Interior Designer and Mom Shaolin Low Designs for Different Ages

Spending time with ohana is a priority for Shaolin Low, an interior designer and Hawaii Kai native. Low was once an event producer who traveled worldwide and lived in California, the Philippines, Australia and New York City. But after starting her own family, the mother of twins eventually realized it was time for a change.

Currently the owner of the Studio Shaolin interior design firm and Woven by Shaolin retail shop, Low recently added “TV personality” to her resume with her pilot episode of “Home in Hawaii” on Magnolia Network. And she says she’s glad to be back in the Islands, doing what she loves. “It was authentic and easy to just kind of go with what I was already doing and having cameras follow me and my family along,” she says of her reality show, where, according to her website, she’s “redefining the look and feel of being home in Hawaii.”

Here, Low shares her strategies for designing rooms, with ohana and people’s life stages in mind:

A nursery or kids room, as seen in the photo above, should be inspired by color and fun.
“When my kids learned to dress themselves, they used so much color and pattern, and I realized that this is such a fun time in their lives where they can just be themselves,” explains Low. As keiki, children can mix and match colors without anyone questioning them. “There’s a small moment when you have a kid, and they can have a pink room, clouds on the ceiling, or even a safari vibe. If you have that, take advantage of the youth,” says Low.

For teenagers, focus on colors that help create calm.
Hormones are changing, and teenagers usually experience a lot of new emotions. “It’s just being mindful of colors and how they change their moods and thinking about which colors could be helpful for emotions,” says Low.

A college room should express your interests at the moment.
The age range from 18 to 22 is when people are still coming into their own, discovering what they want to do with their lives and what their true passions are, Low says. “It’s fine to do a mix of things, styles and interests, but don’t go too extreme.”

The family room is where the ohana gathers.
It should be mature enough for adults and accessible for children. “Family rooms are always multipurpose,” Low says, adding that they’re all about comfort, sustainability and safety. Here, she recommends performance fabrics, which are better than others when it comes to wear and tear. “I’m a huge fan of performance fabrics in these spaces, and rounded edges, and I always stay away from glass in family rooms because it can be dangerous for children,” the interior designer notes.

She advises people to be strategic when designing rooms and to have a plan for each space. “Pick out your things first, put it on a board, and see how everything fits together.”

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