Katie Kuperus of Katie Rose Inspired: 5 Things You Can Do To Help Your Living Space Spark More Joy

An Interview With Candice Georgiadis

Take control of your real estate! We definitely live in an era of over consumption, people see something and want it. But do they need it? Do they have the space for it? Assign a space (a basket, a drawer, a cabinet, etc.) for your items and stick to it! Respect your space by not stuffing it with “stuff”.

As part of my series on the “5 Things You Can Do To Help Your Living Space Spark More Joy”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Katie Kuperus.

Katie Kuperus, of Katie Rose Inspired, is a 15-year math teacher who has always had a passion for design and organization. After starting as a small side hobby in December of 2019, Katie Rose Inspired has grown and developed into a blossoming full time career! You can follow Katie’s home design and organizational projects through Instagram or Facebook (@KatieRose_Inspired).

Thank you so much for joining us in this series! Before we dive in, our readers would love to learn a bit more about you. Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?

Thank you for allowing me to share my story with your readers! Unlike many local designers, I did not ever imagine this field for myself growing up. I knew from a young age that I wanted to be a teacher. In middle school, I knew I loved math and would love to do it someday. I started teaching at a local Bergen County Jr/Sr High School in 2007 at the age of 22, and have been teaching middle school math and personal finance there ever since.

As an adult, I have grown more and more in love with interior design and watched every home decorating show you can name (in fact, my family knick-named me KGTV because all I watched was HGTV!). When my husband and I bought our first home, it was a fixer upper for sure! I got to plan and design the renovations and design of each room. We got so many compliments on how I decorated our home over the years, and my friends would ask me to come help them decorate their homes. Fast forward to 2019 when my brother-in-law asked me to redecorate their master bedroom as a surprise for my sister. I excitedly agreed and started my first online project of Katie Rose Inspired. I thought… let’s see where this leads! Since then, I have gotten to redesign living rooms, master bedrooms, bathrooms, basement play areas, kitchens, etc. I’ve also helped families organize their homes, pantries, closets, and kitchens so that they take back their precious real estate and take control over their “stuff”.

This June I will be resigning from my position as a teacher and will be pursuing my career in this field!

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started this career?

I think the coolest part of this journey has been the growth of a career via social media! My Instagram account allowed friends and family to watch room transformations, organizational projects, and tips and tricks online. The account has grown organically over the last year and a half, and it has allowed me to showcase my skills to people I would never normally be able to connect with. How cool is it that we live in a time in history where we can now create and grow a business via social media? That, by far, has been the coolest story in this whole process!

Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

It’s not so much funny as it is just a silly mistake, but in one of my first jobs, I didn’t read the full description of a long curtain rod for a front living room window, and didn’t realize it was way too short for the window. My husband and I got creative and DIY-ed our own extra long curtain rod by combining rods and brackets and somehow it worked, but lesson learned!

What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now? How do you think that might help people?

I have a few different fun design projects going on right now, but I get most excited to do the organizational projects in people’s homes! I have a project coming up that will allow me to use my spacial sense to help a mom organize her pantry and stock shelving in a basement so that her and her family will have a smart system to stay organized for years to come! Think: the Home Edit of New Jersey :)

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?

Something that has always helped me guide decisions is the phrase “do what brings you joy”. Teaching brought me so much joy & fufillment in my life for 15 years, and now more and more this new venture in my life gets me super excited. Seeing people’s faces when they see an organized kitchen, or a fresh new living room brings me so much joy that I know this is where I belong!

None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?

Beyond any doubt, my husband is the person in my life who is my biggest cheerleader and support system. He has encouraged me every step of the way and has been the “Chip” to my “Joanna” story. There’s no way I’d be able to take a giant leap of faith in my life without his belief in me & my abilities.

Thank you for that. Here is the main question of our discussion. What are your “5 Things You Can Do To Help Your Living Space Spark More Joy” and why. Please share a story or example for each.

1. Take control of your real estate! We definitely live in an era of over consumption, people see something and want it. But do they need it? Do they have the space for it? Assign a space (a basket, a drawer, a cabinet, etc.) for your items and stick to it! Respect your space by not stuffing it with “stuff”
2. Brighten up your home! Paint makes SUCH a huge difference in redecorating your spaces. It’s incredible how a light and bright paint color can transform a space so much.
3. Choose furniture and accents that you actually like, not just what “works”. Don’t buy stuff you don’t like!! Fill your home with pieces that bring you joy!
4. Beautiful furniture doesn’t have to be expensive– the edge I have with my clients is that I find high end looks for a budget. I love shopping Target, Overstock, Wayfair, and HomeGoods for beautiful decor on budgets!
5. Update your lighting. Whether it’s recessed lighting or a modern chandelier, updating your lighting can make a huge impact on how you feel in your home.

You are a person of great influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-)

I would encourage people to live more simply. I don’t consider myself a minimalist, but tend to encourage people to think in this manner more. Our homes should be a place of peace and rest for our families. If our homes are filled with stuff we don’t need or furniture we don’t love, then are we coming home to a restful space, or is it creating more anxiety? And if the answer is anxiety, then allow me help create a space of rest and peace for you and your family.

How can our readers follow you on social media?

My biggest content source is my Instagram account @KatieRose_Inspired or friends can “Like” my Facebook page called Katie Rose Inspired.

Thank you so much for joining us. This was very inspirational!