Kia Weatherspoon
“Bring other women to the table. There should always be another woman you are partnering with, cultivating, mentoring, and/or sponsoring.”
WomenWhoBuild, Meet Kia Weatherspoon!
Kia found her passion for interior design while serving for the U.S. Air Force, deployed in Doha, Qatar. Kia’s need to create environments to sustain herself mentally and emotionally were the first steps in her interior design journey. Fast forward to today, Kia is not only the President of her own interior design firm, Determined by Design, she is also a founding board member of Room to Rebloom, a nonprofit with a mission to create healing home environments for survivors of domestic violence. It’s incredible to see how much positive change Kia has created so far through her career, and even more incredible to note that she is only getting started.
Tell us a little bit about yourself and your journey in design?
My design journey started when I was deployed shortly after 9-11. At a then bare base in Doha Qatar. My need for comfort and privacy resulted in a moment on ingenuity where I hung sheets from the top of a ten and made three sheet walls. I cried in that space for 15 minutes. However, it bought me solace. I would deploy four more times and have to create environments to sustain me mentally and emotionally. It sounds like a cool story! But, as of late it reminds me how these types of extreme experiences to design are not atypical for black designers. Which makes a big part of my journey about advocating for diversity. Creating spaces that inspire black boys and girls to question not just what an interior designer, but they do not have to go to “war” to get here.
What was your first introduction to the field?
Officially my first job was as Design Coordinator for a hotel management company. It was a position I created for myself once I saw a need that was advantageous to the company. It was perfect because it focused heavily on the financial component. It was about assessing solutions at the most cost-effective and financially advantageous level. It also was about collaborating with design professionals for the betterment of the overall project goals, not one persons ego. It was an unexpected entry into the field because they hired me to be the receptionist, however, it was the perfect foundation.
What about the industry enticed you to make it your career?
Life enticed me to this path of creating equitable design outcomes. Experiencing prisons from a first-person point of view. Going to war and needing a space for comfort. I wasn’t looking for an industry. I was looking to provide the same level of relief I created for myself. If I needed it. I knew others had to need it, that’s what enticed me.
What pushed you to take the leap forward and start your own company, Determined by Design?
I was burning out early in my career. It was an immediate red-flag that made me think is this the way? I then started looking for leaders/designers who looked (black) like me to ask for advice. I could not find any. So, it was a feeling that led me to build a company with a culture and leadership I didn’t see.
Can you tell us a little bit about Determined by Design, including your incredible core mission and what you envision for the future of the company?
Our mission - Interior Design is a standard for all not a luxury for a few. Design outcomes are not equal in spaces, specifically housing, in poor communities. We have/are changing that narrative by advocating for Design Equity. Through our practice, we are demanding/educating better design outcomes aren’t just possible but uplift a person(s) and communities’ value. As A+D professionals it is our job to think of people first, not deliverables. So, the future is to continue to provide design services but also provide training and education services to our counterparts so they can do better. We are also working on policies to assist our housing agencies/authorities so they are equipped to require better outcomes. The future of the company also includes translating our Equitable Design Strategies to prison/ institutional design.
What are some challenges you have faced when creating your own company?
Financial resources and connections. You don’t know what you don’t know until you’re in it. I am a first-generation entrepreneur. So, I knew nothing about starting, running, managing financially a business. It was a huge learning curve with no financial equity. But my mission sustained me. My faith made me focus on the mission and not financials. Everything aligned when I took one thing/hurdle at a time.
What has been your greatest triumph?
Focusing on one thing – the mission. Everyone told me I was crazy for going after a market segment (affordable housing) where an Interior Design separate consultant was historically never used. Not to mention the budgets were slim to none. However, the need for Design Equity trumped chasing fees, it was about changing lives and design outcomes. We are the go-to expert for equitable design solutions. It feels victorious every day!
How do you approach each project?
One word! Concept, Concept, Concept! I know that’s three but the industry has gotten away from true concept development at its purest form. This includes research, historical context, abstracting a community’s story, and creating contextual design elements that make the end-user feel connected to the space and the community origin. We’ve (A&D) industry have made styles/themes (i.e. midcentury, contemporary, modern, etc…) the importance at the cost of creative basics. Which is why each of our projects has to start with a concept.
Can you tell us a little about Room to Rebloom, a nonprofit you are a founding board member for?
Yes! Room to Rebloom creates healing home environments for survivors of domestic violence. We partner with domestic violence agencies and provide pro bono interior design services for their women and children who have transitioned to a safe home. Our mission is to foster healing within their new homes. But more importantly we collaborate with these women to make sure their voices are heard so they can feel empowered.
What is one piece of advice you have for women entering the field?
Bring other women to the table. There should always be another woman you are partnering with, cultivating, mentoring, and/or sponsoring. We can not look at each other as competition, especially, when it comes down to race and age. Oh, and always add 20% on top of what you ask for financially, whether it is your salary or fee.