December Cover: Home is Where the Heart is with Kathy Kuo
After chatting with December’s cover mom Kathy Kuo, I couldn’t stop thinking about the things in my house that make it a home. The two sofa chairs my parents occupied to watch TV every night for the last 15 years, the cream-colored dresser in my bedroom that’s traveled with me from house to house, the decorated cardboard box my cat curls up in. You see, what I learned from Kathy, mom of two and founder of Kathy Kuo Home, is that a house is merely the physical walls and location. But a home is a feeling of comfort. It’s what you feel when you cozy up on your favorite couch, under your favorite, plush blanket, surrounded by other objects and furniture that carry special memories or meaning. Even if that couch has crayon scribbles on it from crafty kids, we still love it!
Kathy’s not only the founder of a fast-growing, online home and design platform, but she’s a big advocate for female founders. A lot of what Kathy said about the pressure and expectations women have as moms, alongside the inequality we face in entrepreneurial ventures, resonated with me. With her incredible success as a woman in business, it was even more incredible to hear her open up about her fears, imposter syndrome struggles and the community she creates for other female entrepreneurs to feel supported.
Did I mention she founded her business while pregnant with her first child? Kathy’s children– Maya, now age 12 and William (nickname ‘Didi’, which means “little brother” in Chinese), age 8 — grew up with a mom, founder and CEO. You can probably guess that we chatted about how to balance career and parenthood. Kathy recently opened a new Design Showroom at 161 Hudson Street in Tribeca for in-person homeowner, trade and interior design services. My question, that I’m sure other NYC moms are dying to know too — how does she do it all?
Read on to learn more about all-things home, female founders, motherhood and interior design pro tips for families!
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Why did you found Kathy Kuo Home? What about home and design interests you?
I founded Kathy Kuo Home in 2012 after working in the home industry as a product designer for many years, going through a layoff during the 2008 recession, and then discovering that entrepreneurship was really in my heart. I noticed a gap in the marketplace, at the time, for being able to buy luxury furniture online in a way that was accessible, easy, and trustworthy. I literally started the business by building my own site, before Shopify or any platforms, designing every module and button, taking client’s credit card numbers over the phone and placing orders for them manually with my favorite suppliers that only high end interior designers knew about; little by little, that grew into where we are today 12 years later with a robust e-commerce, trade, interior design, and retail business.
Growing up, my father was a diplomat so my family moved around a lot — I was born in Taiwan and spent most of my adolescence and teenage years ping-ponging between the US and Asia in different countries, cities, and states. From a young age, my concept of “home” meant feeling “safe, loved and nurtured” inside a home. Home to me was about my favorite things, whether it be furniture, or art and using them to create a special feeling, rather than a physical place in and of itself. I went to RISD for college, wanting to be either an interior designer or furniture designer, and ultimately landed on Industrial Design which was the perfect blend of both product and human centered design. All of these things together — an interest in creating that “feeling” of home, a foundational design education, and a drive to be creative and entrepreneurial — brought me to the heart of the interiors and home industry! I love the fact that my customers and clients trust me to help them create the spaces that will help them feel safe, loved, and nurtured.
As a mom of two and founder of a super successful company, how do you balance motherhood with your career?
When I founded KKH, I was pregnant with my first child, my daughter Maya, so making sure that my business was one that allowed for a working parent to thrive has been top of mind from day 1, not just for me as a mom, founder, and CEO, but for all of the parents on my team. The ability to shape my working life around motherhood has been one of the biggest reasons that entrepreneurship has been the right fit for me.
That elusive idea of “balance” is different for every parent and for me it honestly looks different on a weekly and monthly basis. One constant for me as a mom is that I try to always carve out special fun time with my kids in the evenings when they’re done with all of their activities; it’s time for us to connect and be silly and relaxed. There might be days when I need to pause some quality time with my kids to deal with a work situation, and that can be tough, but I also love that they see me working, and that they know how passionate I am about what I do and how committed I am to my responsibilities. I want them to someday have careers they’re truly fulfilled by and showing them that by example is very important. I will also be the first one to shout from the rooftops that I could not make my work/parenting equation possible without fantastic helpers! I have the world’s best nanny and my kids and I think of her as family; we also are lucky to have a great community through my kids’ school and their soccer programs (both my kids are obsessed with soccer and are great at it, so I am officially a Soccer Mom!).
On a more tactical side, balance starts with having a plan, creating a list of priorities (the fewer the better), and being intentional by habit tracking to ensure you’re gaining traction on your priorities. The plan should also include what you’re not going to be doing, so it feels less overwhelming—balance, similar to control, is a perception after all and not actually real.
It’s amazing how you feature other women-owned businesses on your blog to bring visibility to the incredible work female entrepreneurs are doing. What has your experience been as a female founder? Why is it important to you to build a community of support for other female entrepreneurs?
Pursuing entrepreneurship has truly been one of the best and scariest decisions I have made in my life and I am so proud of the KKH business and all of our team members. Of course, it’s not without challenges! In the beginning there were many moments when I felt major imposter syndrome (and BTW, that never goes away), and being a woman, there have also been many moments of feeling underestimated, and that can be frustrating. That’s why fostering community with other female entrepreneurs—and mentoring the next generation of girls—has been a major focus of mine.
The statistics are staggering, only 1.7% of women-owned businesses make it to more than $1 million in revenue. Then there is the deep primordial instinct and societal expectations of needing / wanting / being expected to be a parent. And not just a parent, but a parent that excels at all the things social media expects you to excel at. You throw that in with the pressures to gain equality in funding and resources, no wonder a woman’s entrepreneurial journey is that much more fraught with instability and hard pivots. When women get together to share stories and ideas of dispelling the “balance” myth, pooling together resources and tips, when we take it one step further and actually support each other’s businesses through business collaborations, there’s infinite potential to create a better and stronger world, with more impactful points of views. At KKH, we partner with female-founded brands first, values-aligned partners second, and oftentimes they are great friends of mine for all of the above reasons. It’s so vital that women continue to be vocal and advocate for their ideas and advocate to always have a seat at the table—regardless of what industry they’re in!
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A bit of a transition, but many New Yorkers are putting up all their holiday decor as the city transforms for the season. What’s your best home decor tip or idea for the holiday season?
When it comes to holiday decorating, my No. 1 tip is to remember that it’s supposed to be fun and joyful! If you really relish going over the top with lights and multiple trees and elaborate displays, go for it! But if your home decor naturally trends more minimalist, there’s no reason to pressure yourself into going all out for the holidays if that feels more stressful than fun. Make sure you bring your kids into the decor process and take time to enjoy it together while letting your holiday pieces complement your existing decor.
I myself prefer a little more of an understated and “pretty” tree—shades of silver and champagne, and thin velvet bows and delicate bird ornaments from Paris—but my kids prefer our collection of souvenir ornaments from vacations past. We’re fortunate to have enough space that we can do two trees; a sophisticated French-inspired one for me (and for all of my KKH content shoots we do at my apartment) and a super-fun, anything-goes tree that my kids and I can decorate together…with plenty of Pokemon, wacky souvenirs, soccer balls, and ornaments that they have made since they were in pre-school!
Maintaining a clean, spill-free home is difficult with kids. What design hacks or tips do you have for keeping a home mess-free?
Home design for families with children is one of the No. 1 requests we get on the Design Services side of the KKH business. The good news is that, these days, there is so much furniture on the market that is not only beautifully designed and crafted, but also made with performance fabrics that can stand up to lively, growing children!
My biggest piece of advice for child-friendly design is to invest in sofas and armchairs that are upholstered with performance fabrics (the new KKH custom upholstery range has you covered!); these are fabrics that will repel stains more reliably, be easier to clean, and stand up more durably to just general wear and tear. Performance rugs are also a great option for homes with young children. If you’re not sure where to start, try working with one of our interior designers! There’s a myth out there that interior designers are only something for the ultra-wealthy to bring in when they’re buying new furniture for an entire home—and that is so not the case. Our KKH Design Team can work with a client on just about any size and scope of project; you can call us up today and say: “Help! My kids are human tornadoes and I still want my living room to look beautiful without having to buy a new sofa every other year.” I promise you that one of our great designers will help you navigate your options, work with your budget, and suggest solutions you may never have even considered.
My other piece of advice is give your kids their own space and work with them to make it special and make it theirs. Explain to them that it’s important to take care of their special space, and if they can commit to keeping it tidy and cared for, then they can be involved in the choices for how it looks. Wall art, bedding, and soft goods (like decorative pillows and beanbags) are all great categories to let your kids take the wheel a little bit in their own bedrooms or playrooms.
Your mission is that everyone should be able to love where they live. Why do you love living in NYC? What about it feels like home to you?
As a creative person, New York City is truly the most inspiring place to live! I travel a lot, and every time the plane is about to land in JFK, I always sigh with relief and gratitude that I truly live in the most vibrant, dynamic city in the world. I love the mix of old and new and how you can find so much beauty in unexpected places. I love the fact that in the course of a day, I can have access to so many different things to feed my soul—outdoor space where my kids can play soccer and ride bikes, world-class museums and boutiques, my favorite places for self-care, the best hole in wall to 3-star Michelin restaurant and my company’s Showroom—and not ever leave the island of Manhattan. I feel so fortunate to call this city home!
You opened a new Design Showroom in Tribeca for in-person services, congrats! What are you most excited about as Kathy Kuo Home hits this milestone and continues to grow?
This new Design Showroom is so exciting because it marks our first customer-facing physical space in NYC (we previously had a store in Southampton). My vision is for the space to be a cozy and warm haven for consumers to stop in and feel inspired, as well as a vibrant hub for all facets of our interior design community here in the City. We offer in-person design consultations (both by appointment and walk-in), the opportunity to sit-test some of the pieces from our new custom upholstery line, and hosting events for interior designers in our Trade Program. I’m also just thrilled to be in Tribeca because the neighborhood has such a strong legacy as a haven for creatives across so many different artistic mediums.
Kathy’s Favorite Things & Pro Tips
Favorite thing to do in NYC with your family during the holidays?
The Christmas shops at Bryant Park and of course FAO Schwarz!
Best gift from Kathy Kuo Home to give this holiday season?
This is a “big-ticket” item, but a great gift for the whole family is a new sofa, customized in upholstery that matches your decor and meshes with your lifestyle; I have our Madeline which is such a beautiful color, but I personally designed the Amelie and Henri which truly is the most comfortable thing you will ever sit on.
Outside of furniture, I’m obsessed with our Scrabble boards—I personally have one, and it’s so well made. We have it out in the media room all the time since it’s so beautiful to look at, but also so we can continue playing it whenever, since you can play scrabble literally for hours!
A female founder who inspires you?
Alexa von Tobel, Founder of Learnvest (acquired in 2015) and now founder of Inspired Capital. She’s brilliant, massively creative, a mother and gives back to her community through her podcasts, writings and support of other businesses.
2025 interior design prediction you’re excited for?
Prioritizing “timeless” over “trendy”—it’s better for our planet, and for our wallets!
#1 design tip for a kids bedroom or nursery?
You can never have too much storage!
Credits
Photo: Yumi Matsuo | @yumimatsuostudio
Cover Story: Mia Salas | @mia_salas14
Hair & Makeup: Buffy Hernandez | @buffyhernandez
Produced by: Donna Duarte-Ladd | @motherburg
Clothes: Scanlan Theodore | @scanlantheodore
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