Diversification by Design

Urban Homestead Owner Kindra Tragesser Launches Interior Design Consultancy

Writer / Natalie Platt
Photography Provided

Kindra Tragesser says she knows “nothing other than Tipton being my hometown.” She’s proud of where she grew up, and the businesses she owns.

Already an owner of Urban Homestead, Tragesser is soon opening a new, by-appointment interior design consulting business called k.Interiors, located next door to her existing business. k.Interiors is expected to open at the end of March or beginning of April.

“When I opened Urban Homestead, the intent was to do design/decor consultations with a little retail,” Tragesser says. “I realized very quickly that the brick-and-mortar store was taking off quickly, which left no time for consultations. The store became my baby and I realized something had to give.”

Until now, Tragesser had given up the consulting part of Urban Homestead.

“Timing is everything,” she says. “Being able to lay this side of the business down five years ago was the right decision. It allowed me to find the right person to help run Urban Homestead. Mandi Larson joined us  two years ago. She loves and treats the shop like it is hers. Mandi will be running the day-to-day operations of Urban Homestead, which allows me to pursue k.Interiors.”

Urban Homestead and k.Interiors will complement each other well. Tragesser has established vendor and product relationships built over the last five years that give her the advantage of knowing where to find what clients are looking for to style their home.

“It’s exciting to me to be able to help people figure out what their needs are, to make their space a place they want to be and want to belong,” she says. “The space can be both functional and beautiful.”

At k. Interiors, clients can expect three to four different packages for service at different price points. Offering multiple packages is important to Tragesser.

“I have found a lot of clients get intimidated by picking selections, so my goal with different packages and pricing is to make them feel at ease, and that k.Interiors is an approachable place,” she says.

Tragesser has a handful of simple decorating tips to help with how overwhelming the task can be to some.

“Really take the time to figure out what you do and don’t like,” she says. “It’s important to do that before a big project. Your home needs to be a place that you want to be. It is a reflection of what you love and who you are. Painting is also a fast and inexpensive way to change a room, and easiest to fix if you don’t like it.”

Tragesser adds that when in doubt, go with classic, timeless styles that can be jazzed up with new pillows, throw blankets or even chairs over time, to change the look and feel of the room without making other expensive or time-consuming aesthetic upgrades.

Though she loves interior design and owning multiple businesses, Tragesser admits entrepreneurship is not for the faint of heart.

“You sign up for challenges when you own a small brick and mortar,” she says. “Burnout can happen. This is your business and you love it and want it to succeed, but it takes a lot of your time. You’re putting everything into it and overcoming burnout is difficult. You literally have to take a step back, have good people around you to step in, and catch your breath. Finding that balance is huge in terms of success.”

While it’s been a demanding process, success is what Tragesser has found in Tipton – as well as community. She is continuously  humbled by the amount of support the community has given her family. Tragesser’s husband, Brent, is her biggest cheerleader and also a Tipton business owner.

“I am very proud to own a brick and mortar in Tipton,” she says. We have a great ecosystem of business owners in the downtown area. We understand that working together and sending people to each other’s shops is the key to success in a community. Tipton is a destination place for shoppers and we have all worked hard to accomplish this in our community.”

k.Interiors is located at 112 East Jefferson Street in downtown Tipton. The store can be reached at 765-437-5185 or kindra@urbanhomesteadllc.com.