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Kate O’Hara’s
FAVORITE THINGS HER CURRENT LOVES KEEP HER ON TREND AND ON THE GO. BY CHRIS LEE
KATE O’HARA, CEO AND CREATIVE DIRECTOR OF
Martha O’Hara Interiors, expected a teaching career. But in 2007, her master’s in education complete, she took a temporary job helping out at her family’s design business. Much to her surprise, she never left. She discovered an affinity for design and business (later earning her MBA), and her role evolved from part-time marketer to business development to CEO and creative director. Kate’s job demands a mobile lifestyle. She travels from the company headquarters in Minneapolis to its growing brick-andmortar studio in Austin, Texas, to the home she shares with her boyfriend outside Cleveland to design events and speaking gigs across the country. Geography influences the architecture she lives in: classic in Minneapolis, modern in Austin, historic loft in Cleveland. But regardless of location, she loves an eclectic mix of clean and classic, as her favorites demonstrate.
1 | Black and White It’s the perfect backdrop for Kate’s style preferences. “Black and white works in every situation,” she gushes. “It’s a classic combination that elevates a space and creates a level of sophistication that still feels youthful and appropriate for today.” She especially loves black casing around windows.
2 | L-Shaped Islands “I love a big kitchen island but, honestly, not for eating,” she explains. “I’m more likely to eat at an L-shaped island where I can face someone.” And don’t think you need upholstered chairs all the way around. “Lately we’ve been mixing bar stools. It’s an opportunity to create additional seating where you might not want a big or heavy piece.”
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Artful Living
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