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How to Decorate

Ep. 302: Behind-the-Scenes of Design School with Kristin Kong

How to Decorate

Caroline McDonald

Arts, Business, Design

4.4 • 838 Ratings

🗓️ 28 March 2023

⏱️ 64 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

We welcome back designer Kristin Kong, founder, and principal designer of K Kong Designs. Kristin talks about what it was like working with us on our new show, Design School, and the unique twist she’s crafted into her home. Kristin shares with us why she loves dark colors, how we can maximize seating in our space, and how universal design is not boring! What You’ll Hear On This Episode: Kristin and her husband bought his childhood home from his parents, and she talks about the renovations and changes they made. The challenges of renovating a split-level house. Universal design is not boring! And if you think it is, watch Kristin’s episode of Design School. There's nothing more precious in your home than the people. How to maximize seating in your space. Kristin’s love of dark colors Creating a palate cleanser in the hallways. More about Kristin’s beautiful dining room, including the walls. What was her experience like during Design School? The importance of understanding scale. Mentioned in This Episode: Ballard Designs Room Planner https://kkongdesigns.com/ Design School Decorating Dilemma: Hi, and thank you for writing in! First, it might be beneficial to move the armor to another room, if that is an option. We also wonder if you can sort of flip that leather chair, maybe to the other side of the television, and next to the stove. Adding a cool console table behind the loveseat would be great, along with tucking in a few ottomans. And, if you could get a slipcover made for that Ottoman so that you could kind of keep it functionally, but you could just kind of pop some sort of fabric and a cool pattern or texture on top to again, it would help to break up all the matching brown leather. Be sure to try out Ballard’s Room Planning tool for scale! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0

Welcome to How to Decorate from Ballard Designs, a podcast all about the trials and triumphs of decorating and redecorating your home.

0:08.7

Each week will help you unleash your inner decorator.

0:11.6

I'm Caroline, and I'm on the marketing team.

0:13.7

And I'm Taryn, and I'm a product designer.

0:15.8

And I'm Liz.

0:16.5

I head up the Ballard creative team.

0:18.2

We're your host. Join the expert team at Ballard Designs

0:21.6

for tips, tricks, and tales from interior designers, stylists, and other talents in the design world.

0:25.9

Plus, we'll answer our listener question at the end of each show. So don't forget to send them to

0:30.0

podcast of Ballarddesigns.net. Yes, we love answering them. Now on with the show.

0:35.7

So our guest today is Kristen Kong.

0:38.3

She's been on the show way back in 2018 with Andrew Cogar.

0:43.3

And we have been big fans of your work for many years.

0:46.9

But last week you heard about our exciting new project, our new TV show coming out later this month called Design School on QVC Plus, which you can

0:55.0

download as an app on your smart TV or you can visit QBCPlus.com to see the full episode.

1:00.0

But Kristen was one of our mini designer guests.

1:03.0

And she obviously is a designer here in Atlanta, packs her home with color, texture, and high drama.

1:09.0

And on the television show, we went and actually

1:13.5

saw your personal house, Kristen. And there were, oh my God, it was one of my favorite episodes,

1:19.6

but we'll talk a little bit more about that. And the unique kind of twist you've got on your

1:24.6

house, you've got many generations there. So, Kristen, welcome the show.

1:28.8

I'm so, or welcome back to the show, I should say. So happy to get to chat with you again.

...

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