Katie Scott

I’ve always been very creative. My father is an artist and photographer and growing up on the west coast of Auckland, I loved art. I thought I wanted to be an architect, so I studied at University of Auckland and AUT, receiving a degree in spatial design. I worked in the design industry for other businesses until 2017, when I started my own business.

When I was at uni, I worked for a tile company part time. While there I used to draw out little designs for clients to help them with their bathroom looks and layouts. This year, 15 years later, someone got in touch for a renovation project based on this hand-sketched bathroom design I had done years ago. It was nice to know how well this bathroom had lasted and that they had enjoyed it so much.

Running a company and being a mother. The project of parenting while loving your career and trying to find the balance is difficult! I have had many, many difficult projects. I don't tend to design things to be easy: I’m usually pushing boundaries and wanting curves where the building doesn’t have them. Projects on islands can be very tricky too. I did one on Kawau island that meant we had to barge all the product over. I had to use a little tender boat to get from the accommodation to the site.

I am a chameleon but lean towards organic forms. I like organic forms because I think we live with them better. Structure and square edges are not natural, so softness and organic forms are a repetitive motif in my designs. My perspective on interior design is that the home or building needs to feel cohesive from inside to out as a whole. We enjoy spaces more when they are connected and have flow and work with their surroundings. We live on a beautiful planet and I don’t see why we should box ourselves in and ignore where a building sits. We should be influenced by our surroundings and use them to enhance how we live in both the cityscape or landscape.

I see a lot of bold colours and soft shapes, a reflection of the ’60s and ’70s, when it seems there was some really out there interior design. I still see a lot of natural elements with stone and timber, but not just in white and beige and sand: these pops of burgundy and baby blue and green are something I hope we see more of. They are so much more fun than off-white and travertine.

Our homes are becoming more of a place to enjoy and be proud of rather than a box we sleep and eat in. They are a reflection of us and a place for our families to enjoy. I feel families are using their homes more as a connection and experience and it may have a lot to do with the fact the world feels a little more scary now and we need our safe havens. I see people enjoying cooking together or for each other. The use of island cook tops creates a great connection to others and it's more of a family experience now.

Very. It’s still very hard and the building industry is still very wasteful. Whenever I take on a renovation, we always discuss putting the existing kitchen or fittings on TradeMe or contacting Habitat for Humanity to avoid disposal of usable items. Where possible we re-use.

We have won a number of awards for our kitchen and bathroom designs and we work on both residential and commercial projects. I have done a few bars and cafes but I would love to design a hotel. I am passionate about being involved in projects from the early stages, enabling us to create a fluid design and concept, so a boutique resort where you could be artistic and creative, while also creating an experience for guests would be amazing.