Kazuko Hoshino

Kazuko Hoshino passed peacefully at home in April 2020 after a fifteen-month battle with cancer.Born and raised in Adachi-Ku, Tokyo, Kazuko graduated with a degree in sculpture. She emigrated to the United States by herself at twenty-two years old to pursue a different kind of life than she could at home. She studied English and supported herself as a waitress while obtaining her Interior Design credentials from UCLA.After working in sales for the Bradberry Collection in the Pacific Design Center, she married architect William Hefner and they began working together. She had an infectious passion for all things design. She loved collaborating with clients, staff, vendors, and craftspeople.Kazuko was Head of Interiors at Studio William Hefner for the last twenty years where she designed interiors for residences as well as numerous collections of bespoke furniture. Her work has been published in periodicals domestically and internationally, as well as in the pages of three books produced by the Studio.Kazuko connected easily with people, and particularly delighted in children. She and William had a son, Koji, in 2008. Her love for motherhood was unparalleled.In Japan, she is survived by her mother Michiko, as well as her sisters Yoshimi Umezawa and Satchiko Kobayashi. Her husband and son live in Los Angeles. Donations can be made in her memory to her favorite charity, Alexandria House. (https://www.alexandriahouse.org/donate)