North America’s Expert Interior Designers

What motivated you to work in the field of design?

As a mental health professional, I understood the psychological impact of space transformation and the importance of creating a home that is conducive to your needs and goals.

I have the ability to use color and other elements of design to create a space that can help people feel more relaxed, more positive, and more in control. I also enjoy the creative process of designing and seeing a project through from start to finish.

What is your favorite style for interiors and why?

Some of my favorite elements of modern interiors are clean lines and open spaces. I love when a room feels uncluttered and airy, with plenty of natural light. I also appreciate simple, modern furniture and accessories.

What is one tip you would give people considering a home redo?

Some things to consider when planning a home renovation:

• What is your budget?
• What are your priorities?
• What is the condition of the home?
• What are your design goals?
• What are the structural limitations of the home?
• What are the zoning restrictions of the home?
• What are your timeline restrictions?

Some homeowners may be able to complete a home renovation project independently, while others may need the help of a professional. It is important to assess your skills and knowledge in order to make the best decision for your renovation project.

If you are unsure of what you are doing, it may be best to hire a professional.

What motivated you to work in the field of design?

I was born creative. Even before I knew what interior design was, as a little girl riding in the backseat of my parent’s car, bored, to entertain myself, I would look at buildings that were run down and try to think of ways to design them to look better.

I also loved the drafting board when I took a drafting class in high school, long before computer-aided drafting. I loved creating spaces and gravitated to the field.

What is your favorite style for interiors and why?

As a designer, I do not influence my favorite style onto my clients as I am the tool that brings their dream home or space to life. That being said, I prefer transition to contemporary design because of the clean lines.

What is one tip you would give people considering a home redo?

Work with a professional team to develop your plan first. Having a plan puts everyone on the same page. You should pick out all of your finish materials before breaking ground.

Once you have your plans and your specifications, you can qualify all bids so that there are less mistakes during the process.

What motivated you to work in the field of design?

Growing up, my family moved often for my father’s work, so I became accustomed to defining “home” in ways that went beyond one physical space — it’s about surrounding yourself with furnishings that are meaningful and that make you feel calm and happy.

So the idea of investing in a sense of “home” has been with me a long time, and it stayed with me as I went on to study industrial design at the Rhode Island School of Design and as I started my career in product design for brands like Interlude and Assouline (who are current Kathy Kuo Home vendors).

One constant throughout my career as a designer and entrepreneur has been a focus on the “Love Where You Live” mindset — which is also my company’s motto!

What is your favorite style for interiors and why?

I do always try to be trend-aware and to be knowledgeable about what’s new and hot in the home industry, but if I’m being honest, I’m not overly reliant on trends.

I love quality construction and materials, and especially objects with meaning — I like incorporating heirlooms, antiques, and personal treasures into the design of a space.

These are concepts that are going to serve a space in a stronger way than a trend will. I’m definitely drawn to the look of classically elegant motifs — elevated neutrals, clean lines, timeless silhouettes — accented with treasured pieces.

What is one tip you would give people considering a home redo?

My #1 tip would be to work with an interior designer! I know it can be a daunting prospect if you’ve never worked with a designer before, but it’s truly a game changer.

Our Interior Design Team here at Kathy Kuo Home is focused on helping our clients define their vision, make smart and meaningful purchasing decisions, and ease stress when it comes to shopping, shipping logistics, and installation.

A good interior designer will open your eyes to styles and pieces you may never have considered or been aware of, they’re going to help you maximize your budget, and they’re going to make your space truly feel harmonious.

What’s more: At KKH, our Designers can work with you on any scope — we can tailor services to a full home renovation or a one-room refresh.

What motivated you to work in the field of design?

I always knew I would be in design. Literally from like age 5. I didn’t know it would be specifically interiors, I just loved structure and math. I liked equations and the way things fit together. I started building things with cardboard as early as I can remember.

One time my neighbor built us a workbench for my brother but I ended up using it the most to build furniture and little houses. So I’ve known since I was a child.

What is your favorite style for interiors and why?

I know for a lot of people, it’s a new idea, but for me I absolutely adore light wood floors and I always have. It’s just there was a time when you could not get any light flooring. Only light maple!

And the problem with that is it would bleach in the sun and turn either pink or bright yellow so you really could not specify it. When I got my own home, I really desperately wanted it but I couldn’t get it so I got walnut.

But now the technology has caught up and it’s so much more readily available. I for one will be taking advantage of this trend. It’s finally the resolution to something I’ve been wanting for 20 years.

What is one tip you would give people considering a home redo?

If you’re going to redo a house, the big tip I would give you is, try to do your budget ahead of time and add a contingency to that budget.

I say that because a redo sometimes takes more energy than you account for and things can be more expensive. It’s not just because of what is going on in the market today but because people often underestimate the cost of a redo versus a new build where everything is accounted for because someone else is doing the accounting who needs to be compensated for their time.

When doing it yourself, you tend to not think about all the labor that goes in and, more importantly, all the elements that are required to finish that project properly.

What motivated you to work in the field of design?

I’ve always loved design since I was young and even did set decorating in high school and college for plays and musicals, but it never occurred to me that it could be a career.

I went to music school with plans of being a professional flutist but then developed an interest in business. After several years of working in music and television business fields and spending a lot of time decorating my own homes, I decided it was time to make a change and never looked back.

What is your favorite style for interiors and why?

I live in New England along the water, so the ocean and coastal living is a huge influence, as is the history of the area.

Each of my projects looks very unique and different from any other as it so depends on the client and their home — some homes are 300 year old antiques and others are brand new.

The unifying feature is my use of color and mixing patterns within a tightly controlled palette.

What is one tip you would give people considering a home redo?

Make a list of what you need and what you want. Really dive down into the weeds of what you want to achieve, what’s currently not working for you, what is working.

Decide what you want to keep and what new items you’re going to need. Start putting together a budget by going online and looking at what things cost.

It can really add up and whether you’re doing it yourself or hiring a designer — you don’t want to be surprised at the costs of a renovation or even just a freshening up project. Armed with good knowledge of current costs and what it takes to get things done, you’ll be well on your way to achieving what you’re looking for!