KARI DE LAVENNE

Kari is a residential  Interior Designer & Stylist living in
Oregon's Willamette Valley, with her husband and two children. 

"I grew up outside St. Paul Minnesota, in a beautiful suburb called Eagan. I discovered my love for homes while witnessing my parents build a custom home on 3 wooded acres near a pond. At just four years old, I remember following the craftsmen around the house asking them what they were doing and why. I was fascinated.  I could hardly wait to visit the house each week. The smell of sawdust still makes me giddy. It's a dream of mine to build a house in the future, but until then, I am just as happy working on my clients projects."

One of Kari's first positions was as an Interior Designer for a large custom home construction company & developer in the Twin Cities where she learned about surface materials and the construction process.  Kari set out for a warmer climate and moved to Los Angeles, CA and worked with a small boutique Interior Design Firm in Rolling Hills, CA.  Curious, she also ventured into Property Management,  and helped manage a medical building in Beverly Hills.   "I knew that design in any capacity is what truly makes me happy, and in the back of my mind I knew I would love to have my own boutique design studio. I am thrilled to be a part of this industry and building the DE LAVENNE brand and portfolio.

DE LAVENNE DESIGN, LLC was established in September of 2010.

PHILOSOPHY | AESTHETIC

~  A well-designed home lends itself to a life designed well  ~ 

A person should feel at ease and comfortable in their own home.  Poor space design can be intrusive to daily life. A well-designed home lends itself to a life designed well; it allows you to live with an improved quality of life. It can alter outlooks, attitudes and have a powerfully positive impact for you and your family. 

My design aesthetic is considered new traditional.  While capturing the personality of the homeowners, I am constantly striving for balance in the spaces I create.  I like to combine one-of-a kind-pieces with the classics; I like simple but not without soul, sophistication with ease.  I design rooms that balance delicate with strong lines, I like to mix custom with store-bought pieces, and serious color palettes with fun and charm. I aim to create inviting rooms that draw the eye in gradually, layer by layer, creating a casual and liveable friendly invitation to return. The vendors I select to work with share this design aesthetic.

Please refer to my portfolio for examples of completed work.

HIRING A DESIGNER

Besides gaining you access to trade-only resources, partnering with an Interior Designer will help you organize the enormous decision process associated with new construction, a remodel or decoration of an existing space.

Through conversation and the help of over 10,000 images pinned in the DE LAVENNE DESIGN Pinterest gallery, I will help you identify inspiration, source pieces and place it beautifully in the room.

Together, we will work toward an overall design goal within a budget you are comfortable with. Whether a project is considered New Construction, or just restyling existing bookcases, I can improve your space. I work with small and large scale projects, new construction with your contractor, or on an "as need" basis (i.e. as an individual design consultant).

Contact me to start talking about your project.

DESIGN SERVICE RATES

The DE LAVENNE DESIGN rate is $75 / hour ($25 minimum increments) for any of the following activities:

1. Straight Design Time
   Measuring, drawings, floor plan / furniture design, product sourcing and
   design board presentation and selections.
   
   
2. Project management
   All project-related phone and e-communications, delivery logistics, consultation,
   local travel.
   
   
3. Installation*
   Deliveries and styling. 
   *Additional installation fees may apply depending upon project.

The number of hours necessary to complete a project varies from project to project (i.e.  room size, budget, timely design decisions, project timeline, décor, etc.), all of which will be discussed at the time of consultation.

I offer a free 15-minute initial project assessment over the phone which may lead to an in-person billable consultation. A written estimate will be furnished once the project scope is determined. Contact me here to get started!

I also offer “e-design” or long distance design services, and completed Design boards with listed “self-serve” sources are available for purchase.  Please contact me for more information.

See also CARTE BLANCHE - the self-serve design shop coming soon!