190: Kathy Kuo - How Kathy Kuo Home, the Online Boutique, Can Assist Your Interior Design Firm

A Well-Designed Business® | Interior Design Business Podcast

LuAnn Nigara

Arts, Business, Design

4.9 • 810 Ratings

🗓️ 12 June 2017

⏱️ 74 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Today’s guest is Kathy Kuo, an open, high-energy, talented designer, and Rockstar businesswoman. You may have seen her amazing Instagram feed or heard of the online boutique she founded, Kathy Kuo Home. She’s also a wife, mother, cook, and world traveler. Born in Taiwan, raised in Boston, and now settled in NYC, Kathy graduated from the Rhode Island School of Interior Design and has traveled to over 30 countries. She recently starred in the FYI Network’s Rowhouse Showdown and her designs have been featured in several lifestyle publications. She’s here to discuss her career, her design firm, and how Kathy Kuo Home can help you! What you’ll hear in this episode: The impetus behind the e-commerce site she founded 10 years ago: it later became Kathy Kuo Home How times have changed in the last 2-3 years Kathy’s site, and how it is consumer-facing and trade-facing Freedom and flexibility with online shopping How Kathy’s network functions to meet clients’ needs What it’s like working with celebrities Great topics on Kathy’s blog: The top three? How to answer awkward questions, How to mix metals, and How to create a design board Why your initial contract should include clear intention How to deal with a client’s inflamed remarks Vendors available at KKH E-design: how it works Why the presentation has to be significant Kathy’s “Get the Look” project collection Resources: www.kathykuohome.com (Find Kathy’s blog, shop, and design business information!) www.mydomastudio.com/awelldesignedbusiness (Find the special offer for listeners!)

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	Have you heard about the exciting new exhibit by the Black Artists and Designers Guild,
0:05.6	which was commissioned by the Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum in New York City?
0:11.1	Big news, right?
0:12.6	The Cooper Hewitt's exhibition is called Making Home, Smithsonian Design Triennial.
0:18.2	Now, the batch designers exhibit is titled the Underground Library,
0:23.8	inspired by the Underground Railroad. The Underground Railroad is the clandestine network
0:28.6	established in the early 19th century through which many enslaved African Americans
0:33.6	traveled in search of freedom. This library installation represents a 21st century sanctuary surrounded by art, objects,
0:43.5	artifacts, and books of black legacy.
0:46.9	In reimagining and repurposing the Andrew Carnegie Personal Library,
0:52.7	badge invites you to examine the power of home libraries
0:56.1	and the significance of literacy, remembering that African Americans were denied the right to read
1:02.3	under slavery. I'm honored to share that Window Works in Livingston was asked by badge to create
1:08.7	the flat panels for the windows. We used a custom design fabric
1:12.5	by badge members, and the fabric was fabricated by Stacey Garcia's team at Libatex. So please make a
1:20.0	point to visit this inspired space the next time you are in New York City. The exhibition runs
1:25.5	from November 24 all the way through August 10th,
1:30.0	2025. So you have plenty of time to get this on your calendar. We will put links in the show notes.
1:50.9	Welcome to a well-designed business with your host, Luann Nigara.
1:56.4	Luan has a lifetime of experience building a multi-million dollar business with her husband and cousin,
2:00.2	and she knows the challenges you face in your interior design business.
2:03.9	Luan brings you real-life answers to your most pressing problems,
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from LuAnn Nigara, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of LuAnn Nigara and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.