Holly Kane and Kristen McEachron: Interior designers to keep an eye on

“Design Santa Barbara” is an award-winning interior decorating series on TV promoting local interior designers and hosted by the owner of Santa Barbara Design Center, Michael Kourosh. Using the furniture at the Santa Barbara Design Center and the space provided by Mr. Kourosh, SBCC students Holly Kane and Kristen McEachron were each given the opportunity to design a living room. Their work will be showcased on KEYT Channel 3, at 10 p.m. on March 23, 2019.

Holly finds inspiration in the subtle colors and forms of nature. From California’s golden sunshine to the brilliant rusty foliage dotting New England’s autumn landscape; there is a magic that has shaped her sense of home and place.

“I am a lifelong learner," she says. "I hope to never lose my sense of wonder. There is always knowledge to gain and room for growth. SBCC provides its students with a well-rounded program in Interior Design. I am grateful for this school in my backyard.”

Expressing her thoughts on her design at Santa Barbara Design Center, Holly said, “I hope that my vignette is welcoming and gives a feeling of warmth. I chose materials that tell a story and elicit conversation. For me, the room became about intrigue, textures and architectural detailing. My inspiration started with the antique Serapi rug and the colors and feel took off from there.”

Kristen McEachron

Growing up, Kristen loved creating homes with online games and "sketchup." As she got older and moved on to redecorating her bedroom and apartment, she quickly learned the importance of a space and how it should connect with those in it. According to Kristen, "Good design is important because it affects our lives daily."

When designing residential spaces, Kristen aims to make them feel as inviting and calming as she can. She gets most of her inspiration from natural elements around her as well as from art.

The space she designed at the Santa Barbara Design Center is a coastal style living room. Starting with the neutral carpet, she pulled the rest of her inspiration from there, introducing orange to compliment the blues. To make the room feel more natural and interesting, she mixed textures, patterns and materials. "Layering carpets can add a lot of movement and interest to the center of the room. If you look closely, you can see where I added elements of circles throughout, helping create a sense of unity."

Overall, her room is a great example of her own personal style: cheerful, natural and inviting.