Meet Catherine Hyde | Interior Designer & Business Owner

We had the good fortune of connecting with Catherine Hyde and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Catherine, what’s one piece of conventional advice that you disagree with?
“Mistakes are okay, if only make them once.” This phrase is something that gets implanted into our heads from a young age. From a spelling test to a class project. Our culture thinks failure is a personal defect, something that is “wrong” with us, something we need to fix. We are lesser than if do not fix these defects. From the early years of grade school, I remember being pulled to the front of the class with blinds put on either side of my desk so I would stop looking out the window in class. When that didn’t work the teachers resorted to suggesting medication. I went from a happy go lucky spirted 6-year-old to a fog that I could not escape. Even through these tactics my “defects” did not improve. When our existence very much begins when we learn to take our very first steps. Having a 15-month-old daughter I am watching my daughter fall constantly and jump right back up and try again. Sometimes it takes 10-12 attempts “mistakes” to achieve what you are looking for.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
My husband (Ian Hyde) and I own a full-service Design/Build construction company. Our business developed organically, though it was something I always wanted. My career started out in different commercial design firms from hospitality to corporate offices to schools. There was an empty feeling that would always overtake me, in big design firms it’s really not about what you can bring to the table it was always about what was “done before.” The biggest thing that sets us apart from other companies is that we are first a husband-and-wife team, second that we provide both architectural documents and the construction of the project. I am most proud of our ability to not compare to other competitors in our area because we are simply not comparable. Every journey is very different, it definitely has not been easy, believing in myself and my husband is the best thing I do. Challenges are constantly knocking at our door and testing us to see if we will stay true to ourselves. When you own your own business and its the sole income for you and your family you have to shut out the noise. Throw away the idea of society tells you is the “American dream”. You are the C.E.O. of your life everyday you have choice on how you take on the day and what comes your way. Failure is part of it, and you cannot be afraid of it. You have to check your ego, and always remember your “why.”

The biggest thing to know about our story and our brand is that Together, we have specialized in creating brand new spaces and experiences of various sizes and scale. Our love for the outdoors is reflected in our work providing inspiration and motivation to be conscious of our environment and leave any place (locally or globally) better than we found it. They approach each project with intention and reflect on our client’s personality and lifestyle to create spaces that uniquely fit that individual.

We believe that the creative process is a sacred one no matter how large or small the project is. Our goal is to create spaces that are a refuge and inspire daily rituals where clients hopefully continue to make more intentional decisions and live a more conscious lifestyle long after the design and renovations are complete.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
If my best friend was visiting and I wanted to show them the best spots in the city. Hands down first up would be Shelby Farms Park, hitting the backwoods of the wolf river trails. City Silo for smoothies and lunch. Everbloom Design on broad Ave is cute little shop with local goods, followed by Urban Earth on Flicker St, which is actually where we run business from. It’s a great spot full of unique plants for your interior all the way custom drawn design plans for your entire home. The Edge Motor Museum on Marshal Ave is also a great attraction, Ian was the superintendent for the project and my college professor Tim Micheal with (Designshop ) was the architect. My husband & I are both vegan, so our kitchen is best place in the city to eat. Ian is quite the chef from homemade teas to classic staples our friends cannot get enough. Lulu’s bakery is another great spot with wonder vegan treats. Acre Restaurant is my favorite spot for dinner, though the restaurant is not “vegan” the chef is accommodating to your needs.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My husband/ business partner Ian Hyde deserves the most credit for his support these past 15 years. He has always believed in me. Even from the early years of him and I talking about what I should study in college. I always had a love for spaces, it was a way for me to find comfort through years of neglect and trauma in my childhood, but it took Ian’s encouragement that I could actually make a career out of making spaces for others. With him believing in me it has made it more comfortable for him to feel it’s okay to fail too. When it came time for him to take his contractors test, he asked me “What if I do not pass the test?” I replied with “oh, you will just take it again no worries.” He was under the impression if he failed the test then that meant he should not be a contractor. Our culture is constantly slapping us in the face if we fail, sometimes we just have bad days, sometimes we just cannot give 100%, why do we think that means we shouldn’t follow our dreams? My father also led by example. he has passed so he did not get to see me start my own business, but his example showed me that it is okay to fail, it’s okay if someone does not like you, it’s okay if someone gets upset. Those feelings are their feelings and have nothing to do with who I am as a person.

Website: hyderenovation.com

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Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Hydedesignandreno/

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Image Credits
Kaitlyn Stoddard Photography PicThisHouse Steve Roberts Photography