WEDA – Kate Choo Of The Door Interiors

Women Empowering Designer Award

Kate choo is not just the co-founder and creative director of The Door Interiors, but she’s also a true design lover, aficionado and academic. Kate has a sense of wonder when it comes to design, constantly seeking to provide innovative and “liberating” experiences.

MH: Hello there Kate, thanks for chatting with us! We’d love to know more about how you started loving design. Did you have something that inspired you to pursue this career?

KC: Design has always been something I loved as a kid, so I always knew that I would be a designer. But only during my late teens did I know that interior design and architecture would be something I will pursue in my life.

You may wonder, why interior design? That’s because I always believe that interior design can make a big impact in human lives, be it a small space or a super big space. We, as humans, spend more than 80% of our lives indoors, hence I made it a point to design spaces that would improve the lives of people who live in it. That’s why in our company, our main tagline is “Liberating Spaces, Liberating Lives.” When we are able to liberate the spaces, the human lives who stay in it would be better.

We don’t have any specific person or projects that inspire us, but rather it is every client individually who are the ones that inspire us, because our philosophy of designing is based on their lives, their attributes, and how we can make their lives better with interior design.

MH: It’s so inspiring to hear what drives your passion for design. Have you ever felt challenged as a woman in this industry?

KC: To be honest, I love working in this industry. Although some may think it is hard as a woman, I do believe as women, we do have many benefits. We being women tend to be able to multitask better and focus on details which some can’t see, and I can say that many of our male counterparts or partners have always been very respectful and supportive towards our work.

Furthermore, I don’t think this industry can be called a “male-dominated industry” anymore. It has grown beyond that to become a genderbalanced career. I would say this industry has changed a lot since I first started my career. Women designers are being treated more equally compared to those days, as women today are more educated. We also get the job done faster sometimes!

I would say too, that women designers tend to have more empathy towards the clients, and therefore understand the clients more when designing their spaces, hence creating better and more suitable spaces for clients.

MH: It’s good to hear that the industry has shifted since you started your career. That said, what’s the biggest challenge you experienced?

KC: One of the biggest challenges as a woman designer AKA lady boss has always been balancing time between work and family and still have “me-time.” No doubt that I love what I do as an interior designer and seeing amazing clients’ dream homes being completed
and watching people’s lives get better with us designers’ work. But I also always believe that our balance in life is important and that when we have a better life balance, our work can be even better. Therefore, we too practice this in our company and encourage our team to have a work-life balance.

MH: That’s such a healthy mindset to have. But have you ever felt so discouraged and thought about quitting?

KC: Quitting? Yes, of course I had this thought before. Our industry and role as an interior designer requires a lot of hard work. It’s not as simple as it looks. But when I think back to why I started this at first, which is to create better lives for humans through their spaces, I will always pull myself up again. I always remember the phrase “liberating spaces and liberating lives.”

MH: Wow! That’s so inspiring. So, can you tell us your biggest accomplishment in both your work and personal life, since we know that work-life balance is so important?

KC: My greatest achievement, I would say, is being able to create the amazing team at our company at The Door Interiors Sdn Bhd. Seeing our team, from our designers to our site team to our factory team, and observing their growth and their achievements are something that I would believe to be my greatest achievement.

For my personal life, I always think that what I do is never enough; beyond the artistic aspects of the job, I’m also running a business. Besides being courageous, passionate and having my own career goals, I do have my pillars who always support me, which is my family, my dedicated team and associates, as well as the faithful clients for the continuous support and trust. I would say having them is my greatest achievement personally.