Song: Thrift Shop by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis
Kathryn "Moffet" Barbatsuly -SpunkerFLY woman of July.
Kathryn "Katie" Barbatsuly was a childhood friend hard not to imitate- she was just cool. It's no surprise she has grown into a successful business woman and designer. As cool as her style remains-that is not the key to her success. As you will see in the interview; her values, her ability to communicate and be true to herself and there as a friend, sister, daughter and aunt are doubtless the core reasons why she is so well loved and soaring. Plus, she's funny!
Here's our interview.
1. How did you get Moffett Home off the ground?
KMB: I got Moffett Home off the ground about three years ago. It didn't happen overnight, but I do believe it happened at the right time in my life. I think of all of the years I had "open a home decor and furnishings shop", along with "be my own boss", at the top of my career wish list, but I was waiting for the right opportunity, timing and moment. As much as I used to wish I had started my own business years earlier, I don't think the time was right until a few years ago. I had put in a lot of years in various positions across an assortment of companies and industries, but the idea of starting my own business and retail store was daunting for a lot of reasons. In hindsight I learned a ton of skills, tools, knowledge, and confidence that I appreciate now and apply in day to day business. So, I am glad to have them all under my belt. I don't think jumping on the idea of being my own boss years earlier would have worked out as well!
To answer your other question, there is no real trick to my process for color and composition. I usually start with one piece, an upholstered one, or a table, a lamp, work of art, or an object, and build around that color, pattern, shape, size, or whatever grounds that story. It's easier for me to create smaller scale vignettes in my stores that have multiple layers to them. These give customers a few options and ideas to recreate settings for their homes using their own furniture and decor. The key for anyone is to go with what they love and what appeals to their aesthetic. Everyone needs to put their personal style stamp on their homes - exteriors, interiors, design and decoration!
KMB: I don't fear being judged, but I probably wouldn't have said the same just a few years ago. I have gained a lot of confidence by starting my own business. If nothing else I have learned that it takes making mistakes along the way to learn from them and figure out a better way to do something the next time! Every person has their own taste, style, and interests, and more importantly an opinion, so I know that the pieces I offer in my stores won't appeal to everyone. I choose to fill my stores with pieces that I would love to have in my home, rather than try to buy items that please everyone because that will never happen!
Thanks so much for delivering. You are no short of work or time, unbelievable. I appreciate you being here like nobody's (small) business;). You are FLY!
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| Little Ms. Moffett! |
Kathryn "Katie" Barbatsuly was a childhood friend hard not to imitate- she was just cool. It's no surprise she has grown into a successful business woman and designer. As cool as her style remains-that is not the key to her success. As you will see in the interview; her values, her ability to communicate and be true to herself and there as a friend, sister, daughter and aunt are doubtless the core reasons why she is so well loved and soaring. Plus, she's funny!
Here's our interview.
Here are your 5 Q's...and the two special inserts*.
1. How did you get Moffett Home off the ground?
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| Open shop! Quogue, NY |
Moffett Home evolved from an opportunity presenting itself at the right time and place. A new co-op shop in Florida was forming and my mother, an interior designer for over 45 years, was asked to be a part of it. In addition to her business presence in the store, another small room was available and I jumped on the chance to start my home decor and furnishings business on a scale that was manageable with a lot of room for potential growth. I knew it would be a great opportunity to work with my mom and learn a lot of "tricks of the trade" from her experience and expertise in the furniture and design industry. Establishing a retail business was something new to both of us, but I started with a small room filled with an assortment of furnishings and one of a kind finds that I had discovered over prior years of collecting. That grew into a larger offering with a mix of vintage and antique pieces, new manufactured furniture, wall decor and lighting lines, and gifts and accessories for the home. I expanded business into a much larger space, then again grew into another room to sell my collections, and built my brand to work on interiors and decorating for clients, and it has continued from there. It's been small steps, but a business and career trajectory that has been a great fit for me and has worked out well so far!
2. Did you go to design school?
KMB: I have completed programs in Interior Design as well as Decorative Arts and Design studies through Parsons The New School in New York, Sotheby's Institute of Art in London and Paris, and UC Berkeley Extension in San Francisco. My best design school and experience though was being raised by an interior designer, who is also an antiques and art collector, auction/estate/yard/tag/thrift sale wizard, and continues to be my best educator and mentor today. I have observed my mother in her interior design business for my entire life, and for the past fifteen years also watched my sister follow in her footsteps, so my design school now is every family dinner since 99% of our conversations always somehow lead to discussions about houses, interiors, furniture, art, fabrics and our fantastic finds!
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| Katie expresses her love of color & vibrant personality in every scene- as mom looks on in background- can you find her? |
3. You have a wonderful way with color and composition; every room, (everything you wear), is chic, elegant and cool. How do you do it Katie Moff??! :D What's your process? How can I do it? haha.
KMB: Thank you! I absolutely love color, big bold bright colors, both for the home and my personal style with clothing, jewelry, handbags, you name it. I don't have any restrictions on colors, but am influenced by my surroundings and environment. Spending the past few years by the ocean I do tend to gravitate to anything in the teal, peacock, turquoise, navy color ways so you will likely see that in my coastal stores. My mom laughs when I pick up something turquoise and say how much I love it - she is never surprised when I scout out more pieces in blue for the stores. I use a lot of color in my stores so if a person lives in black and white they probably won't be thrilled with my offerings!
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| From this. |
I also love decorative objects and one of a kind vintage pieces. I have been on a bit of a brass and gold obsession for the past few years so absolutely love to discover an assortment of terrific vintage brass pieces as well as gold jewelry. I am always on the hunt when I go from estate sale to auction to thrift shop to boutiques and home stores along my travels. I love a fabulous find- just parted with a little solid brass scallop shell door knocker-sure that had some history welcoming people into a home for years! The hardest part is not keeping everything for my own collections so am thankful to have the stores to buy for along the way!
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| To this. |
*Where did the name Moffett come from?
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| To wow. |
KMB: Moffett is my middle name. It's a family name from my mother's side of the family so seemed like a good fit attributing my design business name back to her. The name goes back to my mother's roots in Virginia. One of my ancestors name was Booten Moffett. Now there's a name!
*Indeed. Thanks for adding some class to Spunkerfly. Now, let's get weird. Have you ever seen a psychic? If so how did it influence you?
KMB: Well I have seen quite a few. I definitely drink the psychic Kool-Aid! Psychics get a bad rap, but I do believe the true mediums and clairvoyants/clairaudients can have a tremendous impact and influence your life. It is fascinating to me! Although I had flirted with the idea of psychics in the past, when my father passed away nine years ago I jumped on the band wagon then. For what it's worth I have found a lot of peace from my experiences and belief in New Age spirituality and afterlife. There is no way that the messages which have been relayed to me through mediums are googleable! (did you know that is a real word?)
*Does 44 have special meaning?
KMB: Yes! The number four has always been my favorite lucky number. 44 is in my ancient hotmail email address from way back when. My sister and I were on HGTV's Flea Market Flip and incorporated 44 into our pricing strategy when we had to try and sell all of our fixed up finds at the flea market. Prices of $ 44.44, $144.44, etc. probably baffled and annoyed buyers, and a marketing guru would definitely question our strategy, but it was our lucky number and we went with it! Fast forward to this month where we found fate with the perfect address for our new shop - 44 Quogue Street. We knew we had to incorporate it into the name of the shop so it's called Q44 Decor!
4. Do you have any fear of being judged? How did you gain such confidence?
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| KMB outside her new shop in Quogue |
5. This is fun, but it might be even more so to sit with you on a couch Oprah-style and chat on TV, - box of tissues, laughing, crying, opening a school in Africa. Could be a nice five year plan-eh? Where would you like to take Moffet Home?
KMB: Sign me up for that Oprah-style chat in five years! Until then, I am still going day to day with building a business, but enjoying so much more than I ever did from any other "job". I just opened up a new retail store in Quogue, NY last week with my sister and mother so that has been exciting. Between the store in Delray Beach, Florida, a booth at an antiques center in Southampton, NY and the new shop in Quogue, NY, in addition to building an interior design business, I am keeping busy. I love what I am doing and look forward to seeing where it all takes me!
*** pics attached - if you don't have to include pics of me please don't!
Oh, KMB, you know I will~ shorts to match the hassocks? Too good to be true!
Stores:
Moffett Home at Q44 Decor
Moffett Home at Q44 Decor
44 Quogue Street
Quogue, NY 11959
p:631.653.6118
Moffett Home at Details of Delray
811 George Bush Blvd
Delray Beach, FL 33483
Katie Barbatsuly
m: 415.990.2220
Coming soon www.moffetthome.com with e-commerce.
Thanks so much for delivering. You are no short of work or time, unbelievable. I appreciate you being here like nobody's (small) business;). You are FLY!
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