Hidden Gems: Meet Kristie Sisson of Designs By Kristie

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kristie Sisson.

Hi Kristie, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
After growing up in eastern North Carolina and graduating from UNC-Chapel Hill with a BS in Business Administration, I moved with my husband to New York City. There, I worked in accounting and human resources for 8 years and dabbled in modeling before becoming a full-time stay-at-home mom. While raising my 4 children, I have designed and managed many home improvement projects, created a backyard oasis and even collaborated with a design/build team to build an 8-bedroom beach house on the Outer Banks. Yearning to return to my roots, we packed up the kids and moved back to NC where I have designed two 33,000 square foot family entertainment businesses that my husband and I own. This passion for designing beautiful spaces where we live, work, and play inspired me to further my knowledge in interior design. During the Covid shutdown when schools moved to online learning, I decided to enroll in an online course in interior design. After becoming certified from the Interior Design Institute with additional training in computer-aided design and kitchen and bath design, I founded Designs by Kristie.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
On the day that I received my certification, my mother was diagnosed with cancer. My father was also rapidly declining from Alzheimer’s disease. Because my parents lived 3 hours east of Raleigh, I made many trips to help care for them and often drove them to doctor appointments at hospitals on the Outer Banks, UNC Chapel Hill and Duke. Sadly, my father passed away in the summer of 2023 but thankfully, my mother has survived her cancer battle! While I would not trade the time that I spent with my parents, it did delay my efforts in starting my design business.

Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Designs By Kristie?
What makes my approach to design different from others starts with who I am and where I come from. Growing up in a small rural town in Eastern North Carolina taught me the value of integrity, honesty, and treating people with kindness and respect. Those core values guide everything I do—both in life and in business.
I’ve had the privilege of experiencing a wide range of lifestyles and cultures. Living and working in New York gave me the opportunity to see high-end design through the elegant apartments on Fifth Avenue and the mansions of Long Island’s Gold Coast. Traveling internationally has opened my eyes to different ways of living, and those influences naturally find their way into my work.
One thing I’ve learned—especially while building a family business with my husband—is that design is deeply personal. Everyone has their own style, and sometimes that means finding a compromise between what looks great and what fits in a budget. I believe in meeting clients where they are, and creating spaces that truly reflect who they are and how they live, work and play.
As a mom of four, I know firsthand how important it is to create a home that supports well-being. I’ve always felt that a beautiful, functional environment can lighten your mood and improve your physical and mental health which is known as neuroaesthetics in the design industry. That’s what I strive to do not only for my own family, but for each one of my clients.
I’m also very practical—I don’t like waste, and I believe that good design should be sustainable. Whenever possible, I look for ways to reuse or refresh what a client already has. If we can salvage perfectly good kitchen cabinets with a fresh coat of paint and then invest in beautiful countertops, hardware and lighting, that’s a win-win in my book. I’m especially passionate about natural stone and love helping clients find the perfect piece to anchor a space.
Using 3D modeling, I bring spaces to life before construction ever begins, which helps my clients feel confident in their decisions. I also pride myself on being a good listener—and maybe even better at reading between the lines. I often pick up on things my clients haven’t said out loud, and I love solving those unspoken needs, whether it’s reworking a floorplan for better storage or blending modern pieces with sentimental heirlooms.
I stay current by attending the Parade of Homes and visiting the High Point Market where I take educational classes every spring and fall to see what’s trending in the industry. But more than anything, I stay grounded in my mission: to create spaces that are not only beautiful, but also meaningful and functional.

Risk taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
We all take risks every day from what we choose to eat, to where we go when we leave our homes, to how we react to situations. A huge factor in assuming those risks is the expected benefits of the outcome. I try to think positive yet realistically and that mindset calms the anxiety of taking that risk.
One of the biggest risks I’ve ever taken was relocating our family from New York to Raleigh twelve years ago. At the time, it felt like a huge leap into the unknown. Our children were happy, settled, and thriving in New York, and the idea of uprooting them frightened me. I worried about how they would adjust to new schools, make new friends, and fit into a completely different community. In so many ways, it felt like we were starting over from scratch.
There were countless details to figure out—finding a house for our family of six, establishing new routines, choosing the right schools, even adjusting to year-round school, which was a completely foreign concept to us. We had to build an entirely new support system, from pediatricians to neighbors to sports teams. And we had to find a good pizzeria!
But looking back, I can say that it was one of the best decisions we ever made. Our children have not only adapted—they’ve truly flourished here. And my husband and I have found a circle of friends who are genuinely kind, welcoming, and supportive.
On a deeper level, the move also allowed me to be closer to my parents. I couldn’t imagine being far away when they needed me most, and being nearby has given me the chance to spend valuable time with them. Taking that risk wasn’t easy, but it opened up a life filled with new opportunities, stronger connections, and a sense of belonging that we never could have imagined at the start. Sometimes the scariest choices end up being the most rewarding.

Pricing:

• Pricing is based on the scope of the work.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.designsbykristie.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/designsbykristie/