Kate Maloney is an interior designer and founder of Kate Maloney Interior Design (KMID), based in Massachusetts, since 2003. Kate was surrounded by creativity and design from an early age, with parents that owned a window treatment business and a seamstress for a grandmother. She now expertly combines modern pieces with antique finds to design rooms that are as comfortable to live in as they are beautiful. So we are proud to bring you the Designer Insights of Kate Maloney.
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1) In your own words describe your unique style and creative aesthetic?
I would describe my style as eclectic, combining antique and modern pieces from every era of design. Although my designs vary in way of the homeowners taste you can always recognize my own personal flare.
2) When starting a new project, what is your creative process?
I believe that good design is an organic process between the designer and the clients who know what they love. When designing a home, my decisions are guided by a belief that each home should be unique to the people that live there.
3) Out of the creative people you have worked with, who is it that you respect and admire the most?
It may be cliché to say, but my mother has been a huge inspiration to me. She started and built her own window treatment business that is still alive and thriving today. Not only is she incredibly creative, she’s a savvy business woman as well.
4) When looking for inspiration is there a particular thing you do to get inspired?
My primary source of inspiration begins with the initial client meeting noting subtle clues about their personal esthetic from existing pieces in their home, the way the dress, who they are, etc. From there a fabric pattern, color combination and/or heirloom antique piece from the client’s personal collection will set the tone for the scheme.
5) What has brought you to this point in your career? And what is your advice for people looking to follow in your footsteps?
After studying business in college I started taking classes in architecture and interior design while working as an administrative assistant at the architecture firm Charles R. Myer & Partners part time and a design assistant for Andre Burkhart’s. I soon pursued a more active role at CRM&P collaborating with the firm's architects to offer clients interior design selections that worked as an extension of the firm's architectural offerings. I later branched off from CRM&P and became an independent firm. I now employee two designers and an office marketing manager as part of her team. My advice to those looking to pursue a career in interior design is to immerse yourself in the field to the best of your abilities and be a total sponge. The opportunity to learn more in this field is endless. It’s always an evolution.