We recently connected with Kate Duffy and have shared our conversation below.

Kate, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.

Many of my business opportunities and successes have occurred as a result of taking risks. Risks are uncomfortable, because oftentimes it’s the unknown end result that can hold us back. In the past I’ve thought “will what I am setting out to do be successful?”, or “will people understand what I’m trying to create and express?” I’m a big believer in putting yourself out there, speaking out loud your goals and vision and taking the steps to move towards them. When I’ve done this, doors either open or close, and the intended path for me becomes obvious. If something is meant to be I believe it will happen, but you have to initiate and take steps toward what that “something” is to find out. Five years ago, I began my Interior Design business. Over these past several years, I’ve made goals each year for what I want to accomplish and have taken steps to move towards them. Not everything has happened the way I thought or hoped it would, but all experiences have brought valuable lessons. As a result, I’ve grown immensely both in my personal and professional life.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I’m an Interior Designer working in the Atlanta area, as well as outside the perimeter, on modern new builds and residential exterior and interior spaces. I specialize in full service design, and I love opportunities where I can execute a complete design top to bottom for the spaces my clients bring to me. I bring these spaces to life with furnishings, artwork, and architectural elements that are specific to the clients style while also infusing my own twist into the design. I love to add in elements that have history with my clients, giving their spaces personal meaning and ensuring that these rooms are a continued reflection of them and their home. I started my business in 2017 when my youngest started middle school. Having worked in the Interior Design program in college, and graduating with a BFA, I always had a passion for design. This goes back to when I was a child, as you hear so often with Interior Designers. So I went for it, started with nothing by spreading the word that this is what I was doing. I began with one client, which led to a referral for another project. At the same time, another client that was building a new home and needed input on design selections hired me. My business grew from there. Getting to where I am today has been a lesson in constantly feeding myself creatively with education, and surrounding myself with supportive and creative people. I counteract the temptation to question my ability with stepping into situations that may feel uncomfortable, and pushing myself to grow in these. This has in turn has provided many opportunities for me.

My favorite design aspect is boldness, bringing in a strong design element to each space I’m working on that makes the room stand out. Often clients don’t know that this is what they want or need, and I always work to propose the maximum design elements for a space to my clients. Go bold or go home right? Most of the time, they go for it, and love the end result. I love deep and rich colors, architectural elements, mixing colors and patterns, bringing in texture as well as a few (or several) vintage pieces, and topping it off with custom artwork!

Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?

One of my most valued resources is my network of friends/peers who are also in the industry. I am lucky to continually come across amazing designers in the Atlanta area. These are designers who I meet at various events, group meetings, and local facebook groups online. Often we share ideas, advice, and learn from each other. It took me a couple of years to discover that attending showroom events as well as joining local design groups would be such a valuable asset. Looking back, I would have made the effort to connect with other creatives much sooner. In any industry, there is so much benefit to connecting with your business peers. This can lend to support and growth in many ways.

Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?

Good design takes time. Creatives are gifted with a natural ability to envision beyond the current scenario. For an Interior Designer, we are able to walk into a blank empty space and imagine the possibilities. Our truest value comes when we are given the time needed to execute a project or space to its’ fullest potential. It can take months from the time we are first contacted to fully create and pull together a design that is a custom fit for our clients home and style. Sometimes I have potential clients reach out hoping the completion would be in a month or two, and both of us are bummed when the timeline doesn’t align with my current project schedule. When considering using an Interior Designer for your project, reach out to them much sooner than you think you need to. The more time you give a project, the better the outcome and happier you will be.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://kateduffyinteriors.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kateduffyinteriors/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kateduffyinteriors
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kate-duffy-5425a2247/

Image Credits
Marc Mauldin MM Photo Inc Angelica Yim AYPHOTODESIGN