KDB Bio by Doll4Kim

Kimberly Doll Burns

who are you?

Who am I at my core? I’d say I’m a multiple of things (see titles below). At my core, I am family-oriented, altruistic, and spiritual. I derive a great deal of pleasure and strength from being around my close friends and I value relationships which are genuine. At the same time, I enjoy turning strangers into friends. I value responsibility and naturally take ownership of every project I’m involved in while still collarborating and helping others succeed. I like that I’m easy to trust. I see potential in other people. Every person is alive with possibilities, and I’m thrilled when someone experiences success. I can be your biggest cheerleader. I value success not in money or prestige, but in the meaning of life and work satisfaction. This provides me with direction and consistency. I also find great satisfaction taking something from below average to above average. Transforming something strong into something superb is thrilling. I especially like capitalizing on the gifts with which I am blessed. It’s more productive and more fun.

The following pages will give you additional quick snipets into the life of…

Kim D. Burns.

A daughter, sister, cousin, aunt, mother, a friend, a neighbor, an inspiring interior designer, an artist, a student, a pet owner, a hiker/walker, an ex-spouse, a student of Christianity, an experimental gardner, a nature and animal lover. Through the CliftonStrengths assessment, I tested strong in belief, responsibility, developer, maximizer and relator.

daughter, sister, aunt, cousin, and mother …

I am a daughter and sister. The youngest of four children. My mom, Jean, is sitting in “Grandpa’s red chair”. My brother, Tom stands with his wife Rebecca behind my mom. My sisters, Lyn and Lee are sitting on the white upholstered chairs.

My fondest memory in my childhood is when we gathered at the dinner table and played games or watched TV in the family room or participated in sports activities or went to sporting events in my hometown of Portsmouth, Ohio. Both my parents were teachers. My mom taught the 4th grade talented and gifted program and my Dad, once the head basketball and golf coach, taught health and science.

I am a Mother, and my daughter Abby is sitting on the arm of “Grandpa’s red chair”. She is an art teacher, married and lives in Arizona.

I am an aunt. Starting from the left, Avianna with boyfriend Tonomi, Patrice, Me, Rebecca, Tom, Denver with his wife Tabby, Galen and Jenna. Denver and Tabby’s son, Killian, is two.

My Dad, now deceased, was a brother of five children and so I come from a large family with a plethora of cousins who I love and adore. (see cousins on page 15)

friend…

Hometown Friends at the Cincinnati Art Museum

Vista Friends gathered together

Neighbors at my daughter’s wedding.

thesis…

For my Senior thesis, I focused on community outreach. I believe offering a community building, in a diverse neighborhood, with a variety of spaces to unwind, get a beverage at the café and take an art or wellbeing class will inspire individuals to be part of a hub and community. There is a balance in nature which happens organically, like Fibonacci, and I wanted to design a center which inspires individuals to be part of a hub where they can spend time alone or with a friend in spaces which are quiet, secure and havens of natural light. The center offers open spaces with large windows for natural light and a place to walk among gardens and pathways. As the community enters, they see plants and earthtone colors in red, orange, blue and green throughout the spaces. I feel families and individual people in a community need a hub to gather and create lasting friendships which fosters wellbeing and balance. There is a game room, a community theater, locker rooms, art rooms, a yoga room, a gallery and a gift shop.

work experience …

In the Ohio University Interior Architecture program, I found success in both my art classes and interior architecture classes. They were challenging and I felt extreme satisfaction completing assignments and doing my best. In one perspective drawing assignment, it took six hours to complete, but it felt like fifteen minutes (see perspective drawing, page 15). When taking interior architecture classes, I was fascinated at the process of design and wanted to find out all I could at what the process looks like. I value the consistency a design process provides because it’s bigger than myself, and I can be its biggest cheerleader. Design process phases: Programming, Schematic Design, Design Development, Construction Documentation, and End of Project documentation and Critique.

When learning about Revit and using the tools to create designs, it wasn’t until Studio IV that I felt confident with the tools which then opened a door to poor my creativity into the design project. The Art Library of the Future was the project. I had so much fun! Portfolio

In the Ohio University Interior Architecture Program, I now have skills in Revit, Sketchup, Adobe Creative Cloud: Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign, Premiere Pro, Fresco, After Effects, Bridge, and Lightroom. For past work experience see page 8.

past work experience…

I started working in data entry then switched to teaching preschool children. I spent ten plus years teaching children, ages 3-5, at church and in preschool settings. After I had honed my skills as a lead teacher, I wanted to pursue an administrative role in childcare and found myself running my own preschool in my home. As teacher, I found great satisfaction in putting together projects, arranging the room with materials and but I found myself more interested in room design, then teaching children.

Then I pursued a part-time assistant director’s position and found satisfaction assisting the director and processing daily paperwork using Microsoft and Google Office products. But the greatest satisfaction I had, was researching, designing and creating a closet out of plastic clapboard for one of the preschool rooms. Then again with I researched, designed and created a wall of activities to help children focus. The challenge I overcame is finding a way to create the activities without damage to the rug flooring in the hallway. I drew the activities on contact paper. As the children went through the hall, they could pop balloons, jump to touch leaves on a tree, swish rain drops, kick ants, jump over flowers, or trace a swiggly line with their finger.

skills…

hard skills….

soft skills….

education…

Ohio University, Interior Architecture Program BFA

Expectant graduation Summer 2025

University of Cincinnati, Early Childhood Program Associates

August 1992 – June 1994

University of Cincinnati, Data Processing Associates

August 1981 – March 1984

Portsmsouth High School, Graduation 1981

freelance…

Click image for links.

Through a few residential and commercial clients, I have been able to work directly with clients to identify the projects scope and direction. I approach projects with an inquisitive mind because the best I can be of service is to find out the actual problem. I love to transform something good into something uniquely better and the only way I can do this is by asking probing questions to clarify vision.

In experience, I have conducted research, created mood boards to convey and confirm the vision, and I have presented design solutions.

goals and aspirations…

 Graduate with a BFA in Interior Architecture from Ohio University

 Inspire and grow in community with co-workers, neighbors, and friends. Create Design Inspire Graduate

 Design interiors in a design firm

 Continue experimenting and creating various color and shape combinations in a garden

hobbies | pastimes | passions…

Journaling is a passion. I find it very therapeutic to write out my thoughts and enjoy the flow of my thoughts onto paper. I journal just about every day.

Hiking/walking is a passion. I enjoy hiking and walking with Luna whenever I need to get away and get into nature.

Gardening is a hobby because I so enjoy mixing a variety of flowers together. I enjoy the contrast of colors and shapes when they are maturing. They form interesting and dynamic relationships with each other.

Beading is a pastime. I can design and put together unique necklaces, bracelets, keychains and lamp hooks for hours.

inspiration…

“You employ stone, wood, and concrete, and with these materials you build houses and palaces. That is construction. Ingenuity is at work.

“But suddenly you touch my heart, you do me good. I am happy and I say, “This is beautiful.” That is architecture. Art enters in.

“My house is practical. I thank you, as I might thank Railway engineers, or the Telephone service. You have not touched my heart.

“But suppose that walls rise toward heaven in such a way that I am moved. I perceive your intentions. Your mood has been gentle, brutal, charming, or noble. The stones you have erected tell me so. You fix me to the place and my eyes regard it. They behold something which expresses a thought. A thought which reveals itself without word or sound, but solely by means of shapes which stand in a certain relationship to one another. These shapes are such that they are clearly revealed in light. The relationships between them do not necessarily have any reference to what is practical or descriptive. They are a mathematical creation of our mind. They are the language of Architecture. By the use of raw materials and starting from conditions more or less utilitarian, you have established certain relationships which have aroused my emotions. This is Architecture.” (Le Corbusier, 1927)