2026 Emerging Designer: Kendra Nash of Nash Design Group
Author:Jessica RitzOut of all the many pathways into the interior design industry, Kendra Nash’s entry point continues to serve her particularly well. “I have a real estate background and understand what people want to buy—and then we get to make it functional and beautiful,” she says. The San Carlos–based designer began creating spaces in 2011, when she turned her talents to staging homes in partnership with her sister, a real estate agent. About a year later, Nash launched her own staging company and subsequently expanded into interior design after clients began requesting her services after escrow closed. She operated the two parallel enterprises simultaneously for a few years, but running the full-service Nash Design Group proved to be the far more rewarding pursuit.
“Every single client is so different, but one thing they all have in common is the need for functionality,” Nash explains. “And especially in Silicon Valley, resale value is always top of mind.” In addition to optimizing spatial planning for residential projects largely concentrated in her native Silicon Valley and the greater Bay Area, she has developed an ability to deliver what clients want while earning their trust so she can challenge their tastes. “What’s the point of working with a designer if we don’t expose you to interesting and unique things?” Nash asks. Her confidence in transforming a range of properties, whether it’s updating a San Francisco Victorian or bringing soul to a ground-up build, is another asset. Nor does Nash feel bound to any particular style or era. “We really run the gamut,” she observes. “I do think if you’re a good designer, you can design any type of home.”
Nash is excited about current projects underway in Atherton and Woodside, as well as the evolution of her new studio space where her team of nine collaborates. She has also joined forces with Upstart Modern gallery in Sausalito to host a rotating series of installations showcasing original works by artists in various mediums, beginning with L.A.-based photographer Marjorie Salvaterra. “We’re creating a little bit of a community here,” Nash shares.
