Kirsten is a local mom and Interior Designer who specializes in not just the aesthetics of your home- but the FEELING of your space, by utilizing Feng Shui, space clearing, energy healing and even crystals and meditation. We found her on instagram and think her work is fascinating so we wanted to share her with you all!
Meet Kirsten!
How many children do you have and what are their age(s)?
KMY: 2 girls, ages 7 & 4
How long have you lived on Long Island? Where else have you lived?
KMY: I’ve been in Bellport Village for 5 1/2 years, and prior to that, Brooklyn. I bounced back and forth between Manhattan and Brooklyn in the early 90s, and eventually decided that Brooklyn was home and stayed there until 2014, when we moved here.
How did The Interior Intuitive come about? Tell us about what you do.
KMY: The Interior Intuitive kind of hatched itself really organically. Throughout the 90s and 2000s, I worked in fashion, designing Women’s and Kids Accessories for quite a few global brands. The years between 2012, when my oldest was born, and 2016, when I really began focusing on Interiors projects, were jam packed with major life changes – a new town, far from friends or family, a massive (seriously, massive) home renovation, a new baby, and then another new baby, and some life altering personal stuff. Through all of this, I figured out 2 important things – 1. that my love for design hadn’t gone anywhere, and that I found as much inspiration designing spaces as I always had designing accessories, and 2. if I had any hope of being the parent that I wanted to be, and the version of myself that I wanted to be, I needed to take a new approach. I took some classes in Interior Design, and at the same time discovered that meditation was super helpful for me, and it sent me down this rabbit hole. One thing led to the next, and I began to connect the dots between meditation, wellness, interior design, and creating conditions that would allow for good energy in my home. I studied Feng Shui and became certified in Meditation Instruction, and I focused on all of the methods and modalities that I could work with to make spaces not just look amazing, but feel amazing. The Interior Intuitive is all of these things combined. I help people to improve every aspect of their lives through thoughtful and holistic design, and clearing space not just environmentally but internally too.
What is your favorite part of your job?
KMY: I love it all, really. The early stages of research and conceptualizing a space are really fun – I’m naturally a planner, so imagining the possibilities of a space is super inspiring for me. Styling and actually physically arranging a room is also one of my favorite things. I’m a double Taurus (with a Libra sun!) so you couldn’t possibly find someone more committed to creating spaces that are beautiful, but also really cozy and approachable. Seriously – if you’re hiring an interior designer, find yourself someone with their sun, moon, and rising signs all ruled by Venus!
How has social media fueled your growth?
KMY: Social media has definitely helped me to connect with people that I’d never have had the opportunity to meet just in the normal course of a day. I like to use social media, but then get off of social media and connect IRL. It’s also fabulous for inspiration and research.
As a mompreneur, how do you handle the toggle between work and family?
KMY: I feel like this is an answer that changes daily. I think at some point every mom learns that flexibility is the key to success – if success equals being present for your kids, maintaining your sense of self, and squeezing in even just a few minutes for self care. I also think it’s really important to give kids positive messaging about work. It’s so easy for them to pick up on the idea that work is something to dread, or a chore that you can’t wait to escape from. I want my kids to be inspired by the fact that I want to work, and that work is about more than just slogging through a day to bring home a paycheck. I feel like it’s empowering for them to imagine all of the amazing things that they might like to spend their time on when they “grow up”, and I want them to know that any time I spend away from them due to work is truly being spent on something worthwhile.
What’s one thing people would be surprised to know about you?
KMY: Safe to say that nearly anyone I know would tell you that I’m the least athletic person they know, but I have two guilty pleasures (that I’m willing to talk about here anyway!) and those are flying on a trapeze and rollerskating. Make of that what you will. Both are so completely random and unrelated, but so super fun.
Anyone special you’d like to thank for helping you through parenthood?
KMY: So many, really. My family, especially my sister and my mom, but also every other mom I know. We are all going through it, and no matter how many kids we have or well we may seem to have it together, we’re all learning. It’s so important for moms to support other moms. I am really outspoken with my daughters about the need for women to always lift each other up, and I’m grateful to all of the female examples in their lives who model this too.
Check Kirsten out on instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/kirstenyadouga/
Or on her website: https://www.theinteriorintuitive.com/