We were lucky to catch up with Kayla Gordon recently and have shared our conversation below.

Kayla, appreciate you joining us today. Let’s start with a story that highlights an important way in which your brand diverges from the industry standard.

I do many things in my business that differ from the industry standard, my desire to create my systems and veer off the “standard” path is what led me to starting my own business instead of continuing to work for someone else.

My goal is to make your home your happy place. Whether that’s an apartment, condo, single-family home, or mansion. If you want a furniture refresh or need help with a full home remodel, I cater my design services to help a wide variety of people (which is a no-no if you ask many).

However, I find, especially in these earlier years as a business owner, every opportunity and experience that feels aligned, is worth taking on. This doesn’t mean I say yes to every project, however, I offer many services that most firms don’t, such as bringing us in mid-remodel to help get things moving in a better direction, taking over for you if your project management becomes too much, or filling in missing furnishings to wrap up what you started.

Many designers only work with projects they can start from beginning to end with control over every aspect, such as where the client is purchasing from, what tradespeople they work with, etc. I’ve found that being the best resource I can be, adapting to my client’s needs, instead of only taking on specific projects, makes me a better designer in the long run!

Kayla, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My name is Kayla Gordon, founder of Kayla Gordon Creative AKA kaygorcreative or kgc! We’re a multidisciplinary design studio based in the beautiful coastal town of Encinitas, California. We specialize in residential interior remodels + refreshes, helping create your dream home in California + beyond!

Our signature mindful, minimal, modern approach offers interior design solutions that support your everyday life. We work to understand you, your lifestyle, and what you love to ensure each design element serves a purpose. This creates personalized, dynamic interiors that balance functionality, flow, and fun! Making your home your happy place ◡̈

I was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, but I’ve lived in the San Diego area for the last 10 years. I got a peek into the design/build world at a young age which sparked my interest in the field, visiting job sites with my dad was always fun and excited me. Through my college career, I gained knowledge and experience in art, interior design and architecture, photography, and graphic design. As well as gaining experience in the field with local designers and trade professionals.

While we offer many services, my absolute favorite projects to tackle are full home remodels. We create major transformations with hand-picked designer material selections, professional-to-scale 2D + 3D renderings, includes in-person + virtual design meetings, collaboration with trade professionals, unlimited design revisions, sample procurement, site meetings, management of ordering + receiving, installation + styling, the woks! These projects allow us to use our full range of creativity and knowledge to make your home your happy place! If you’re taking on a project yourself + want a designer’s expertise + support with ALL those decisions to be made, we’re here for that too, we’ll work our design magic + hand it off for you to complete!

We love to connect with our community through Instagram, our handle is @kaygorcreative. where we share day-to-day behind-the-scenes project processes, design life, and more!

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

Staying true to myself and branding my business in a way that feels extremely authentic to me. A huge part of this was making sure to not let the fear or distractions of what others are doing or what I feel like I “should” be doing, deter me from my own path! I have built most of my business through word of mouth and referrals, sharing my projects, processes and client experiences on social media has helped attract more wonderful clients!

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

Well, kaygorcreative started during 2020’s global pandemic, so it’s safe to say the first three years of business + life were FULL of pivot moments. I was working as the in-house designer for a remodel company when we were instructed to stop work until further notice because remodel work was not deemed essential, only new builds. I took this as a sign to part ways, take control of my situation, and start my business on my way earlier than I would have ever anticipated.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://kaylagordoncreative.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/kaygor
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kaylagordoncreative
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/kaylagordoncreative

Image Credits

Kayla Gordon Creative