Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Kayla Compton. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Kayla, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you share an important lesson you learned in a prior job that’s helped you in your career afterwards?

Prior to owning Cardinal Interiors, I worked for an Interior Designer and apprenticed under her for a couple of years before becoming a designer on her team. I had no prior experience in Interior Design, so learning under her was like drinking from a firehose. I absorbed everything she taught me and studied every decision she made like a sponge – really attempting to hone in on the craft. After a while, I became extremely trusted because I knew how the designer would handle situations, what she would choose and why she would choose it. I asked tons of questions and never shied away from getting my hands dirty. Those years were absolutely crucial to my growth as a designer.

When it came time for me to do my first project by myself, I felt prepared. I knew how to make the client feel comfortable, ask the right questions, recommend the right products, etc… Once that initial project was complete, I was hooked! Seeing the client experience from start to finish and her reaction to those months of hard work at the end were so rewarding. I helped someone turn a space that she was ashamed of to one that finally made her feel at home. There were lots of happy tears (from both of us, if I’m being honest)!

If I could stress one thing to someone getting started in design, it’s to be a student of your craft. Really study from a mentor or through books of your favorite designers. Look up articles and ask lots of questions. There is so much to learn in any line of work if you really want to be a true professional of a certain trade. Don’t be afraid to get your hands dirty. Offer work for family members and friends. You may have to do a few things for free at first to get your feet wet, but there is nothing like hands-on learning as well. I learned so much from that very first project – things I never would have even thought of – that are absolute staples in my toolbox today.

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?

Hi there, I’m Kayla – a passionate interior designer that opened her very own design company, Cardinal Interiors, just a year and a half ago.

Before I started doing interior design, I owned a social media marketing company with my best friend. We were working with small business owners to help them achieve their business goals. It was such fulfilling work and we had a blast doing it! Until I had started a small side job for a local interior design company working their retail storefront. I fell in love with fabrics, faux florals, mixing patterns and colors, etc… I was offered the opportunity to do my first full design from start to finish. When that project installation was over, I pulled out of the client’s driveway on cloud 9. I knew that I had found what it is I was passionate about and what I wanted to pursue for the rest of my life.

I left the marketing company to my friend and the rest is history! Seeing the joy on my client’s face as she entered her living room was a feeling that can’t be explained.

Since then, I’ve seen dozens (if not over a hundred) clients and homes. I’ve helped transform master bathrooms, kitchens, new builds, office spaces and so much more. And the best part – it never gets old. I continue to enjoy interiors, my clients and design more and more as the years go by.

Cardinal Interiors was founded in August of 2023 just two weeks after the birth of my firstborn. I knew I wanted to start a career that offered flexibility and the ability to primarily work from home. I had spent the last 6 years of my life honing my craft and really focusing on learning as much as I could about designing that I was confident in my abilities to start my own company. At Cardinal, our bread-and-butter service is residential interior designs but we do also offer commercial and virtual design services.

Homes are where I flourish. Helping families create spaces that are unique to their style and family values is so important to me. Gone are the days of “too pretty to touch”! People want spaces that are both beautiful AND functional that represent them. I like to blend creativity with functionality to design environments that both inspire and comfort so that my clients and their families can enjoy them for years to come – that’s the Cardinal Promise.

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

I am currently in a pivotal season in my personal life and business. We just finished our first full calendar year in business with flying colors! We hired our first employee outside of ownership, we put up over six figures in revenue, we worked with some prominent names in our community and so much more. So, we have pretty lofty goals coming into 2025.

However, I also found out recently that I’m expecting our second child (which we are so excited about!). But another kid doesn’t quite free up your time constraints (or your energy) for tripling your business. That means that we have to get savvy about how we want to approach this year.

Targeted marketing is a key factor that we want to focus on for 2025 as well as hiring more help. We’re also making some serious process changes in an effort to make sure that we run Cardinal as efficiently as possible coming into this year. As a mother, I want to enjoy a maternity leave and spend time with my children. Balance and family time is incredibly important to me. So, there has to be a lot of preparation on the front end to ensure that our company continues to grow even when I’m not able to be as present as I want to be.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

I’m from Tennessee, so I grew up in a pretty traditional southern household. My sweet great-grandmother would host our family every week at her house with meals like homemade cornbread, cabbage and coca-cola cake. Her home had paneled walls, old grasscloth wallpaper, even blue carpet in some of the rooms. But that house was one of the nicest ones I’ve ever been. She loved quality (and sometimes quantity too), but her focus was on making everyone that walked through her door feel invited and at home. It was magical.

I’ve been chasing that same hospitality and feeling ever since I was a little girl. I’ve learned that you don’t have to have a $10,000 sofa to make your space feel like home. You just need memories. The best way to accomplish this is creating a space that makes everyone want to come over or a room that makes you want to snuggle up on a rainy day. I want everyone to feel that same cozy feeling I got as a little girl every time they come home from work or have their families over.

Houses should be a unique collection of things that bring us joy and tell our families story through design.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://cardinalhomeinteriors.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/cardinalinteriors
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/cardinalinteriordesign

Image Credits

Jena Peeples Photography (instagram.com/jenapeeplesphotography_)