Meet Interior Designer: Kate White

Kate White is a multi-hyphenate and lover of making things. On any given day you can find her crocheting, painting, or thrifting (seriously, she loves to stay busy!). We’ve had the pleasure of getting to know Kate over the course of this year, as she’s a member of the Spoak community. Most recently, we’ve been crushing on her latest design project, a floor-to-ceiling green apartment makeover in New York City. More on that below.

Describe yourself in 3 emojis.

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Briefly tell us about your design journey.

I spent most of my 20's feeling pressured to pick a passion and be wholly committed to my professional career in User Experience Design. That resulted in serious burnout, confusion about what I actually wanted to do with my life, and a tumultuous few years! I spent a lot of time getting my mental and physical health in order through therapy and medication, and as I started seeing things clearer and understanding who I am as a person without feeling guilty... I realized I truly loved doing a BUNCH of things. I couldn't define a "passion" because I honestly have so many interests, so I started just following my instinct and doing things that made me happy. This led to a relatively new-found love for plants, painting fun patterns and styling my home, crocheting and making cozy home goods, and a few other things sprinkled here and there. In January of 2022, I joined Spoak and quickly found the most encouraging community that just lit my fire!!! I was so inspired and welcomed that I soon began to plot how to categorize my interests. Thus, my business Happy Places was born. Plant care & consultations, color consult & mural services, biophilic interior design, second-hand and vintage furnishing, and more. Less than 6 months later I landed my first full-service design & mural gig with a dream client, and I have a few more projects coming down the pipe.

Where do you find your inspiration?

Everywhere honestly, mostly nature, but anything that sparks an idea I will run with!

Tell us about a designer or artist you love. What about them and their work are you drawn to?

My favorite painter is Ernst Ludwig Kirchner. He was an expressionist from Germany that struggled with his mental health, ultimately committed suicide, and had his work deemed "degenerate" by the Nazis. His work has left such a lasting impact on me and my design perspective. I first saw 'Street, Dresden' at the MoMa and was completely caught off guard by the way he could emote such a dark, claustrophobic feeling while utilizing neon pink as the main color. I have always considered myself a color nerd, especially when it comes to bold and unexpected combinations (oxblood & lavender anyone??) and I felt so connected to his ability to flip the typical coloring of deep and dark feelings on its head. A few years later there was an exhibition on him at the same place and I went for my birthday. His landscapes blew my mind and I've never been able to love another artist as much as him since.

What do you do on your time off to recharge creatively?

I spend a lot of time with my plants, watching TV, I love to read (all kinds of genres!) and my favorite extracurricular activity is getting doughnuts and going thrifting with my incredible husband.

What's the best thing you've consumed recently?

TV: Severance; Book: Light from Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki; Music: Jubilee by Japanese Breakfast; Food: A sufficiently filled lobster roll.