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Growing up on a farm in Nebraska, Kristen did not follow in the footsteps of her parents. She had alternative aspirations and found a passion for design while working her first job at an antique shop. There she found a love for vintage furniture pieces. She was a scholar in architecture and interior architecture and worked her way through several prestigious high-end residential architecture and interior design firms from Martha’s Vineyard to Boston, MA. When she got married in 2016, she discovered a gap in the market for specialty rentals using a mix of vintage and modern furniture as well as accessories. She and her husband sourced local antique shops, and markets and Kadeema launched in 2016 through collaboration with wedding vendors and planners. Since then, her vision has grown exponentially with rental furniture for celebrity events, weddings, and exquisite gatherings. Kadeema and Raha Home are sister companies; both offering design services. Kadeema specializes in temporary interior design and furniture for events and Raha Home is focused on permanent architecture and interior design in residential homes.
With my first child, Charles, I chose the neutral route, using whites, grays, and birch colored accent pieces. When Sofie came along, I felt like I needed to go in the opposite direction and use all the colors of the rainbow with the same type of white and birch accents included. I loved the Branch collection the second I saw it and I knew I could trust the quality. We already had the Crescent Moon Rocking Chair in Charlie's room and we all adored it, so I decided to continue with the Milk Street Baby items in Sofie's room and really have fun with the colors of the rainbow. The Branch Crib + The Branch Open Shelf Changing Table combined with the accent wallpaper from Drop It Modern was the perfect mix of modern and transitional.
Can you give one example of how you balance your design businesses with raising two little ones.
It's tough to raise two children, not only under five, but under three years of age. I'm still trying to figure it out, but what I know for myself is that the more time I spend setting up a schedule for the kids, rather than a schedule for myself, I am allowed greater freedom to work, solely focused on the work . Through the pandemic, I was juggling having them at home some days and trying to get work done at the same time. It was absolutely impossible. I said to myself, “ I'm not coming up with a good rhythm for anyone here.” I had to find the right balance between being able to get the work completed that I need each day by 3 pm to pick them up from childcare or school. It is nice to have more flexibility than a normal nine to five job, but you must be organized and have a schedule.
I absolutely adore the color and wood combination mixed with the specific design. These factors make the entire Branch Collection so versatile! It fits well into any type of style. For instance, the all white Branch items feel modern yet organic which is the way I wanted to use the pieces. I could easily see that same collection being used for parents that have a more rustic vibe in their nursery. I don't like being too "themed" meaning every single thing needs to be clouds, or rainbows, or trees, forest, etc. Being able to mix based upon what feels light and fun and also not weighing too overly gender specific in one direction is why I chose the Branch Crib and Branch Changing Table. I'm like a chameleon with design, so it's easy for me to pick up my client's style as inspiration and make design decisions and create spaces based on their functional needs and aesthetic likes. That being said, I always feel like I go with the guidance of "Less is More" and I make sure the details are in the architecture or interior architecture instead of just being overloaded with decor details.
I think what's exciting about the late Millennials and Gen Z'ers that are getting married and having children is that they aren't afraid to be unique, and they make choices based on their comfort level and style. It’s so refreshing to have a clientele that isn't afraid of being different.
Milk Street's designs seem universal which means they really can fit into almost any situation or designed nursery space and having them being adjustable based on stages of children's lives means they're more sustainable pieces that can last through multiple stages and multiple children. I'd love to have Milk Street continue to develop later stages of children's furniture, it would be amazing!
