Today we’d like to introduce you to Katie Gelsheimer.
Katie, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I was born and raised in Dallas, Texas. In elementary school, I remember my friend and I would doodle floorplans of homes for fun. When picking a major I was between architecture and interior design – thankfully, I went with Interior Design and I have never regretted that decision. I graduated from Texas Tech University in 2006 and immediately started working for an architecture and engineering firm designing corporate offices and healthcare. I sat for the NCIDQ in 2009 and officially became a Registered Interior Designer. I never had a huge desire to be my own boss, but all plans changed when my husband was offered a career opportunity in Missouri and we had to relocate. We moved up here pregnant with our second child, and I intended on staying home because I didn’t want to go back to the hours and pressure of a commercial designer. The SAHM gig was overwhelmingly hard and I was missing design work so I started taking on small design/drafting jobs to fill some time. Fast forward a few years, and I am now running my own design studio, designing gorgeous residential projects with some amazing clients.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
Big picture it has been a pretty smooth road for which I am extremely grateful. I worked hard in college, fulfilled a lot of internships, and got my foot in the door at a prominent architecture firm after graduation. Pre-marriage and babies, the hours and pressure of a commercial designer were acceptable but after a while, I became very beat down and didn’t enjoy the job. Taking a small break, deciding to switch from commercial to residential, and then deciding to work for myself were much-needed changes. I like to think I have the design part down but right now the biggest struggle has been the business side. I had no idea what it takes to run a business and all the action behind the scenes. Right now, I am learning a lot and I am getting better every year.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Katie Gelsheimer Home + Design is a full-service interior design studio. My specialty is space planning, technical drawings, and design development. Because of my background in commercial design, I prefer to be brought in during pre-design so that I can ensure that we are utilizing the space in the most functional way possible. While we all know aesthetics are the final piece of the puzzle (and what you see in the pretty pictures!), there are so many phases prior to finish selection that need to be fully explored.
Do you have any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
Doodling floorplans 🙂
Baseball games with my dad.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: www.katiegelsheimer.com
- Instagram: @katie_gelsheimer_home
