Photography by Mark Sacro
Before Kim Duensing transformed an abandoned Laguna Beach church into one of Orange County’s most celebrated homes, she had to accomplish something few designers ever face: helping convert a place of worship into a family residence. Tucked into Bluebird Canyon on nearly three acres, the former Lutheran church had lingered on the market for years. Most prospective buyers saw a teardown. Duensing saw possibility.
“I fell in love with the property before I fell in love with the building,” she says. “The land was incredible. It was peaceful, private and unlike anything else in Laguna.”
For three and a half years, she and her husband pursued the property, submitting the same offer each time it came back to market. Again and again, they were turned away. Just as they were ready to move on to another project, their realtor had heard from the church elders. “They told us they had prayed about it,” Duensing recalls. “They believed we were meant to have the church.”
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Before the building could legally become a home, it first had to undergo the desanctification process, formally removing its sacred designation so it could serve a new purpose. Because the structure had been zoned for commercial use, it also required extensive code upgrades, including fire sprinklers, a new carport and residential approvals before the real transformation could begin and the family could move in. “We were literally living in a church,” Duensing says with a laugh.
Instead of rushing into demolition, Duensing spent months studying the property. She watched how sunlight traveled through the former sanctuary, how the surrounding canyon revealed itself through different windows and how the architecture connected, or didn’t, to the landscape. “I always believe a space has a voice,” she says. “If you slow down enough, it’ll tell you what it wants to be.”
Rather than preserving every square foot, Duensing realized the building needed less. She removed nearly 1,500 square feet, opening the home to the canyon and allowing the architecture to breathe. The stained-glass windows, pews and organ were carefully donated to another congregation, while the steeple was shortened to soften the building’s ecclesiastical silhouette and help it settle naturally into its new life as a residence.
Inside, soaring volumes once filled with pews became intimate living spaces through thoughtful furniture groupings, custom millwork and carefully scaled furnishings. Much of the furniture had to be custom designed by Duensing since conventional pieces disappeared beneath the dramatic ceiling heights.
The Church House would go on to earn widespread recognition, proving that exceptional design doesn’t always begin with a blank slate. Sometimes it begins by recognizing potential that others overlook.
That ability to see possibilities where others see problems has become one of Duensing’s defining strengths.
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Another memorable project, Soaring Eagle in Maine, presented a completely different challenge. What began as a charming cottage came with an unexpected addition: a former commercial cattery that had been used to board cats.
The two structures couldn’t have felt more disconnected. Together they stretched nearly 175 feet long, creating a floor plan that risked feeling more like a bowling alley than a home. “We had to figure out how to blend these two masses together,” Duensing says.
Ceilings as low as seven feet, eight inches added another layer of complexity. Rather than simply renovating, she reimagined the home’s proportions, opening spaces where possible and introducing outdoor rooms that visually broke up the long footprint and connected the house to the surrounding landscape. The finished residence became a multigenerational retreat for a Washington, D.C.-based family who envisioned children and, eventually, grandchildren gathering there for years to come.
Projects like these are exactly where Duensing thrives. “I love the big, complicated projects,” she says. “The stranger they are, the happier I am.” It’s a surprising destination for someone who never planned to become an interior designer.
Long before she was reimagining historic buildings and designing luxury residences, Duensing built a successful career in technology. Armed with degrees in international business, French and Spanish, she landed at Cisco Systems during the height of the dot-com boom, managing sales in a fast-paced corporate environment. “It was really fast-paced and really fun when it was fun,” she says. “But eventually it became spreadsheets and offices, and I realized I hadn’t found my passion.”
That passion revealed itself through a fixer-upper. At 25, she purchased her first home, renovated it and sold it for a significant profit. Then she did it again. And again. What began as an investment quickly became a hands-on education in architecture, construction and design. Unlike many designers, Duensing never attended design school. “I learned by doing,” she says. “Every project taught me something new.”
Looking back, she credits that unconventional path as one of her greatest advantages. “I wasn’t afraid of breaking rules because I didn’t know what the rules were.”
In many ways, the groundwork had already been laid. Growing up, her parents regularly purchased land and renovated homes. Her father held a general contractor’s license while working in technology, while her mother managed the construction projects. “My mom basically ran the jobs,” Duensing says. “Watching her gave me the confidence to think, ‘Why couldn’t I do this, too?'”
Her corporate background sharpened her organizational skills, budgets and project management, while renovation satisfied her creative side. “I’ve always loved solving puzzles,” she says. “A house is really just another puzzle. You’re looking for the potential that’s already there.”
Over the next two decades, Duensing quietly built an impressive portfolio of speculative homes and renovations. Before she ever had paying clients, she imagined the families who might someday live in the houses she was creating. “I would create these make-believe families,” she says. “I’d think about how they would live, where they would gather and whether they entertained often. I designed the home around those people.”
Unlike many designers known for a recognizable aesthetic, Duensing doesn’t begin with a signature style. “I don’t want someone to walk into a house and immediately know I designed it,” she says. “I want them to walk in and know exactly who lives there.”
Every project begins with conversation. She pays attention to details clients rarely realize they’re sharing—the clothes they wear, the art they’re drawn to, how they interact with one another and even the pace at which they move through a room. “I want to understand their essence,” she says. “That’s what the design should reflect.”
For Duensing, the best homes aren’t showcases for a designer’s style. They’re personal reflections of the people who live in them. That design philosophy has attracted clients seeking more than just beautiful interiors. Many return for multiple homes over the years, while others purchase houses she’d originally designed for previous owners. “Creating beautiful spaces is wonderful,” she says. “But building relationships with the people who live in them—that’s really what stays with me.”
Nature also plays an important role in her creative process. Long hikes often inspire entire color palettes, while weathered stone, native plants and changing light influence her selection of textures and materials. “I’m constantly looking at what’s happening outside,” she says. “The landscape tells incredible color stories.” Those observations naturally find their way indoors through handcrafted materials, layered textures and palettes that feel curated.
Ask Duensing about her favorite project, however, and she rarely names a completed home. Instead, she talks about the ones still under construction, the projects that continue to challenge her. “I don’t like doing the same project over and over,” she says. “The unusual ones are where I find the most joy.”
Whether she’s converting a church into a residence, transforming a former cattery into a family retreat or designing a new coastal home from the ground up, every project begins the same way: with curiosity.
Looking ahead, she hopes to expand into boutique hospitality, bringing the same residential warmth to intimate hotels where every guest can experience the emotional connection she creates in private homes. She’s also eager to continue taking on the kinds of projects that most may shy away from.
Until then, she’s exactly where she wants to be: walking construction sites in Birkenstocks with a sketchbook in hand, and imagining possibilities long before anyone else can see them. “I pinch myself every day,” she says. “I get to solve puzzles, work with amazing people and create homes that truly reflect the lives lived inside them. I can’t imagine doing anything else.”
For Duensing, great design isn’t about imposing a style. It’s about uncovering what’s already waiting to be discovered.
Kim Duensing Projects
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