Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Kevin Wachtmann-Smoot. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Kevin, really happy you were able to join us today and we’re looking forward to sharing your story and insights with our readers. Let’s start with the heart of it all – purpose. How did you find your purpose?
I don’t think I found my purpose. I think it found me.
For years, I tried to run in every other direction. I studied engineering, almost became a pastor, and spent years working in consulting and market research. But no matter what I did, design kept showing up quietly and persistently.
It started with my mom. Some of my earliest memories are of rearranging rooms with her, and later, designing her ensuite bathroom in high school with my grandpa as our general contractor. That’s still one of my proudest memories. In college, I was the guy trying to convince three broke engineering roommates to “invest” in furniture and artwork. In my corporate life, my favorite part of the job wasn’t the analytics. It was making the PowerPoint decks beautiful.
Eventually, my husband and I renovated our home, and I enrolled in the New York Institute of Art & Design. That’s when everything clicked. I realized I didn’t just enjoy design. I needed it.
After we moved to Philadelphia, I was laid off from my corporate job. Instead of panicking, I took it as a sign. I started K&B Interiors with no clients, no connections, and a lot of determination.
Looking back, every detour brought me right here. Design has always been more than what I do. It’s how I make sense of the world and how I help people feel at home in their own stories.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
I help transform homes into one-of-a-kind sanctuaries that are as luxurious as they are personal without compromising on peace, polish, or the energy of those that dwell there.
Here’s how I do it: I take clients through my “Bold to Balanced Design Method.” I take them from the overwhelm of their own ideas and Pinterest boards, strip away all that chaos and define their home’s story and direction. From there, we can translate their lifestyle and taste into a complete visual system, and then fully execute on that vision to reality, handling every single moving part.
Our design philosophy is all about balancing the two extremes of minimalism and maximalism. I don’t believe that bold has to be chaotic and I also don’t believe that minimalism has to be bland or empty. There is a beautiful balance that exists when we incorporate the strengths of minimalism and maximalism to create cohesive and balanced spaces that are as vibrant and magnetic and refined as their owners are.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
(1) Understanding the fundamentals of design (function, mood, harmony, visual weight, etc.) allowed me to create a consistent and focused approach to my designs.
(2) Only accepting projects with the right alignment. Interior design is a collaborative process, and as much as I want to believe that I can help anyone with their home, I may not be the best fit for them, and that’s ok. It’s better to decline a project than take on something and it only go “ok”. I’m here to transform spaces for clients to fall in love with and spaces that I’m proud of that reflect my best work. Not every opportunity meets those criteria.
(3) Interior designers have many hats to wear, but one that is often forgotten is being a salesperson. We have to sell clients on our visions for their spaces, not just send over some pretty renderings and floor plans and ask for feedback. There is a story that is being created for clients’ homes through the design process that needs to be told in order to excite clients.
Advice: It’s ok to be scared. It’s ok to doubt yourself. It’s ok to be wherever you are at. You don’t have to have to get every duck in a row before you start your business. Everyone starts somewhere and that’s ok. Some people’s “starts” are ahead of others’ and that’s ok. As long as you start, you’re winning. Keep going and keep craving that next step for your business!
Tell us what your ideal client would be like?
Most of my clients tend to be in one of these three situations:
(1) Classic business professional with a space that hasn’t caught up to the level that they have achieved for themselves. They are ready to invest to truly feel energized and held by their home vs. feeling uninspired or stressed by it. They may have purchased some things from their travels, but nothing is really clicking in the way that they had hoped.
(2) Young parents who have done their time raising their little ones and are ready to reclaim their spaces while still keeping a warm family home. They want nice things again and are done with the washable covered sofas and toy storage bins all over the place. They’re looking for what “designer things meet reality” means for their home and life. Basically, they want to impress their neighbors while still having a home tailored for their growing family.
(3) Someone or ones who have bought their dream house, but the space needs some work. The layouts off, basic builder grade finishes, etc. They have a vision for the space but need the confidence and expertise to execute the vision to perfection and make sure generic is not on the menu. Bold but balanced, energizing and calming, elevated but not cold/unwelcoming.
All three of these have some key things in common: (1) they know what they like and are ready for something that truly reflects them vs. what others may have envisioned for them and (2) they are looking for a strategic design partner to push them where they always knew they could be with their home.
Contact Info:
- Website: kbinteriorsllc.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kwsdesign/
- Other: email: [email protected]
Image Credits
4 out of the 5 images were taken by my previous photographer Jonathan Arena, who passed away recently. The blue bookcase/TV cabinet photo is by my new photographer Tina, owner of Third Eye Artistry.
