthetic conviction and life’s practical realities. She advocates for design as both personal expression and adaptability—layering history, quality materials, and joyful detail while remaining flexible to the tides of family life. Her guiding principle: “If you love it, it can’t be wrong,” is a balm to anyone overwhelmed by the noise of trends or the impossibility of perfection.

Find Kim Lapin at:

• Instagram: @kimlapininteriors
• Website: kimlapininteriors.com