With the opening of our first retail location in sunny San Clemente, California, we wanted to make sure the LoveSurf lifestyle was reflected in our store design. Our Marketing Manager and Retail Designer Kayla Kipling took inspiration from her hometown of the Big Island of Hawai’i and created the perfect beachy vibe throughout the store. She brought the outdoors in, by adding natural touches like tropical plants, delicate sea shell chandeliers and an oversized palm photograph image as an accent wall. Take a peek at how Kayla transformed our space into a tropical getaway and don’t forget to stop by!
When did your interest in interior design start?
My initial interest in interior design started when I was in middle school. My parents have built two custom homes in Kona, Hawai’i (where I am from), and I grew up around the home design process. I remember watching all the design shows on HGTV when I came home from school, instead of watching kids shows (weird, huh?) In both of our homes, my parents let me pick out the paint colors for the whole house, pick out lighting fixtures, etc. (which I’m surprised they trusted my ideas at such a young age haha!) Because I was so involved with the design of my own homes at such a young age, I knew this was something I wanted to pursue.
Kua Bay, Photo by Kayla Kipling
Kayla’s hometown, Kailua-Kona
Once I graduated high school, I received my degree in Visual Communications at the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising (FIDM) in Los Angeles, CA. There, I learned the retail/commercial side of interior design and what it actually takes to have a design career, and chose this as one of the aspects of my career path. One of my goals in life was always to find a way to make a living, doing what I love.
What inspires you? Or where do you find inspiration?
My biggest inspiration in design (and all aspects of my life, really) is the beautiful place I get to call HOME, the Big Island of Hawai’i. I have always been inspired by the color palette that makes up The Islands–the deep, lush shades of green found in the vegetation, the range of cobalt blue to crystal clear turquoise ocean, and the vibrant colors found in our tropical flowers. Whenever I design ANYTHING, I always revert to something with a tropical/beachy vibe. I find that whether you’re from somewhere near the ocean, or not, the ocean is always calling you back. Why not surround yourself with a space that transports you to the place you’re longing to be?
What is your favorite part of interior design?
My favorite part of interior design is seeing a look come together from something you envisioned in your head, to an idea on paper, to the actual final product. It’s funny to see how much your initial idea evolved along the way, and sometimes your final product turns out to be something totally different than what you planned. It’s fun for me to see my own thought process turn into something I am proud of, and to create an environment that others can enjoy as well.
How would you describe your style?
As I mentioned previously, my design style is always a bit tropical or beachy, always inspired by Hawai’i. “You can take the girl out of Hawai’i, but not the Hawai’i out of the girl.”….I live by this statement. I am also really into fashion, and my personal style has a beachy touch as well; I usually have a flower behind my ear, and always dress like it’s 80 degrees outside, so you can guess that I’m not a fan of fall fashion haha.
How does the LoveSurf lifestyle reflect in the store’s design? When designing a space, especially a retail space, you want the design to mimic the brand’s look, and be easily identifiable within the design itself. For LoveSurf, I wanted to embody the beach style by bringing the outdoors in–I included natural elements, lots of tropical plants as focal points, multiple natural jute rugs, an oversized palm photograph image as an accent wall…Once I got all of my main, natural elements in place, then I added pops of bright colors-hot pink & sky blue, which you can find consistently in LoveSurf’s garments. The pops of color tied in the clothing to the space, to create cohesive branding that coordinates well with LoveSurf’s current collections, as well as future product down the line.
Besides design, what are your interests? What do you do for fun?
At FIDM, I took a lot of graphic design courses, and that is another love of mine. I love being able to create something from scratch, and seeing the results (eventually, I am such a perfectionist haha!) Another love of mine is cooking. I always tell myself if I didn’t have to have a real job (haha!), I would just cook new recipes three times a day…I am a little bit of self-declared Pinterest-aholic and I am always “pinning” new recipes I want to try.
How do you stay active? Favorite outdoor activities?
I’ll be the first to admit that I’m no “yogi” and I’m not constantly trying to burn calories and post about it on Instagram (haha!), but I absolutely love being able to get outdoors!!! We are blessed to live in such a beautiful world, and I love to enjoy it as much as possible. Taking a dip in the ocean in Laguna, going on a sea-side hike in Dana Point, or taking a bike ride in Newport, are just a couple of my favorite ways to get outside, and to stay healthy!
Laguna Beach, Photo by Kayla Kipling
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Meet LoveSurf’s Retail Designer + Marketing Manager Kayla Kipling was originally published on THE LOVESURF BLOG
