Rebuilding Hope: Kim Lapin on How Walk Your Plans LA Is Helping Fire Victims Reimagine Homes
- Nov 14
- 3 min read
To start things off…my name is Kim Lapin, and I’m an interior designer based in California. My husband and I are both involved in the real estate world — Chay focuses on the investment side, and I focus on the creative side.
We came across the idea Walk Your Plans technology and immediately saw the potential — not only for our own projects but for so many people in the Los Angeles market who could truly benefit from it. Most people aren’t naturally visual, and remodeling or building can be an overwhelming process. Even for industry professionals, our technology helps ensure that a client’s vision is realistic before they commit to the full build.
This has been a unique journey because we had already been developing our technology and facility before the Los Angeles fires. Over the past few months, we’ve been fortunate to serve as a resource and source of hope for those affected.
The fires displaced thousands of families, and many were left in very difficult situations. Every person who has come through our space has left with a renewed sense of excitement and optimism — especially when they’re able to see their new floor plans and visualize their future homes for the first time.
Our technology is also helping families accelerate the rebuilding process. The faster homeowners can make design decisions and submit plans, the sooner construction can begin. And since every build involves hundreds of choices — from paint colors and cabinetry to tile and flooring — being able to walk through those plans room by room helps spark ideas and organize decisions efficiently.
Just as importantly, it allows homeowners to order materials early, which is critical given that many items have long lead times, sometimes stretching from weeks to months.
Our goal is to host networking and brand events at our space to bring together people within the creative and real estate communities. We’ve designed a welcoming, inspiring environment where professionals can connect, share ideas, and learn about innovative tools and initiatives shaping our industry.
Right now, our main focus is continuing to support fire victims. We’ve already hosted several private events at our facility, and even the City of Los Angeles held an event with us to help residents understand how to streamline the process of getting back into their homes.
As for inspiration, I absolutely love Laura Gonzalez who is an interior designer out of Paris and I and am so inspired by her global presence in the design world! From her hotel collabs in France to designing the most incredible high-end department store, Printemps in NYC, she never misses. I find her to be such an inspirational leader in the design world!!
Our main vision is to transform the remodeling and building experience into something enjoyable and empowering. For most people, it’s one of the largest investments they’ll ever make, and we want to make it as exciting and stress-free as possible.
We also want to position WYPLA as a hub for design and innovation — a place where professionals and homeowners can explore, learn, and collaborate. We’re continuing to add new technology to our space and expand our partnerships to deliver even more value.
One exciting area of growth is our work with major furniture brands. Furniture is such an important and personal part of any home — and often a major investment. Our technology allows clients to space-plan real furniture pieces like sofas, tables, and beds before purchasing them.
We’ve also been in the process of integrating Augmented Reality (AR) into our platform. This means that as we partner with brands, clients can actually view life-sized furniture models in their space through AR — helping them visualize exactly how each piece will look and feel before making a decision.
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