Mother-Daughter Duo: A Voice of Experience Meets Sunny Optimism
Home design runs in this family. We ask these two what it’s like to work together
Join us as we celebrate Mother’s Day with a series on mother-daughter duos in the design world.
Favorite project: A home in Arkansas. This space showcases both of their styles. Kymberlyn got to use neutrals, such as cream and navy, and Sierra added in the bright orange accents.
Funniest moment: Kymberlyn showed up in a white pantsuit to finalize paint colors with a client. During the visit, she brushed up against a still-wet chocolate-brown wall, ruining her white ensemble. “We were three hours away from home, working in the middle of nowhere,” Sierra says, “and she was forced to walk around with a huge paint stain on the back of her pants.”
Tell us about your daughter’s …
Your turn: Do you work with your child or parent? Please tell us about your family design team in the Comments.
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Funniest moment: Kymberlyn showed up in a white pantsuit to finalize paint colors with a client. During the visit, she brushed up against a still-wet chocolate-brown wall, ruining her white ensemble. “We were three hours away from home, working in the middle of nowhere,” Sierra says, “and she was forced to walk around with a huge paint stain on the back of her pants.”
Tell us about your daughter’s …
- Biggest strength: Her smile. “Sierra’s smile is sure to brighten even the gloomiest of days,” Kymberlyn says.
- Design signature: Adding a dash of color
- Paint color personality: Yellow. Sierra is full of life, always happy and lets her personality shine.
- Go-to snack: Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups
- Personality in three words: Talkative, social and helpful
- Biggest strength: Her inspiring positivity. “She never pays any attention to the negativity of the no’s and can’ts that she experiences as a business owner,” Sierra says. “My mom always finds a way to achieve her lifelong goals and encourages me to do the same.
- Design signature: Leaving handwritten notes in French for clients
- Paint color personality: Red because she is fierce, strikingly beautiful and bold, Sierra says.
- Go-to snack: Almonds and bananas
- Personality in three words: Giver, over-thinker and humorous
Your turn: Do you work with your child or parent? Please tell us about your family design team in the Comments.
More
Design Lessons My Mother Taught Me
Create a Cheery, Romantic Mother’s Day Tablescape
Read more stories about mother-daughter design duos
Time working together: Six years
Design roots: When Kymberlyn was 5, her family’s home burned down. She watched her father, who was already a carpenter, get his contractor license and oversee the building of their new home. His can-do attitude inspired her to dream big, and the skills he passed along — how to use power tools and hang drywall — helped her start her own design business. Sierra helped her mom with her business and then attended the University of Arkansas’ Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design apprenticeship program. That experience quickly solidified her decision to pursue interior design.
On the job: Working alongside her mom can be stressful and fun for her at the same time, Sierra says. Her mom focuses on details and likes to talk things out. “But I’ve learned that she is just analyzing every possible solution,” Sierra says. Kymberlyn appreciates that Sierra is tech savvy, and she lets Sierra handle the company’s social media accounts.
Lessons: Kymberlyn has taught Sierra the importance of honesty. “My mother is very upfront and straightforward,” Sierra says. In return, Sierra has taught her mom how to be more spontaneous and go with the flow during a project.
Design dilemmas: If they disagree, which rarely happens, they will photograph or draw up options so that they can visually see and talk through the best one for the project.