Name:

Christina Kim

Location:

Manasquan, New Jersey. 

(A cute little beach town on the Jersey shore).

Occupation:

Principal designer and owner of

Christina Kim Interior Designs

How did you get started in this field? 

It was a windy road and I’m a late bloomer!  I left college to become an actress and worked in nightlife to pay the bills when I first got to NYC. 

I was totally fascinated by the design of these chic restaurants and nightclubs. Those beautiful spaces, florals, and the great street style of the fashion-forward clientele left quite an impression on me.  

 Fast forward a few years later, my husband and I renovated a hundred-year-old house. I fell in love with the process, enrolled in design school, and never looked back

Describe your typical day. 

I like to grab a cup of coffee in a quiet house before all the kids and pets are up! I pack the kids’ lunch and get them out to school then head to the studio (which is right around the corner!) at 9AM. 

Most days start with a “life check-in” with my team- what’s going on with our kids, what funny thing happened the night before, what’s worrying us outside of work. It’s important to me that everyone feels supported here because we’re all moms and are juggling a million things at any given moment. A typical day is collaborating on designs with the team and/or heading to the beach to do a site visit on one of our renovations or new build projects. On a good day, I’m able to tackle the most challenging things before 3PM so that I can pick up my kids from school and work from home for the rest of the day. I like to make a simple garden pasta and pour myself a good glass of wine and hear about everyone’s day. Vintage shopping in bed (guilty pleasure!) and off to bed by 11PM.

Your best tips for making a space feel like home? 

Take the time to style the room with personal things: art, photos, a vintage object, a favorite book.  

Nobody wants to live in a showroom. All of those personal effects are what make a room unmistakably yours.

What's your number one piece of advice when it comes to picking artwork for a room? 

Art is a moodsetter so make sure your art selection fits the mood you’re trying to create. 

Also, the art should thrill you!

What inspires you? 

I love movies and find so much inspiration in both old and new films. I can watch a little scene in a movie and be dreaming about a pattern I noticed on someone’s dress or a cool doorknob for weeks. 

I’m often around people with great personal style and I love learning about what they’re into, whether it’s music, fashion or books. I want to know about it all! Also, I love pop culture.

What is the best part of what you do? 

We can simplify it and say that we’re just putting rooms together but the truth is, interior designers are trying to create homes for the best versions of our clients and the way they would like to live. 

My favorite part of this job is when we have our clients’ trust and we get that right.