Interior designer Kristine Irving’s aesthetic
is seen in all she does – from the objects she chooses for Koo
de Kir, her contemporary home furnishings shop on Beacon hill, to her
professional interior design work, to the way she decorates her home.
“Good design means creating a living environment that is comfortable
and self-expressive. I’m really busy, so I want my home to be comfortable,
and that’s the Koo de kir philosophy.” This is also her ethos
for the classic modern home – urban, comfortably elegant and just
a tad quirky. Not surprisingly, most of the furnishings of Irving’s
Beacon Hill apartment come directly from the store, which houses an
eclectic mix of modern designs from both local and international artists.
Like the inside of Koo de Kir, her small one bedroom apartment has a
clean look – there are no frills or flowery patterns. “My
house is so tiny, so it’s important that it be functional You can’t
have anything extraneous.”
The understated-yet-elegant furnishings don’t
exactly fit neatly into one category. Fanciful knickknacks sit next
to designer chairs, and an antique desk contrasts with a giant steel
K in the fireplace. This is where irving’s sense of humor shines.
Instead of sticking with one genre, she believes in free association.
For example, a hint or orange in a 19th century Italian painting inspied
the purchase of modern orange-seated chairs. “My place changes
about every three months. My friends drop by and say, ‘Hey, what
happened to the sofa?’ Of course, most people can’t swap their
furniture all the time. They commit to it.”
Working with about four clients at a time, in addition
to running the store, Irving is quite busy. But she’s used to it.
Back when she was a 19-year-old student at Mass Art, Irving opened a
South End art gallery with a friend. The gallery later eveolved into
ArtSmart, a fine-arts gift store. Then, in 1996, Irving launched Koo
de Kir. But her affinity for design presented itself long ago. “It
started when I was 9. I colored my bedroom wall from floor to ceiling
in magic marker. I can’t draw worth a damn, but I’ve always
loved 3-D space. The interior of a place is like a stage set. I can’t
stand overdone interiors or cold interiors. It’s all about finding
a balance.”
