Jenni Kayne's Rip & Tan blog sat down to interview Birgit Klein, discussing her interior design inspiration for clients as well as her own home in Montecito, just outside of Santa Barbara. Birgit reveals her aesthetic was influenced by her childhood in Europe and time living in London for over a decade. She still travels abroad often and brings back photos of eye-catching architecture and objects that incite new ideas. A shared desire with clients to create one of a kind living spaces makes for endlessly fascinating jobs in various destinations.

Birgit designed her personal home fully from the inside out, with emphasis on flow of rooms and spaces. Climate was given special consideration as she valued outdoor areas suitable for entertaining the entire family and guests. The home features a balance of luxury, purpose and comfort, utilizing natural materials and beautiful textures and fabrics. 

In both her own home and client projects, Birgit values bold decorative accessories and unique juxtapositions of materials. But she emphasizes purpose over flashness, and timeless art over trends. Pops of color accent neutral furnishings, leaning towards muted tones over louder choices. As far as the minimalist vs maximalist debate, she feels this depends entirely on client preference, with the focus on scale and balance.

Please find the full interview on Jenni Kayne's Rip & Tan.