We recently had the chance to connect with Kristin Barton and have shared our conversation below.
Good morning Kristin, it’s such a great way to kick off the day – I think our readers will love hearing your stories, experiences and about how you think about life and work. Let’s jump right in? What is a normal day like for you right now?
My passion is in my interior design business, but I’m also a proud wife and mother to two sweet little coconuts. So my day starts early around 6am with breakfast, school lunches and drop off. Depending on my project schedules, I’m either heading straight to a job site to check in with contractors and timeline progress or off to source materials and review fabrics, finishes or tile. After lunch, I try to catch up on emails and any admin work. My priority is my family, so around 2pm I enter full time mommy mode. This entails school pick up and homework help along with tennis and swim practice. I’ll get pockets of time to save ideas to project dashboards or schedule network meetings. I have a strict rule of no work once 6pm hits so my day wraps up with making dinner, tucking kids in bed and snagging an episode of The Office with my husband to wind down.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I am the Owner and Principal Designer of Palm Breeze Designs, which is a full scale interior design business based out of Boca Raton, Florida. The majority of my projects are residential as well as small commercial, with locations all over the South East Coast of US, Caribbean and Central America. My design style encompasses a contemporary tropical warmth, comfort and functionality. Each client project is unique and my goal is always to bring vision to reality.
Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. What breaks the bonds between people—and what restores them?
I think reliability is the most underrated quality. When there’s a lack to show up for an event, work task, price point or gathering at the designated day and time, trust is lost. This can break bonds on a business and personal level as it conveys a lack of both honesty and commitment. I have learned to keep the same small group of trades in my circle from over the years due in large part to their reliability. Likewise my social scene consists of a small handful of loyal friends. And the good quality ones are gold. The only way to possibly restore any broken relationships is building trust back above and beyond over time.
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
Yes. I had taken on one too many projects and was dealing with a very difficult contractor. Nevertheless, it was a learning experience, pushing me to keep my quarterly quota max on projects and how to manage unpleasant people in the industry.
Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. What are the biggest lies your industry tells itself?
To be successful, it’s all about who you know or where you contribute. Unfortunately, the creative work of many designers like myself often gets overlooked in the retrospect of media or accolades. Most magazine covers are paid by the designer after rubbing elbows with the staff and those prestigious awards are almost always tied to a hefty application fee. Regardless, success comes from both client growth and positive review feedback. It is nice to be recognized for your work, unsolicited, which is why I appreciate Voyager among few other publishers. However, the ultimate reward is the pure joy from clients at the completion of a project. Otherwise, what are really doing this for?
Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: What do you understand deeply that most people don’t?
Putting in the extra effort with a smile goes a very long way. We live in a world where this notion is nearly extinct. People clock in to do the minimum, get their check and leave. Putting heart behind my projects always leaves a lasting impact and that’s the legacy for my work.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.palmbreezedesigns.com
- Instagram: @palmbreezedesigns
Image Credits
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