'Tomorrow isn't a guarantee': Loss drove Manasquan interior designer to find her passion

MANASQUAN - Growing up in Linden and moving to Toms River when she was 12, Christina Kim was mesmerized by the different textures, patterns, and colors in her home. And as an adult, she brought all of those details full circle with her launch of Manasquan-based Christina Kim Interior Design in 2012.

“As a little kid growing up in a family that had emigrated from Korea, we started off in a humble apartment, but we had nice things,” recalled Kim of her childhood.

“There was lucite, plants, texture and a patterned modern sofa, so all of that got into my blood somehow," she said. "The house we moved to in Linden was custom-built and had flocked velvet wallpaper, velvet wall hangings, unique light fixtures and pocket doors; it was a house that was considered in terms of design. But I lost my mother at a young age, so at that time in my life, I was more interested in the idea of home than in interior design.”

During her sophomore year of college at the University of Southern California, where she majored in broadcast journalism, “my father, who’d been a well-known acupuncturist in Toms River, passed away and it totally changed my trajectory,” Kim said.

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“Having lost both parents, I had to take stock of what I wanted to do with my life; I realized that tomorrow isn’t a guarantee, so I wanted to do what I wanted” — which for Kim meant leaving USC for New York City to pursue a career in acting.

“While auditioning during the day, I started working in glamorous, chic, highly-designed lounges, hospitality settings, and other hot spots at night and that’s where my true interest in interior design was born,” Kim said. “I became aware that these were fabulous spaces designed to make people feel a certain way through their choices of color, furniture, accessories and lighting and that there were people called ‘interior designers’ who put them together.”

Though she acted in some plays and commercials and moved to Los Angeles and Paris for a few years, Kim ultimately married her high school sweetheart, started their family, and moved back to New Jersey, where they renovated his family’s 100-year-old house in Matawan.

“Every piece of that house was touched by me — I poured over magazines, put together what’s now called a ‘mood board,’ and created a beautiful, cozy house for us,” Kim said. “When it came time to sell it and we were offered well over asking price, I realized that I had a knack for interior design.”

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While attending Brookdale Community College in the Lincroft section of Middletown for her associate’s degree in 2008-2009, Kim was introduced to her first residential client.

“I started with that client in Rumson and never went back to school,” she said. “The experience taught me how to work with people, listen and set up my business.”

Following stints working for a high-end furniture showroom and freelancing for other designers, Kim launched Christina Kim Interior Design in May 2012. Initially working out of her home, “I moved to a co-working space in 2018, and then in 2020 I opened my own space on Main Street in Manasquan, which I love because I’m right around the corner from my kids’ school,” she said.

'It’s not about seashells'

Today, in her cozy, 700-square-foot space with its clean lines and poolhouse cabana vibe, “we’re a full-service residential interior design firm that’s involved from start to finish and are often pulled in by a client before they close on a property,” she said of her five-person team. “We’re there with the builder and architect and are often the first ones in and last ones out overseeing the interior architecture, finishes and furnishings all the way to accessories and lighting the last candle.

“The majority of our clients are from coastal New Jersey,” added Kim, whose recent projects include a "forever beach house" on the Shark River Inlet in Belmar, a mid-century modern home in Rumson and many other waterfront residences.

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“Our work reflects the surroundings, but in a subtle way,” she said. “It’s not about seashells, but about creating warm, soft and modern spaces that feature interesting lighting and vintage or unusual finds, because that’s what makes a house feel personal.”

While many of their projects are local, “we also work in Manhattan and will go where there’s an interesting project nationwide,” Kim noted. “This past September, we were excited to travel to Dallas to participate in the prestigious Kips Bay Decorator Show House, in which 24 top designers are selected annually to renovate and fully decorate part of a house for charity.”

Among trends, “what’s really ‘in’ are personal spaces and less concern about resale when making choices regarding the interior — it’s about being happy while you’re there,” Kim said.

“What’s ‘out’ are white, simple, safe interiors; today there’s color, pattern and personalized art and special touches so that rooms don’t feel so empty," she said. "Working with natural materials like travertine, limestone, marble and natural fabrics is my favorite way of bringing the outside in. “It’s not so much about perfection and performance materials but about natural materials that feel nice, many of which also wear well, like velvet and mohair.”

While she admits that pandemic-era product backlogs were difficult to manage, “we found ways to deal with the delays as best we could,” Kim said of overcoming those obstacles.

“But one of the most challenging things was being a woman in the building industry. Earlier on, it was hard to deal with other trades talking down to me because they didn’t believe that certain ideas of mine would work,” she said. “However, there’s been more respect today based on my body of work and I’m glad that I stuck it out.”

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Typically covering five to seven large projects (ground-up construction or full-scale renovations) at any time, “we’ve aligned with a number of furniture lines that have been trusted vendors/partners to us over the years, but we’ll custom-create something if I can’t find it, such as a specific marble table or upholstery that I wish existed,” Kim said. “There’s a lot of talent in New Jersey and I love bringing ideas to craftspeople to create.”

“I try to bring a custom point of view to every project through vintage or unique pieces, etc. This is how we distinguish ourselves from other designers,” Kim said of the personality of her firm. “There are many fabulous designers in New Jersey and we’re all friends, but the way we each do things is different enough that people hire us not just for the look we deliver but for the experience of working with us. Ultimately, it should be an enjoyable experience.”

'The sky’s the limit'

Looking ahead, “we’d love to develop a line of furnishings of our own and broaden our offering beyond just coastal design,” Kim said. “I also want to grow the firm, possibly into other locations, while still remaining authentic.”

As for her hope for the business, Kim has an even bigger vision.

“I think it’s great for students and other community members to see interior design as a viable profession in Manasquan,” she said. “I see this as a vibrant, growing field and I want people, especially young girls, to know that it can absolutely lead to financial independence and that the sky’s the limit.”

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Regarding her favorite part of the business, “I’m so grateful that I have something to chase that’s really challenging every day; no two days are the same and there’s always something to learn,” Kim said. “The work involves pretty things, but it’s so much more than just installing art and furniture. We’re creating and moving people into their homes. It’s so gratifying to see our clients so happy about their new home and new chapter, and we love and appreciate the trust they have in us.”

Christina Kim Interior Design

Location: 74 Main St., Manasquan

Phone: 732-590-5187

Owner: Christina Kim

Founded: 2012

Website: www.christinakiminteriordesign.com

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: How Manasquan NJ interior designer Christina Kim found her passion