The way we design our homes often aligns with how we traditionally think spaces should be used. Angela Kimball, a kitchen designer with Whitewood Kitchens and a recent founder of Angela Kimball Design Services, is challenging clients to rethink how their homes can best serve their lifestyles. Backed by twenty years of design experience on Cape Cod, Kimball offers a fresh perspective that will enhance any home for years to come.

CCH: What drew you to settle on Cape Cod?

AK: I grew up in Central Massachusetts and moved here with my family in 2001. I come out of the semiconductor industry. I am a trained chemist and was in business development for the chemical industry until 2000. I was traveling globally and had a nine-year-old daughter, so I was looking for family-life balance. I loved the Cape and wanted to slow down a bit, so we moved here and got into the construction and design business.

You recently started a brand-new business venture, tell me about that.

AK: In the past few months, I have created my own company called Angela Kimball Design Services. I have a tremendous amount of design experience and want to handhold my clients through their decision-making process. I will design the interior of your home or your garden – I am a master gardener. This new company is a natural progression for me in the next wave of my life. I also still work for AP Kimball Construction and I design kitchens for White Wood Kitchens.

What are your goals for this new company?

AK: I’d like to be thought of as somebody that you call because you have a new space and want to understand what you can do with it. It is more about space planning. I’d like to grow my business with builders, designers, and architects in terms of service to the client. We all live in fairly small homes on Cape Cod and are trying to capture the most space while being cost efficient.

What would you say distinguishes your work in the design industry?

AK: It’s figuring out what clients already have and how to maximize that. It is also how to get them in a realistic budget while doing so. I think my favorite part is having a client realize that they have what they needed in their home all along, it just needed to be looked at differently. We have these perceptions of how we have to use our homes because we’ve always done things in a certain way. Trying to get someone to look at their space differently and still achieve their dreams is a puzzle. Completing that puzzle is really rewarding.

Have you seen a recent shift in how people are utilizing their homes?

AK: Definitely. The pandemic has put us in a place where many people are working from home, so we are trying to create spaces for that. We are trying to create space for our kids who are home studying or working. We want outdoor spaces, because we can’t go anywhere else. People are looking at the family eating dinner together every night. Where and how does this happen? How do we multi-use spaces? My goal is to be that person that people ask to help them understand what can be done with their space.

Do you have any projects that stand out to you?

AK: I’d like to say they’re all standout projects. Every project is unique, yet a lot of them are similar. A lot of our clients are about to be retired or are newly retired. I think one of the biggest challenges is they are moving from a larger home in the suburbs into a ranch or cottage on Cape Cod. The goal is to scale back their furnishings, possessions, and get them to understand that Cape Cod is a much simpler lifestyle. 

What advice would you give to young professionals looking to succeed on the Cape?

AK: The challenge is housing because it is expensive to live here. If you can get past that hurdle, you will find employment. The job market is strong and I think it is a lot of fun. You have to put aside the corporate mentality of the Boston area and understand that this is a different place. There is definitely room for young professionals on the Cape. I challenge all of us as a community to figure out how we are going to house these people.

Angela Kimball is no stranger to Cape Cod HOME! Check out previous coverage here and here!