Daily Inspiration: Meet Kacey Primer

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kacey Primer.

Hi Kacey, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
In 2007, my partner and I opened an event planning company back in Milwaukee, WI and we hosted events that catered to our community. There was a lack of representation and local experiences that sparked our specific tastes in music and sophistication, so we created it. The themes of our events helped me expand my creative eye and flavor for distinction. Over time as our lives changed and the nightlife scene became a bit tiresome, I took a deeper dive into my love for interiors. I have always felt that being able to live in and enjoy a beautiful home should be accessible; no matter how big or small the house or how budget conscious you are.

Before marrying, I spent a significant amount of time decorating and styling the home where my young daughter and I lived. I added piping to furniture, trim to lampshades; up-cycled whatever made sense to me. Our home was reflective of our personalities and I was proud of it. This was also the time where I really discovered and honed in on interior design and decorating and wanted to share my varied design style with friends, family and co-workers. That’s really where it started. It was before all the network television shows really took off and gained so much popularity amongst viewers.

After I married, my spouse and I purchased and renovated several houses where I was able to receive more behind-the-scenes and hands-on experience with demolition and reconstruction of spaces. I learned so much about the not so pretty side of interior design all while reimagining and bringing our homes back to life with unique furnishings, textiles and decor. So much so that I ventured out to neighbors and co-workers to offer and share my skills with them. And that is how, what is now known as ’26th & Oregon’ (which is a hybrid of the street names my wife and I lived on when we met) was established.

We moved from WI to GA in 2015 and during that time, I decided to stop offering my design services. I was unsure if I wanted to continue in this new market. I was nervous, because I didn’t know how receptive potential clients would be, I felt like a fish out of water when it came to networking. After a two year pause and working with a few neighbors in their homes along with working with those who found me through social media, I decided it was time to get back to doing what I enjoy – “Creating Feel Good Spaces that Work”, which is our company mission statement.

Today, I do an abundant amount of “E-Design” alongside my in-home services, which makes working with an interior designer much more accessible no matter what stage of designing and decorating they’re in. I work with some of the most amazing clients and get so much joy transforming their houses into homes that they fall in love with over and over again.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
The road has been a bit bumpy. And I’ve had moments of wanting to throw in the towel. Being an interior designer and running my own business is understanding it is only about 25% pretty things. The other 75% is the business aspect; dealing with vendors, book keeping, putting out (potential) fires and streamlining processes. Marketing as a small business owner and getting people to trust you in their spaces is, at times, like walking a tightrope. Knowing how to read different personalities and how to adjust to ensure their comfortability with you is a bit of a sport I’m always playing to win.

Staying on top of what’s new and always being a student is also necessary in order to help me stay relevant in this industry. This can be difficult because if I am having a slow season, it may not be financially feasible for my business to attend all the different markets which will help me to grow creatively and to continue my education.

And lastly, one of my biggest challenges is making sure I flex my creativity and provide offerings that continually make it exciting to work with 26th & Oregon.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
At 26th & Oregon, our interior design studio is based in Marietta, GA and we are proud to design homes that are not only beautiful, but meaningful spaces which function well. We strive to incorporate the character and individuality of clients into their homes that makes it feel more personalized and offers perhaps a story to share with those who enter. From a colorful mid-century reminiscent style wallpaper that a 70’s loving client says feels nostalgic, to a figurative pattern on a pair of custom drapes which makes another client make a bold statement about the people who live within it’s walls; we are always proud to incorporate design which allows our clients to be expressive about the people, things and places they love – whether it is done in a subtle way for their comfort or in a more pronounced and striking form which will most certainly always be a conversation starter.

We are going to listen to our clients. We are going to push the envelope and at the end of the project, our clients will feel more connected to their homes and we will be really happy we could execute their vision with our bespoke 26th & Oregon design style.

We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
My mother was very much into arts and crafts when I was growing up. One of her favorite people to watch on television was Kitty Bartholomew who had a series on ABC called “The Home Show”. I believe this may have been the very beginning of the start of home decor and improvement shows that would now evolve into what we see on tv today. Stenciling everything was so popular back then in the early 90’s and my mother, younger brother and I were always doing some sort of craft together. From tie dyed shirts and funny picture albums to hand-painted picture frames and other small trinkets. This particular time, my mother decided to take us on a trip to Michael’s, an arts and crafts store to let my brother and I pick out acrylic paint and sponge stencils. When we got back home, all three of us spent all night sponge-stenciling a chair rail that went around our entire kitchen. We were so proud of ourselves for making all the little leaves and flowers with different colors for what was probably about six or seven-hundred flowers around the room. My older sister came home from college the next day and we were so excited for her to see what we had done, (we had made her a t-shirt a few weeks before when she came home and she wore it back to school), and all she could say is “my friends said my family is really sweet and very crafty”. She wasn’t as impressed as we were. But, the chair rail was never painted over and even my daughter got to experience it and live in the same house.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.twentysixandoregon.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/26thandoregon/#

Image Credits
Photographer (interior photos only): Anastasia Alkema; www.anastasiaalkema.