LAKEFIELD — Whether you have a Pinterest board filled with design styles and renovation ideas, or have no clue where to begin when it comes to interior design, Revive! Interiors of Lakefield has the knowledge and expertise to create spaces focused on both functionality and personality.
The business, in the process of moving into a downtown Lakefield storefront sometime this summer, is owned by Worthington native Katie (Soderholm) Hansen. She founded Revive! Interiors in 2014 as an interior decorator, and within a couple of years transformed the business to focus more on design.
Today, Hansen has grown the business in both size and scope, thanks to the addition of another designer. Mira Uithoven, a recent graduate of South Dakota State University’s interior design program, has worked with Hansen for the past few years. The Luverne native has helped to expand the territory in which they work.
“She started as an intern and now she’s able to lead design projects,” Hansen said. She met Uithoven at The Globe’s Women’s Expo in 2019, and the timing couldn’t have been more perfect.
“I was at a point where I needed to do something — I needed to hire somebody,” Hansen said. “She started that summer … she’s been awesome.”
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As Uithoven worked to complete her degree, Hansen was doing the same — taking self-paced online courses through Penn Foster while growing her family. Her interest in interior design dates back to her years as a Nobles County 4-H’er, where her favorite project area was home environment.
“I’ve always loved to decorate,” Hansen said, noting that her first home environment projects at the fair included things like refinished furniture pieces. Toward the end of her 4-H career, her projects were grander — redoing and redecorating entire rooms in her family’s home.
After marriage, Hansen wanted to be able to devote time to raising a family, but she also wanted to have a career that would continue to inspire her creativity.
“Having a side business as a decorator was something to … get out of the house and meet people,” she said. “I never would have dreamed it would turn into what it did.”
Residential and commercial work
While Hansen primarily works on home design projects, she has added several commercial projects to her growing portfolio — including her current work at the Hi-Lo Club at Lakefield. It’s the largest commercial remodel she’s overseen thus far.
“We’re doing the whole main level — the lobby, dining area, bar, bathrooms and party room,” Hansen said, noting the restaurant will have all-new seating, flooring and paint, as well as an expanded entryway.
“It will have a completely different feel — a 40s or 50s art-deco style,” Hansen said. “It will be classy — a throwback.”
While it is a large project, Hansen’s work is such that she can have multiple projects going at any one time. With residential work, she can help homeowners design any room in the house, but her favorite projects are kitchens, bathrooms, mudrooms and laundry rooms.
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“Each one is so different,” she said, finding the challenge — and the fun — in fitting all of the family’s functions into the available space. “It makes all the difference for the clients.”
With an appreciation for all design styles, Hansen said she gravitates more toward modern contemporary and minimalist, which fits her personal style as well.
“It’s fun to branch out like this art deco (project), though, and occasionally I’ll get a traditional (style project),” she added.
Projects are tailored to clients
What Hansen most enjoys about her work is the variability — each project is unique and tailored to fit the needs of the clients.
Her services range from creating a floor plan for clients to run with on their own, to developing a comprehensive design plan in which she assists the clients by lining up contractors and overseeing the installation.
Hansen uses a CAD (computer-aided design) program to help clients envision changes to their space, doing everything from designing the floor plan to creating realistic 3-D designs so clients can see what their space will look like before any work is actually done inside their home.
Before she gets to that design phase, however, Hansen asks a lot of questions of her clients to understand their wants and needs in their design.
“I send out questionnaires about their style and lifestyle — questions about each room — so by the time I even get to the project, I have an idea of their goals and styles,” Hansen said. “Everybody lives so differently in their spaces.”
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On trend
In her line of work, Hansen sees both trends and trendsetters. With so many home ideas available today online — and specifically through platforms like Pinterest — clients today tend to know more about what they want and don’t want.
She’s seeing a lot of clients interested in clean and simple designs, the use of natural woods, black metal and steel features.
“I maybe see more of that because that’s what I gravitate toward,” Hansen said.
No matter the materials used in the design, Hansen said her primary goal is function.
“You can have a pretty house all day, but if it doesn’t work for you, what’s the point?” she said. “I make sure it functions first, then make it pretty.
“Some people get hung up on ‘What does everybody else like?’, but it’s important that it feels like home to them — not for everybody else,” she added.
What she often finds is that clients — particularly husbands and wives — don’t have the same design styles, and in that case, she likes to mix things up a bit to please them both.
“I really like to mix styles — modern, farmhouse, industrial,” she said. “I love that challenge — how to make them both happy and feel like it’s both their spaces.”
Booming business
Hansen has experienced tremendous business growth in part because the pandemic created a shift in how people use their homes, but for other reasons as well.
“People were executing projects that they’ve been meaning to — they were stuck at home and deciding now to do it,” she said. “When everybody was at home, you were using your space differently. It turned into school and office.”
The increased interest in renovations can also be a generational thing. Today’s homebuyers want a space that feels like home and reflects how they are.
Just as the pandemic has changed how people use their home, it’s also changed Hansen’s business.
Out of necessity in the early days of the pandemic, she began doing remote presentations to clients — and that continues today, even though face-to-face meetings have returned, because of the efficiencies it offers both for clients and for her business.
Hansen said the online presentations — made available to clients via video link — include walkthroughs and design concepts with Hansen sharing the screen so that it feels like a one-on-one conversation.
“They can review it on their own time,” Hansen said. “It’s worked out pretty well.”
Once she has her new storefront office, Hansen will have more space to spread out and offer prospective clients more visuals for items like window treatments, countertops, cabinet and hardware options, paint, tile, fabrics and wallpapers as they consider home renovations and redesign.
“I’ll have samples on display, and it will give me room to spread out displays and meet with clients,” she said, noting the business will continue to operate by appointment only.
And if demand for design services continues at its strong and steady pace, Hansen remains open to any opportunities to grow and continue serving clients as best as possible.
