CCID MEMBER PROFILE: Jan Kepler. Kepler Design

I met Jan at our first Interior Design Class at Cuesta College, where we both began pursuing a new career in interior design. She was very motivated and quickly became one of the top students. Prior to this new venture, she had been working in her own PR and marketing business, specializing in health care in Los Angeles and Colorado. Here is her story in her own words:

“Twenty-five years ago, at age 50, I decided it was time for a change. I wanted a more fulfilling career that would produce creative, functional and long-lasting tangible results for my clients. I had always loved interior design and found a two year program at Cuesta College. My first friend in the program was Patrice Lester!

After graduating with honors with an AA in Interior Design, I immediately became a member of CCID and then continued my education with 60 hours of courses from the National Kitchen and Bath Association along with mandatory experience in the field. I passed the national exam and received at AKBD certification from NKBA. I also became an Allied Member of ASID. I also served on the CCID board for a number of years in different capacities.

I have been a kitchen and bath designer since 2003 and I became the exclusive SLO County dealer for Plato Woodwork Custom Cabinetry from 2006 until today. Working with this 131-year-old fifth generation family-owned business in Plato, Minnesota, has been the best experience of my career. They make beautiful cabinets and have the most exceptional customer and dealer service. I have served on their Dealer Advisory Council several times over the years and have made many trips to the factory and headquarters in Minnesota.

In 2013, I sublet and remodeled the space next to Pacific Coast Kitchen and Bath. It has been another great experience having the friendship and support of the great guys at PCKB. There are always so many people who influence our lives and careers. This requires a shout out to the legendary designer Anne Fortini, whose friendship and expertise are priceless in my life. My contractors, architects, engineers and all of the great subs have made my life so rewarding. We have a thriving design community now and I am just grateful to still be a part of it.

What’s next? Not retirement any time soon. I am continuing with the SLO showroom and opening a satellite showroom in Atascadero. I am sharing space with Oak Ridge Custom Builders in their new headquarters in Atascadero. We will be opening in early August. Come visit us!”

Well done, Jan! You are a legend yourself.

Patrice Lester, Newsletter Editor

CCID MEMBER PROFILE: Patrice Lester, HOWARD DESIGN GROUP

Several years ago, as a Cuesta College interior design student, I joined CCID. At the time it was a small but tightly knit group of designers, instructors, and a few tradespeople. Another member and classmate at the time, Jan Kepler, rallied me into becoming a CCID Board Member, as she had. We both remained on the Board for several years. She served as president for several years, and I was the newsletter writer/editor.

A few weeks ago, after I shared my history with CCID, Steve Nelson asked me to do an occasional feature on some of our members for our CCID Newsletter, as a nice way for all of us to get to know some of our other members. He suggested I start with me, so here goes.

I became passionate about interior design during several years of construction projects on my own homes. I learned that as a former art major I understood color but realized there were many technical aspects of interior design that I wanted to learn. I decided to take a couple of classes at Cuesta to steer me after my husband and I bought a ranch house fixer upper. I was hungry to learn more!

Soon after graduating, I began an internship with Kathy Thomas, owner of Howard Design Group, which she had purchased a few years earlier from Pat Howard, our mutual instructor and a very successful designer in our area. Kathy soon hired me full-time and later sold the business to me when she decided to move out of the area.

Since then I have worked on some great residential projects, as well as over 17 years of commercial work as senior living designer at The Villages of SLO, which included flooring, window treatments, furnishing dining rooms, lobbies, community rooms, and living room areas. I thoroughly enjoyed my work and the staff there.

Also, a few years ago Anne Fortini invited me to go to High Point Furniture Market with her, and I began working with her at Fortini’s for a couple of years on some of her projects and doing drawings for her. While there I was able to be a part of the beautiful Biddle Ranch project that we visited this year, and the venue at Greengate Ranch Estate House, among others.

As my work has continued with Howard Design Group, I have also participated in several projects for HASLO, furnishing game areas, dining and living spaces, offices and meeting rooms. I enjoyed working with the staff and have found that I am able to have more creative freedom doing commercial design work.

As I am now entering retirement, I will be writing an article on some of our other CCID members, so we can meet and perhaps learn from each other.

Patrice Lester

Howard Design Group

Patrice_hdg@yahoo.com

FEATURE STORIES: ADVENTURES IN LIVING & DESIGNING WELL

Trip Report: Luxe Living Well Summit 

By Michelle Pelech, Principal, Michelle Pelech Interiors

I was in the midst of another crazy-busy day when I took a call from my Kravet Furniture rep who invited me to join about 100 other professionals at the first-ever Luxe Living Well Summit in Los Angeles for one full day on October 26. 

Yikes! It would be tough to take time off and away from my deadline-sensitive projects…but, after all, the theme of the summit was “Transform. Nourish. Rest. Create.” and I clearly needed coaching on at least the two in the middle. I knew that the connections, peer support and content would serve me well. So I made it happen and am so glad I did.

Industry and other professionals shared with us how to overcome difficult situations (daily in this biz), and manage the stress that's tied to these challenges. They shared healthy tips on eating, living and sleeping, as well as environmentally-friendly design ideas to help reduce our carbon footprints and create chemical-free living spaces. 

My favorite session was a conversation with celebrity interior designer Jeremiah Brent and creative director and California Closets brand-builder Edward Leaman, moderated by Luxe Interiors + Design Editor-in-Chief Pamela Jaccarino. “The Art of Conceiving Intentional Spaces” focused on identifying a client’s values to design with intention, and included these profound and inspirational statements:

“I wanted to craft spaces that were rooted around moments that people enjoyed in their lives.”

[J.Brent]

“It's one thing to create a really beautiful space. But it’s another to create something that holds somebody, that they don't leave in five years, that really matters to them…creating a space that really holds you, and brings you back to yourself, that’s where it’s at for me.”

[J.Brent]

“Wow…what we create and how we live can not only express who we are, but also a lot of times, who we want to be.”

[J.Brent]

“You don't have the answers. All you have is the questions. And if you can listen, the client will tell you everything.”

[E. Leaman]

“What is your brand?...You can only do who you are…Who are you? And that’s the essence of the brand.”

[E. Leaman]

“Intentional design is also about having a regenerative mindset, about buying with intention rather than purchasing by default.”

[P. Jaccarino]

“For people who deal with clients and customers, the most sustainable thing a human being can do is have a long-term relationship with another human being. That is sustainability. Because that is evidence of standing in love on behalf of someone else…so the onus on us as designers…is how do we create long-term sustainable relationships with other people – employees, partners, vendors.”

[E. Leaman] 

***

Click here to watch videos of the summit sessions. I promise, it’s well worth your time to watch and I hope you get excited to attend the next summit, which will likely be next year and in a different location.

Inaugural Luxe Wellness Summit topics and speakers:

TRANSFORM:

EMPOWERING YOU ON THE ROAD TO CONSCIOUS DESIGN 

Blair Costello, Principal and Director of Interiors and Healthy Living, Vera Iconica Architecture

NOURISH:

RADICALLY UPGRADE YOUR BODY AND MIND FOR

INCREASED PERFORMANCE AND WELLBEING 

Max Lugavere, health and science podcaster, wellness journalist and NY Times bestselling author of Genius Foods, Genius Life, Genius Kitchen

NOURISH:

ELEMENTS OF THE NEW WELLNESS KITCHEN

Blair Costello, Principal and Director of Interiors and Healthy Living, Vera Iconica Architecture

REST:

DISCOVER THE POWER OF THE DOWNSTATE

Dr. Sara Mednick, world-renowned sleep researcher and cognitive neuroscientist at UCLA; author of The Power of Downstate and Take a Nap! Change Your Life 

CREATE:

PRIMER ON THE NEW MATERIALS FOR HEALTHIER LIVING

Jonsara Ruth, Design Director and Co-Founder, Parsons Healthy Materials Lab

CREATE:

THE ART OF CONCEIVING INTENTIONAL SPACES

Celebrity interior designer and TV personality, Jeremiah Brent and creative director and brand builder, Edward Leaman in conversation with Luxe Interiors + Design Editor in Chief, Pamela Jaccarino