Kir royale

by Heather Bouzan, 05-05-2008

Ever found yourself wishing that the owner of your favorite housewares shop would come over and outfit your entire place for you? We've often entertained such fantasies about Beacon Hill gem Koo de Kir (65 Chestnut Street, Boston, 617.723.8111). Lucky for us, founder and creative director Kristine Irving is making that dream a little bit more realistic. Though she's operated a design business out of the shop for years by referral only, Irving recently acquired a space around the corner and is launching a design studio, Koo de Kir Design (45 River Street, Boston, 617.723.8117). Focusing on high-end residential, boutique, and restaurant design, the studio, at its inception, already had 13 projects in the works, including a revamp of North End eatery Pomodoro and several home-design projects. Anyone who's browsed through Koo de Kir has a sense of Irving's aesthetic; she describes it as "elegant, modern, and carefully considered" in a warm, unfussy way.