Kim Macumber

Interview by Mallika Malhotra

Kim Macumber: My name is Kim Macumber, I'm a residential interior designer and I own Kim Macumber Interiors. I love creating “home” so I focus on the whole house for my clients, creating a signature and unique look for each of them. That involves a color texture pattern that really helps them create a nurturing safe space in their home whether it's for a single person or a large family. I think it's very important that we all have a safe place to come home to every day. Many of us are working from home every day, so that's even more important, right?

Mallika Malhotra: 100% Yes, it’s definitely important to have a place where you feel at home. We learned that from the pandemic, for sure. How long have you been in business? How did you get started?

Kim: I have been in business, I feel like my whole life but officially doing interior design since around 2008, so 15 years. I actually really truly have been doing it my entire life. When I started Mallika, it was so grassroots, our youngest daughter was getting ready for part-time preschool, going a couple of days a week. I knew I needed to do something, I needed a creative outlet. I'd done stuff in our home, I grew up doing my mom's home, friend’s homes, and all of that. So I had some little five-by-seven postcards made up that said, Do you need a table runner or table skirt for your next holiday event? Do you need window treatments? Because I learned to sew when I was young. So I walked up and down my neighborhood street and popped them in everybody's mailbox. Immediately this one woman said, Oh my gosh, I need these two tablecloths. I was like, okay, and over 15 years that grew into Hey, can you help me with this pink color, I really need to do this room. I have soaked up every bit of knowledge through trade shows and books and everything. It started out so small and has grown very organically over the years. I'm very, very happy and proud of that.

Mallika: That’s amazing. I love the grassroots note cards in people's mailboxes. It goes to show it works, right? It’s about creating a relationship, putting yourself out there, following up, and having that organic growth. What is the bigger mission behind your brand? 

Kim: First and foremost, yes, people think of interior design as, Oh, they're going to make this space beautiful, right? I want to see beautiful color, I want to see texture, I want to see those things that really take a space from being bland to give it a lot of life. Behind all that, it has to be something that does nurture the client and that suits them, not me. And probably the biggest benefit of hiring an interior designer is if you put your trust in that person and you come up with the plan they can get on with their life while I, in turn, do all the minutia; ordering, picking out, dealing with delays, keeping you updated on when products coming in, you know, arranging all those little details that for so many working people, they don't have the time or the desire to do it. That is almost as important, if not more important, than the actual design.

Mallika: You’re saving them time and energy, and probably from making bad choices, haha! In the end, you’re creating someone’s sanctuary and a place to make memories. So Kim, after being in business for over 15 years, what are some of the biggest lessons you’ve learned along the way? 

Kim: One of the biggest lessons is to continue listening to my own gut, listen to the red flags. Especially today, there are so many podcasts, designers, etc. Everybody is doing something different. It’s hard sometimes to block the noise and do what’s true to you. I’ve gotten really good at putting my blinders on and doing my own thing. The other part too, which was a big reality check early on, is that the business takes far more time than the design work. It’s very important to be organized and have a handle on things and make the relationships that keep me moving forward through the business.

Mallika: That's a good point. You think your business is all about creativity, design, and client customer service. Then there’s marketing, social media, strategy, and envisioning what you want next for your business. All of this takes a lot of time, but it’s all necessary. Knowing that you have to do these business-oriented activities, is there something that you’ve done that you see the most growth out of and feel like, I’m so glad that I’m doing this in my business because it helped me expand.

Kim: There are a couple of things. I don't really have any full-time employees but I have invested in people that are contractors in a way. I've got a woman who lives in France. She does my renderings for me and it is such a great relationship. She takes the time, so I can do my mood boards, I can put my design plan together, but she really brings the visuals to life for me, which would take me a lot longer. 

One of the biggest things that has helped my growth is the Women's Business League. Joining them before we came here, I met some great women who really introduced me to others. Then as you know, you and I met in the Portland group, I've been there now I think about a year. They are such an energetic, wonderful group of women supporting women and you can truly feel the energy that it's not competitive, it is everybody trying to help each other rise up. I have probably met more people here in Portland in the past year than I could have on my own because of the Women's Business League connecting me to the right people and that has resulted in business. I'm very thankful for that group.

Mallika: Yeah, so I heard a couple of things you said. First is having a team even if you're a solopreneur so that you can stay in your zone of genius. And then the idea of a community because we can't do this work on our own. We need people not only for support, but to help get more business, more leads, and more prospects. All of that is huge when you're starting a business and when you're a solopreneur because it's so hard to do everything on your own. Did you have any influences when starting your business? 

Kim: I always have to go back to my grandmother because she taught me to sew at eight and she truly gave me such a gift that I really think she was just trying to find something to do with me in the summers when I visited her but she gave me such a love for textiles and creating and that has propelled me. I'm so thankful for that little bit of time that she spent with me. And my two favorite designers that I've always wanted to emulate were Bunny Williams and Charlotte Moss. I think they've got a similar aesthetic. I kind of call myself traditional with color and whimsy, not serious traditional but I lean there. I love paint and color and they have that, bringing in antiques, etc. They are probably a little more elegant than I am but they were always somebody that I soaked up everything I could read about them to reach their height at some point. 

Mallika: So where else do you get inspiration? Because, you know, I'm also in a creative field and I often get into a rut. What are the things you do to help expand creativity? 

Kim: I always say, first and foremost, the biggest thing is travel. It doesn't have to be anywhere truly exotic either. You can travel in your own backyard, just getting out from behind the computer, going out, and seeing and experiencing new things. Recently my husband and I went to Earth at Hidden Pond and it was beautiful, even the food. The ambiance was beautiful, everything about it, the service, etc. was such a tangible experience. It brings me back to how you feel when you go into a space that kind of wraps you in a hug. 

I also love to go to France, and I love to go to Italy, but you know, it doesn't have to be exotic, it can be truly just getting outside of your house. Then for my business, I go to the Boston Design Center probably two or three times a month. I’m always seeing what's new in fabric, and what new products there are. That keeps me not only knowledgeable but again, gets me out from behind the computer.

Mallika: Are there any other industries outside of interior design that influence you? Where do you look for innovative new ideas?

Kim: Probably the hotel business. I was in hotel sales for 20 years before I started this career. I opened a number of hotels, and I was on the sales team, but when you're opening the hotel, you're very involved with picking out some of the finishes. You don’t have a lot of say, but they bring it into you. The hotel and resort industry has always been fascinating to me, what they do and how they create every hotel, whether it's a Holiday Inn to a Four Seasons, you know what you’re going to get. They create this feeling, that’s really important to me and has been very inspiring to me. And then the textile world, seeing what people are doing with fabrics now versus old-world fabrics and seeing how those were created. That’s kind of my jam. 

Mallika: That’s so interesting, the whole hotel experience that you're talking about. Your specialty with home design is this holistic home, similar to hotels, every touchpoint is very much on brand. You’re bringing that feeling to what you do with your clients now. 

Kim: I hope so, yes! 

Mallika: What’s something that you can't live without in your business?

Kim: I say this very sincerely, I could not live without the people that allow me to do what I do. The wallpaper installers, contractors, the people who install window treatments, all of those people. I can create a vision but would never be able to execute it without them so they are very important to me! 

The other things are my car and Dunkin Donuts. I get on the road early in the morning and go through Dunkin’s to get my giant iced tea. I live in my car, it’s my office. So those two things are also important and without a giant iced tea, I’d never make it through the day! 

Mallika: Haha, yes those are the essentials! So tell me Kim, where did you grow up? 

Kim: I’m from Nashville, Tennessee. 

Mallika: How long have you lived in Maine? 

Kim: We’ve been in Maine for a year and a half now. It’s all still new to me. 

Mallika: What’s your take on Maine’s entrepreneurial community? You have all these partners, you have a team, is there anything different about Mainers? 

Kim: My husband and I have come up here for summers for many years with our kids. I've always known Maine for its kind of vacation side. Now, I am seeing the lifestyle here that I think is really nice. It’s quiet, and I say this hesitantly, because I know it’s growing, which I think is good. It’s so nice here and I do think with the lifestyle, so many people are moving here for that reason and I’d love to help them get settled here because I think it’s a great place to be. Also, because of the Women’s Business League, I met some ladies last week at Scarborough Grounds and I took a minute to look around. Every table had two or three women at it with their laptops, their phones, talking, and networking; from an entrepreneurial spirit in the female zone, it’s strong. 

Mallika: I love that it’s so positive, I love that! Another question from a design perspective, has living in Maine affected your aesthetic at all? 

Kim: It hasn’t really yet and maybe it will. There’s definitely the coastal vibe for a lot of people and I thought I’d be doing more of that but it’s been a mix of styles.

Mallika: Ok, last question, what books or podcasts are you reading or listening to that you want to share with us?

Kim: For podcasts, I have two that I am constantly listening to that are my favorite. One is called Business of Home, and Dennis Sculley narrates and produces it. It’s truly helpful for my business. It’s about who is doing what, what companies are doing, all the trends, things like that. I listen to it weekly. Then my 27-year-old daughter turned me on to Erin and Sarah Foster and they have a show called The World’s First Podcast. They are the founders of My Favorite Daughter clothing line and I love the banter. It almost feels like you’re having coffee with your girls except that they are 20 years younger than I am, so it’s really fun to listen to them. I find myself laughing out loud with them! Those are my two favorites right now. 

As for books, I read a lot in the summer because we go to the beach. I’m on kind of a hiatus. I’m halfway through The Midnight Library by Matt Haig. 

Mallika: You’re a beach reader where I like reading a book in front of the fireplace. I could spend hours reading there. So, tell us how MVM readers can find you. 

Kim: I’m on Instagram at @kimmacumberinteriors I have a Facebook Business page, Kim Macumber Interiors. My most active platform is Instagram where I only showcase my work. It’s fun to get an idea of what I do and my style. 

Mallika: Do you have a free discovery call? 

Kim: Absolutely, I will do a free discovery call. I do charge for a consultation because I give you a lot of information and it’s an in-person consult, but definitely a free discovery call. 

Mallika: Thank you so much, Kim. It’s been great chatting with you.