My Houzz: Inside the 1924 Home of an Oakland Muralist
Dave Young Kim and his family personalize their California house with meaningful mementos, art objects and vintage finds
“We just loved the property of the Craftsman. It felt like an oasis,” Elaine says, seen here with daughter Linden on her lap and Dave holding their cat, Honey Meow Meow.
Elaine describes a typical moment for the family as “hanging laundry on the line outside between two towering Italian cypress trees that rim the property or clipping herbs or lettuce from the planter box Dave built for dinner after work. In summer, it’s climbing the plum trees to harvest fruit and pick the wild blackberries that grow off the fences.”
Floral Fresco area rug: discontinued, Anthropologie; Karlstad sofa: Ikea
Elaine describes a typical moment for the family as “hanging laundry on the line outside between two towering Italian cypress trees that rim the property or clipping herbs or lettuce from the planter box Dave built for dinner after work. In summer, it’s climbing the plum trees to harvest fruit and pick the wild blackberries that grow off the fences.”
Floral Fresco area rug: discontinued, Anthropologie; Karlstad sofa: Ikea
Elaine reupholstered this armchair (found on Craigslist) with help from her mother. The buttons for the tufting are covered with leather scraps found at the East Bay Depot for Creative Reuse.
“When we first moved in, our friend Jirat Jirasetpatana helped pick paint colors and place decor initially. She even gave us our coffee table,” Dave says. He added casters to the table so it can be rolled around as needed. The couple enjoy entertaining large groups and like to have flexible seating options, such as the pair of poufs Elaine bought on a trip to Morocco. “We hosted a friend’s concert in our backyard, which drew over 100 people,” she says.
“When we first moved in, our friend Jirat Jirasetpatana helped pick paint colors and place decor initially. She even gave us our coffee table,” Dave says. He added casters to the table so it can be rolled around as needed. The couple enjoy entertaining large groups and like to have flexible seating options, such as the pair of poufs Elaine bought on a trip to Morocco. “We hosted a friend’s concert in our backyard, which drew over 100 people,” she says.
“I love the accents that we have picked up from travel, art from Dave and friends that adorns our walls — it speaks of this life we’ve built together and reemphasizes that to us every day,” Elaine says.
The wooden sculpture on the top shelf was a gift from a Haitian exchange student who once stayed with the family. It’s displayed along with other sentimental items.
The wooden sculpture on the top shelf was a gift from a Haitian exchange student who once stayed with the family. It’s displayed along with other sentimental items.
On the mantel is a carved wooden sculpture from Papua New Guinea and an Asian Pacific American Heritage Award that Dave received from the city of San Francisco in 2015.
Dave was once part of a local Korean drumming group called Ieumsae. This hourglass-shaped instrument is known as a janggu, a traditional Korean drum that can be played on the floor or while strapped to the shoulder. “I joined because I wanted to engage in an activity that really connected me to traditional Korean culture,” Dave says. “Also, I’ve always sucked at instruments so I wanted to gain skills in one, and I liked the physicality of the practice.”
This photo shows the view into the house from the front door. “I love that you can see nearly the whole length of the house, with a variety of frames, like a picture-in-picture,” Elaine says.
The painting hanging in the foreground in the living room is a piece by Dave called Breakthrough. “It was personally that for me in style, image, and it was also part of the portfolio that landed me in my grad program, which completely changed the trajectory of my work,” Dave says. The piece in the dining room is by Amy Lee Ketchum. “[Amy] hand-carved the cardboard frame it’s in, which is another work of art unto itself,” Elaine says.
The dining room chandelier was installed with the help of Elaine’s parents. The dining table doubles as a work area. “Almost all of my work is done in my studio, but I might do some doodling or sketching in the house, most frequently on the dining room table and kitchen island,” Dave says. “These are the rooms I work the most in because I’m a spreader, and they have the largest surface area.”
PS 2014 rug: Ikea
The painting hanging in the foreground in the living room is a piece by Dave called Breakthrough. “It was personally that for me in style, image, and it was also part of the portfolio that landed me in my grad program, which completely changed the trajectory of my work,” Dave says. The piece in the dining room is by Amy Lee Ketchum. “[Amy] hand-carved the cardboard frame it’s in, which is another work of art unto itself,” Elaine says.
The dining room chandelier was installed with the help of Elaine’s parents. The dining table doubles as a work area. “Almost all of my work is done in my studio, but I might do some doodling or sketching in the house, most frequently on the dining room table and kitchen island,” Dave says. “These are the rooms I work the most in because I’m a spreader, and they have the largest surface area.”
PS 2014 rug: Ikea
Elaine made the colorful pompom garland out of yarn. “The little girl’s dress I made for Linden’s 100th-day party, a traditional Korean celebration called a baek-il,” she says.
The vintage locker is a find from the Alameda Point Antiques Faire and is used to store winter blankets and comforters.
The vintage locker is a find from the Alameda Point Antiques Faire and is used to store winter blankets and comforters.
Displayed on top of a credenza found on Craigslist are two wooden ducks that belonged to Dave’s parents and are a traditional Korean wedding gift. “These are pretty precious to us,” he says. The collection of stacked wine boxes came from a friend, John Vuong, who owns a wine bar in San Francisco called High Treason.
The ink painting on the left is by Zach Cotham.
“I love the light from the [dining room] windows and the view of the wisteria I get every spring,” Elaine says.
The ink painting on the left is by Zach Cotham.
“I love the light from the [dining room] windows and the view of the wisteria I get every spring,” Elaine says.
These shelves are home to various knickknacks, including a globe from Elaine’s father and a watercolor family portrait that was a Christmas gift from Elaine’s sister-in-law.
A guest bedroom is at the back of the house, and its closet is used to store the couple’s books. “The room gets so much natural light and has such an amazing view of our trees in the backyard,” Elaine says. “It feels green and private and industrial, like a retreat. I spent a lot of time in there after the baby was first born, soaking in the sun.”
The pendant lamp is vintage and was the first light the couple installed in the house. They had it restored by local lighting specialist Gil Stancourt.
The pendant lamp is vintage and was the first light the couple installed in the house. They had it restored by local lighting specialist Gil Stancourt.
Dave found this desk in the basement of his old apartment building in San Francisco. “I just love the design, how compact and slim it was for small spaces and the unique color,” he says. The filing cabinet is used for storage.
The kitchen was already renovated when the couple moved in. They added an island on wheels, found at the Alameda Point Antiques Faire. “It was in pretty bad shape. I sanded the whole thing down, repainted it, added better wheels, cleaned up the knobs and replaced the top,” Dave says. “We actually spend a lot of time on this — eat, food prep, have coffee or tea, entertain — our kitchen is so huge that it would feel very empty without it.”
20 Creative Kitchen Islands
20 Creative Kitchen Islands
The couple painted the kitchen walls a light blue and added shelves using brackets from Ikea to keep cookbooks and pantry items accessible.
Wall paint in Glacier: Restoration Hardware
Wall paint in Glacier: Restoration Hardware
The homeowners renovated their master bathroom with the help of interior designer friend Kristin Riccio of Greene & Grey Design. Riccio helped them choose the brass fixtures and tile — handmade sea green ceramic 2-by-4-inch tiles from Fireclay for the walls and Hex Clip from Clé.
“The bathroom now feels like a spa,” Elaine says. “I love the brass accents and that the water on the shower turns on on one wall adjacent to the shower head.”
“The bathroom now feels like a spa,” Elaine says. “I love the brass accents and that the water on the shower turns on on one wall adjacent to the shower head.”
“When we remodeled our bathroom, we added as much storage as we could while also aiming to live as minimally as possible,” Elaine says.
The small framed painting is of a classic Nike Cortez shoe by Oakland artist Michael Kang. The shoe is the color and style Dave wore as a teenager in Los Angeles.
The small framed painting is of a classic Nike Cortez shoe by Oakland artist Michael Kang. The shoe is the color and style Dave wore as a teenager in Los Angeles.
Dave painted the walls in Linden’s room a metallic gold. “The gold was supposed to just be sponged on, but because the wall is textured, we found that painting it solid worked best,” he says.
The soft pink rug was a gift from Dave’s mother. “We got a secondhand wardrobe with mirrors on the doors to make the room feel bigger,” Elaine says.
Wall paint in Vintage Gold: Martha Stewart; Madison glider in Ash: discontinued, Little Castle Furniture; browse more gliders
The soft pink rug was a gift from Dave’s mother. “We got a secondhand wardrobe with mirrors on the doors to make the room feel bigger,” Elaine says.
Wall paint in Vintage Gold: Martha Stewart; Madison glider in Ash: discontinued, Little Castle Furniture; browse more gliders
Both the headboard and lantern hanging off of it are secondhand finds. Elaine bought the black-and-white throw blanket to take with her to the hospital for the birth of their daughter.
Lantern: East Bay Depot for Creative Reuse; headboard: Craigslist; blanket: HomeGoods
Lantern: East Bay Depot for Creative Reuse; headboard: Craigslist; blanket: HomeGoods
Honey Meow Meow relaxes on the couple’s bed. “She loves to be where we are,” Dave says. “She’s also very independent and active, but when she’s lounging or sleeping she tends to be where we are.”
A Peek Into Dave’s Nearby Art Studio
Dave rents space from a nearby studio to work on his large-scale murals and other art pieces. His work explores the human condition and draws from his upbringing and experience as a Korean-American in Los Angeles.
The two large pieces seen here are painted cutouts of war refugees seeking safety during the Korean War. “One is of a mother carrying her infant child while balancing her possessions on her head and the other is of a small boy trotting along,” Dave says.
Dave rents space from a nearby studio to work on his large-scale murals and other art pieces. His work explores the human condition and draws from his upbringing and experience as a Korean-American in Los Angeles.
The two large pieces seen here are painted cutouts of war refugees seeking safety during the Korean War. “One is of a mother carrying her infant child while balancing her possessions on her head and the other is of a small boy trotting along,” Dave says.
“My work is related to family history, memory and identity,” Dave says. “Most of what I do stems from a sense of loss or longing and looking for a place to belong.” Many of his pieces are inspired by the idea of preservation and, in his words, “an obsession to document and ultimately, thematically, to this idea of ‘home’ — defining it, seeking it, losing it, our relationship to it.”
“I use all painting mediums, such as oil and acrylic, but I really enjoy using house paint on both my larger and smaller pieces,” Dave says. “I appropriate symbols, patterns, colors, traditions from the culture that feels so familiar to me, but as I get older, I realize, outside of intentional research, I don’t truly understand the meanings of those things.” He’s pictured here working on a black-and-white family portrait.
Dave is also working on a documentary film about three Korean-American artists who travel to South Korea to reconnect with their heritage, as well as a wall mural about Karen people, a minority refugee group from Burma, living in Oakland.
Dave is also working on a documentary film about three Korean-American artists who travel to South Korea to reconnect with their heritage, as well as a wall mural about Karen people, a minority refugee group from Burma, living in Oakland.
Urban Outdoor Mural Work
Dave’s murals can be seen throughout the city of Oakland. This one, titled Home, is at 46th Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Way. “This one was about a Korean figure searching for a place to call home, looking for the familiar, the place she feels connected to,” Dave says. “It’s a Korean figure specifically because she’s looking for the place that’s deeply connected to who she is.” The making of the mural was a three-day collaboration with artist Matt Mansanares, who completed the background using spray paint and wheat paste. The rest was painted by Dave using exterior house paint.
Dave’s murals can be seen throughout the city of Oakland. This one, titled Home, is at 46th Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Way. “This one was about a Korean figure searching for a place to call home, looking for the familiar, the place she feels connected to,” Dave says. “It’s a Korean figure specifically because she’s looking for the place that’s deeply connected to who she is.” The making of the mural was a three-day collaboration with artist Matt Mansanares, who completed the background using spray paint and wheat paste. The rest was painted by Dave using exterior house paint.
Dave created this mural, titled Play, as part of the 2016 Bay Area Mural Festival. It reflects the resilience of children regardless of where they are in the world. “Soccer is an international sport, a game I’ve played with random youth in almost every country I’ve been to,” Dave says. “There are six colors, of which at least one exists in every flag of any nation in the world.”
The mural, at 62nd Street and Shattuck Avenue in Oakland, was painted mostly with exterior house paint, with a few details done in spray paint, over 2½ days.
The mural, at 62nd Street and Shattuck Avenue in Oakland, was painted mostly with exterior house paint, with a few details done in spray paint, over 2½ days.
Photo by Craig Kincaid of CK Photo
“I was invited by the Reno Mural Expo to create a mural,” Dave says. The result, called Comfort, took 4½ days to create using exterior house paint; it’s located at 500 N. Virginia St. in Reno, Nevada.
“I was invited by the Reno Mural Expo to create a mural,” Dave says. The result, called Comfort, took 4½ days to create using exterior house paint; it’s located at 500 N. Virginia St. in Reno, Nevada.
Photo by Hung Liu
Dave’s most recent mural, Han, was created as part of the 2018 Bay Area Mural Festival at 3rd and Webster streets in Oakland. It was completed in collaboration with artist Erik T. Burke.
See more of this home and studio
My Houzz is a series in which we visit and photograph creative, personality-filled homes and the people who inhabit them. Share your home with us and see more projects.
More home tours: Apartments | Small Homes | Colorful Homes | Contemporary Homes | Eclectic Homes | Farmhouses | Midcentury Homes | Modern Homes | Ranch Homes | Traditional Homes | Transitional Homes | All
Dave’s most recent mural, Han, was created as part of the 2018 Bay Area Mural Festival at 3rd and Webster streets in Oakland. It was completed in collaboration with artist Erik T. Burke.
See more of this home and studio
My Houzz is a series in which we visit and photograph creative, personality-filled homes and the people who inhabit them. Share your home with us and see more projects.
More home tours: Apartments | Small Homes | Colorful Homes | Contemporary Homes | Eclectic Homes | Farmhouses | Midcentury Homes | Modern Homes | Ranch Homes | Traditional Homes | Transitional Homes | All
Who lives here: Elaine and Dave Young Kim; their daughter, Linden; and their cat, Honey Meow Meow
Location: Oakland, California
Size: 1,525 square feet (142 square meters); three bedrooms, two bathrooms, plus an 810-square-foot detached studio apartment that the couple rent out
Year built: 1924
“Personal, meaningful and colorful” is how Elaine Kim describes her decorating style. “I get the feeling that the styles are my suppressed DNA expressing itself: I’m about 14 different ethnicities,” she says. “We have also both traveled to many parts of the world, so I think that has influenced us as well.”
Elaine, a property manager, and her husband, artist Dave Young Kim, live in a 1924 Craftsman in Oakland, California, that has been designated a Heritage Property. Since buying the house in 2012, they’ve filled it with curated mementos that draw from their nationalities as well as their travels.
“I think my personality really dictates how the home decor happens,” Dave says. “By that I mean I like to collect things over time, one specific item at a time, not a bunch of things at once to manufacture a certain look. The things I choose are eclectic and quiet enough to fit in most types of spaces.”