James Kunstel, ASID — Vice President
James Kunstel, ASID — A Bay Design Store partner since 1991, James is a licensed interior designer in Florida and a professional member of the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID). Now a Naples resident, James continues to do design projects in Michigan and other parts of the country as well as southwest Florida.
James brings a fresh approach to classic design, creating decorative and livable design using a fresh color palette and design concepts that harmonize witht the architecture and setting.
What Emerging Trends do you see in Residential Architecture?
I think there is a trend to more open spaces and cleaner lines, with natural elements being used more in architecture as well as interior design.
What style of home do you see becoming more popular?
Contemporary is making a huge statement, even in Naples and we are beginning to see a greater variety of styles in our area. Mediterranean is still the dominant style but softer, cleaner European styles are gaining favor, as are British Colonial and Bermuda styles.
How is Design in SW Florida unique from other places?
We have so much natural beauty to play off of in our area, achieving the right balance between decorative and natural elements is a challenge. We also have people from all over the country and all over the world that bring their style, ideas and cultures with them to their homes in SW Florida.
Where are design influences coming from right now?
They seem to be coming from all over the world. We are seeing an even stronger Asian influence in modern and traditional, mid-century remains strong, and so does Classic Traditional, albeit a little “cleaned up”.