The International Interior Design Association (IIDA) Northern California Chapter has awarded the 2022 Distinguished Achievement Award to Kriss Kokoefer, President and Owner of Kay Chesterfield, Inc., a 100-year-old re-upholstery business in Oakland, CA. The IIDA lauded Kokoefer for her commitment to meaningful and achievable sustainability in workplace design. She has advanced Kay Chesterfield’s role as a national supplier of contract re-upholstery to all sectors of the commercial furniture industry.

“My team and I are honored to be recognized by IIDA for our work, as we help address the significant problem of global furniture waste in landfill materials,” says Kokoefer, who has had Kay Chesterfield certified as a B Corp and as a Women Owned Business.

Kokoefer recently moved the company’s project managers, artisans, and textile cleaners to an expansive, state-of-the-art production facility that supports the growing interest in reusing contract furniture. Now based in northwestern Oakland, CA, the company’s clients include Google, Salesforce, St Regis Hotels, LinkedIn, Kirkland & Ellis, and the San Francisco International Airport.

The IIDA Northern California Chapter annually bestows this award in recognition of a significant contribution of expertise and service to the interior design profession as a symbol of respectful appreciation for the highest levels of performance and engagement. The award was announced at the IIDA Northern California Chapter’s ‘Pioneers in Design’ event on July 27, 2022, in San Francisco, CA.

Kay Chesterfield, Inc., founded in 1921 in Oakland, CA, provides re-upholstery and textile cleaning to the contract furniture industry. Kokoefer is the fourth company owner. The City of Oakland, CA, has formally recognized Kay Chesterfield as one of the city’s innovative Small Business Entrepreneurs.