Catie Smith has been an interior designer at Pulse Design Group for three years. You’ve probably seen her at an industry event, happy hour, or fundraiser. We asked her what she’s been up to lately. See what she has to say below!

How did you get into interior design?

I chose interior design as my major at Kansas State in part because late-night studios sounded like a fun challenge (what was I thinking?!?!) and I quickly found myself intrigued by the way the built environment impacts our everyday lives and activities. I was always interested in healthcare environments in particular, even writing my senior thesis on wayfinding in hospitals, but my career took a roundabout path to residential design and construction, then through automotive dealership real-estate development, and finally back to Kansas City where I found a home at Pulse Design Group. I find our work fascinating – the complexity of the healthcare setting, the impact of the built environment on medical care, the incredibly smart people, from doctors to contractors, who we get to work with in every step of the process, and the greater mission of providing care to our community with the spaces we create. I love coming to work every day!

Do you have any hobbies? Or are there any hobbies/talents you’ve discovered/been able to dedicate more time to since the stay at home order? Or is there something you are particularly antsy to get back to?

My favorite hobby is reading, and I’ve been making good use of the KC area libraries through my Kindle during quarantine. This Spring weather has me itching to spend time outside as much as possible, so I’ve been gardening, walking my dog, Pearl, and even getting back into a bit of a running routine (yikes). I’m a pretty social person so I’ve been enjoying Zoom happy hours regularly, but I can’t wait to see my friends and family in person again soon. 

What is your guilty pleasure?

My usual guilty pleasure is a Starbucks Grande Caramel Macchiato (nonfat milk, just two pumps of vanilla, and an extra shot of espresso), and for years Wednesday has been my “Starbucks Day” each week.  With quarantine restricting my access, I’ve been substituting Dots pretzels as my current favorite.

What is your most recent accomplishment?

I was recently inducted in the Centurions Leadership Program Spring class! Although programming is on hold, I am extremely excited to get started. It will be especially fascinating to watch Kansas City’s leaders work to open our city back up after these unprecedented times, and I’m looking forward to doing what I can to participate in that recovery.

We love having you on the team, Catie! Thank you for sharing!