Designer Aims High, Steps Higher

Designer Isabelle Kaminsky has been climbing up and down ladders for 11 years. She decorates homes and offices with holiday lights and garlands for her company, Tustin-based For All Seasons. Her partner, Jacquelyn Swisher, helps on the creative end, but when the job calls for elevation, Swisher insists on staying on terra firma, Kaminsky said.

“Our first job was decorating an 18-foot-high Christmas tree, and in those days we had no equipment of our own so we planned to use the client’s ladder--an old wooden ladder that was stored outdoors. I planned to pass the decorations up to Jacquelyn when she told me that she was scared of heights. I climbed up and found myself swaying when I reached the top. The base of the tree was so large that I had to hook my leg up over the top of the ladder and lean over--something you should never do. Now we have our own stepladders and extension ladders and reachy, grabby tools to help us apply the decorations.”

Share your story on how you accomplish your home projects--from floor refinishing and adding shelves to installing a built-in ironing board or even painting--by calling (714) 966-7883.