The One Room Kirsten Krason Will Never Forget

Interior designers and other experts in the home industry work on an impressive number of spaces throughout their careers. But even if some of the makeovers and redesigns start to blend together after a few years, there are some rooms that are just truly unforgettable. 

So, to give designers a chance to revisit their favorite projects—and to bring you plenty of inspiration for your own home—we’re sharing the one room these pros will remember forever. For some, there’s a sentimental connection, for others, there was an obstacle they never thought they’d overcome. But no matter what, these rooms are worth remembering.

Erin Morgan and Kirsten Krason of House of Jade Interiors have differing but complementary tastes when it comes to interiors. “I would say it’s hard for us to put our style into words,” Krason says. “Erin leans a bit more neutral and modern, while I learn traditional, but in general, we do a lot of classic transitional and farmhouse.”

Clean, bright, livable, timeless, and elevated are just some words to describe the way a House of Jade Interiors project will feel. The duo began their business in 2013 with no expectations. “We started it because it was fun to get to work with your best friend,” she says. “We didn't have a lot of expectations.”

Krason has an interior design background and began blogging while she was in design school in 2006. “It was when blogs were just starting,” she says. "I loved it, but no one knew you could make a business from it.” As her business grew, she went to Morgan for sewing projects, and ultimately the two decided to work together pairing Krason’s formal education with Morgan’s natural talent and design eye. 

In 2017, they began one of their favorite projects to date, a complete revamp of a 1990s-built home in Alpine, Utah. The clients, a couple who had spent a lot of time traveling, were finally ready to live full-time in their mountainside home but the aesthetic and layout needed an upgrade.

“It wasn’t her style,” Krason recalls. “She wanted a farmhouse, but the architecture had nothing about it. She also had picked up many items on her travels to Asia.”

Marrying a '90s home with a farmhouse vibe and Asian flair was quite the challenge—but it’s what made this project particularly memorable. 

Initially, the kitchen sat in the center of the house, while the dining room was on the other side of the home. To create a dining space that could accommodate large family gatherings, the original living room was turned into a versatile dining room.

“We wanted to have a space that felt like there was no limit to how many people could sit around the table,” Krason says. “When working with an existing home, you have to challenge yourself to what a room can be.”

To warm up the room, they added beams, which likewise add a touch of farmhouse style. The fireplace, which is unusual for a dining room, also gives the room character and nods to the traditional. Krason went for Restoration Hardware’s Salvaged Wood Trestle Rectangular Extension Dining Table, crafted from timber salvaged from 100-year-old buildings in the UK, with the matching bench made custom with Pindler & Pindler Holloway Granite Fabric, a dark checkered textile that will never go out of style.

The dining setup was completed with black chairs, as well as white slipcovered chairs the homeowners already owned, plus wooden chairs she purchased in Asia that are placed next to the fireplace. “We wanted it to feel eclectic and like it had been collected over the years,” Krason says. 

Black-and-brass Elkins Sconces from Circle Lighting flank the fireplace, while encaustic tile creates a “fun and surprising moment” on the floor.

“You don’t see it when you walk into the room until you get closer to the fireplace,” she says. 

The Asian sideboard, a piece the homeowners knew they wanted to incorporate, is paired with a piece of artwork by the couple’s daughter, as well as other art throughout the room they had collected. 

“The thing I learned the most with this project is when you have a blank slate, it’s easy to do what’s expected,” Krason says. “But, when clients already have pieces that are special to them, it’s important to open your eyes about what can actually work and let a room live on its own without inserting yourself too much into the design.”