Design equity is the foundation of Kia Weatherspoon’s Determined by Design, the studio she founded 10 years ago. Guided by the principle that everyone deserves well-designed spaces, Weatherspoon is known for such community-oriented projects as luxury affordable housing projecting Capitol Vista in Washington, DC and the Gerard Street Apartments in Huntington, New York, a partnership with a Black estate developer that is central to Weatherspoon’s legacy of creating a firm that is changing the industry landscape.
When did you know you wanted to be a designer?
I never knew I wanted to be a designer. I do feel like being a designer was my purpose. I felt the power and validation a space could bring when I was deployed overseas after 9/11 [after joining the United States Air Force in 2001]. When I first got to my base, I was in a tent with 14 other women. I needed a place to cry, so I took three sheets and I hung it from the top of my tent. That was the first space I ever created. Something about that space healed me. It brought me comfort and solace. I would go on four more deployments and I’d constantly create spaces for myself. When I got out of the military, I said I wanted to create spaces for other people.
How did you get involved in equitable design?
[When I] visited a prison and realized it was inhumane. My brother was incarcerated for 15 years and during that time, I saw families and children traverse an inadequate space. No one should be in spaces that debilitates them, cripples them, or makes them feel devalued.
What do you hope your work achieves?
I have always been drawn to changing people’s lives. Creating spaces for people no matter the project type is hospitality. I believe in radical hospitality—welcoming and including everyone.
Most-defining career memories?
The entire journey has been filled with learning and memorable moments: depositing the first check for $10,000, hiring my first team members, sunsetting team members, the first time a resident couldn’t believe a space was for them, working with small business owners, and changing a real estate developer’s perception on what elevated design could be.
What are your biggest career takeaways?
Be authentically you. Design is not about your ego or personal style; it’s for the community. Make sure that story is apparent and visceral. People over profit, always.
Why did you decide to launch Determined by Design?
I wanted to work for a firm that had leadership that looked like me. When I couldn’t find it, I created one.
First work-related reality check?
On an early project when a developer was handing out awards to the project team, Determined by Design didn’t get one. I shared that story with industry friend Rachelle Schoessler Lynn [from Gensler]. She told me there are no gold stars, just do the work. That reinforced not needing external validation to prove the value of the work. It’s about design equity for people who need it the most.
What do you consider your big break?
[Minority-owned real estate development firm] Dantes Partners taking a chance on Determined by Design almost nine years ago [on Gerard Street Apartments in Huntington, New York]. That partnership with a Black real estate developer is a legacy I am beyond proud of.
What has been your greatest professional challenge?
Passing the NCIDQ [the National Council for Interior Design Qualification]. It took me seven tries, and I also had to rebuild my confidence and learn how my own insecurities can keep me stifled. But I’ll be damned, I passed.
Project you are most proud of and why?
All of them! Determined by Design is in itself a big project. We’ve stayed true to our mission and have never wavered. We lead with what is best for the communities and people we serve.
Greatest work-related achievement?
I’ll give you three. Our award-winning [luxury affordable housing project] Capitol Vista [in Washington, DC] not requiring any value engineering; receiving an honorary doctorate from the New York School of Interior Design for Determined by Design’s contributions to the industry; and the cover of [the July issue] of Hospitality Design magazine.
What inspires you?
The next generation of young interior designers. I am arming them to realize their value and their voice, especially those on my team: Anngelica Mohabir, Carly Werner, Tyeesha Smith, Rodney Bundick, and Bianca Marchany. I have an amazing team, and I adore watching them grow.
What keeps you passionate?
There’s still work to be done to make sure Black, brown, and indigenous people have access to elevated spaces.
Do you have a mentor?
I am my own mentor because I have always championed and problem solved for myself when no one else did.
Who is a designer you admire and why?
Sequoyah Hunter-Cuyjet [Determined by Design’s vice president]. She pushes the limits and embraces color with fierceness.
Guilty pleasure?
Plain Ruffles potato chips.
Space you love but didn’t design?
Kiyonda Powell Design Studio’s Black Girls Code office in Oakland, California.
What can’t you live without?
My art collection by Black and brown artists. And all my gold rings.
What is your dream project?
What I am doing right now. Determined by Design just turned 10. This firm is changing the landscape of our industry.
What do you want it to say on your tombstone?
She lived her best life on her own terms and created opportunities for so many along the way.
Check out some of Determined by Design’s projects, and get to know the rest of Hospitality Design’s 2022 Wave of the Future class.
