76 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM the threshold of a Spanish Colonial Revival house in San Mateo Park, they found the perfect place. The high-ceilinged entryway and living room, the hand-painted scrolled beams and the graceful swoop of the fireplace sealed the deal. It was love. “It felt like coming home,” says Kari, who grew up in a similar Central Valley house. Though the house satisfied her yen for a project to showcase her skills, Kari didn’t think first of knocking out walls. She bucked the norm—fitting for the only girl in her high school drafting class—and sought to preserve the architectural tone while making the design functional. “Personally, I love heritage homes,” says Kari. “But I like to make sure a remodel honors the origin and respects the era in {home & design} As Kari McIntosh Dawdy retraces her life, you can hear her weave together the textured, variegated threads of her experience—and learn how deeply storytelling resides in the heart of Kari McIntosh Design. En route to envisioning beautiful spaces, Kari slammed the brakes on a successful career with a global financial company. The path then led her straight back to her “creative, bookish and slightly theatrical” childhood. “I looked at what I liked doing as a kid,” Kari recalls. She returned to dance and drawing before committing to a career in design. After taking classes, she followed that road to the haven she and her family now occupy on the Peninsula, in another return to her roots. Too cramped in a San Francisco apartment with their young son, she and husband Kevin sought room to grow and play. Crossing COFFEE TABLE TALE Kari picked up her phone in the middle of a design class while working full-time at J. P. Morgan. Her mom wanted to talk furniture. “I think you’re going to love this. You have to have it.” After seeing photos of the Santa Barbara estate sale find, Kari agreed. Years later, the Lucite and glass table moved from her San Francisco apartment to her San Mateo home. Today, it resonates so well with clients that Kari searches out newly made pieces that simulate its ultra-cool display capabilities.
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