Introducing Kim Williams – Visionary Designer

Meet Kim Williams, a visionary designer dedicated to transforming spaces and lives through her innovative approach. With a passion sparked by her own experiences and a career spanning behaviour strategy and interior design, Kim has established herself as a leader in her field. In this exclusive interview, Kim shares her journey, philosophy, and proudest milestones, offering a glimpse into the world of Kim Williams Design, where purpose and beauty converge to create profound impacts on those who experience her spaces.

Why do you think it is important to shape how people experience spaces and, in doing so, positively impact lives?

My love for spaces began with learning to understand how people behave in a space as a result of the design. My very first project was for myself as a little girl.

I spent more time indoors than outdoors as I was born with a clubfoot and found that my physical limitations affected how I wanted to interact with space. My parents allowed me great freedom to change things around in our home and I curiously observed how this would positively or negatively impact our family. It was in these times that I realised I wanted to use spaces to help people.

My career as a behaviour strategist used this understanding and knowledge that I nurtured over time to impact corporate working environments. The work evolved and some of my first clients as an interior designer suffered from long term illnesses and it astounded me the impact the work had on their mental health. We have since done some work we are very proud of in the health and wellness space.

Our mission at Kim Williams Design is to really understand what the space must deliver and how it impacts the people that experience it.

What is the ethos of the Kim Williams brand?

Our ethos is to really honour and respect space, what has come before and what the purpose of the space is moving forward. This deep understanding of the space and its purpose is fundamental to align to what our clients intention is and how to bring this to life in a profound, meaningful way.

Please share some of your proudest milestones in the industry?

It has to be for the five international awards we won in Los Angeles which we did in collaboration with Enrica van Der Linden Architectural Designers for our work at Enamel Clinic and the Implant Academy, as well as being a Loeries finalist for the same project.

This was followed by our top 5 Global Award for a bedroom we did in Claremont, and a top 10 ten accolodate for a new build we did in South Africa in the Middle East and Africa Category at the London International Design Awards.

It is also a personal dream come true to be opening our showroom in Durbanville this year.

What challenges have you faced throughout the years, and how did you overcome them?

The industry we work in is very hard on itself, we are often our own worst enemies as we strive to improve our design protocol, work and outcomes. Making peace with the fact that we do not always have the budget to perfect a design or take it to the level that we would intend, can be very challenging. Overcoming this has been to focus on the outcomes with our clients, really managing expectations and not being too emotionally connected to the design. It is critical to understand that design is not about you, it is about what it brings about that is the true success of the design.

Another key challenge; it takes many many hours of work and smaller projects before you are really able to showcase your skill on larger projects. It takes tenacity to work in our industry, it truly is love that is your fuel as it takes time and patience for it to become profitable as a small business.

What is your hope for the future of design in South Africa?

I have seen a real shift in our ability to collaborate and support each other over the years as designers, which I have found to be really meaningful, and as a result we have seen some really incredible work emerge. I would like to see this continue. I also believe we need to acknowledge each other within this country not continuously look for judgement and acknowledgement from overseas designers as our world of design is unique and profound.

At Kim Williams Design, human behaviour meets design innovation. Here the client is at the centre and the design reflects their essence, shifting their behaviour, and creating positive change in their work and lives.

Discover more at Kim Williams Design online.
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