Meet Kristen Schneider | Interior Designer

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

Hi Kristen, have there been any changes in how you think about work-life balance?
After more than 16 years of being a mom and trying to find the ever-elusive ‘work life balance’, I’ve come to realize that this is an enigmatic term that just doesn’t exist. Not for me. When my two children were little, I just tried to keep my head above water between work, the daycare drop-offs, pick-ups, a million medical appointments, extracurriculars, family events, life in general. I had to come to terms with the fact that I was doing the best that I could. As my children have gotten older and have needed me less and less, I have more freedom of time. My ‘babies’ are now teenagers. Time with them is so rare that it has a preciousness about it. I’m aware that they will be flying the nest in the near future and I want to be available to them for the rare times they do reach out for me.
Dr. Lisa Damour, a brilliant clinical psychologist specializing in teens, advises teens benefit from ‘potted plant parenting’ , where the parent is present in the home but not necessarily forcing family time, creating agendas etc. Just being near them is crucial. With that in mind, I have created a flexible career in Interior Design where I can work from my home office during their after school/dinner time hours. My meetings can be scheduled while they’re out there exploring the world.
And, for those meetings that do have to happen during the ‘potted plant’ hours, I just remind myself that it’s not the worst thing for the kids to see their mom hustle to build a career she’s proud of. 

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
A passion to create healing spaces lead me to interior design. My son was born with several medical conditions that left him in chronic pain. As a parent, your instinct is to ease your child’s pain. As much as I tried, I couldn’t ease my son’s pain and neither could his army of amazing doctors. His body was in shock, constantly fighting massive infections and chronic inflammation which left him unable to move from our sofa. I just started reaching for anything that would help. I examined every aspect of his environment that I could think of; from the ions in our drinking water, to the inflammatory foods in his diet, to the detergents prevalant in our clothes, textiles and upholstery. After that I turned to the more abstract layer of his environment using the elements behind  light therapy, color theory, aromatherapy and sound therapy.  I honestly have no idea if this was helpful but I can tell myself it was.  Around the same time, we were fortunate enough to find a doctor who wholeheartedly worked to give my 3 year old his childhood back.  And he succeeded.  With my son’s health back on track, I could return to my studies on the impact that our environment could have on us.  That’s when I officially started my coursework in interior design.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Oh goodness, if a friend were visiting Denver for the week we would be outside in the sun as much as possible.  I live in Northeast Denver so for a day of local activities, we would have breakfast at Denver Biscuit Co at Stanley Market, shop the boutiques there, take a drive around the Arsenal to see the buffalo then catch a concert or Rapids game at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park.

If we wanted to explore beyond my bubble, I’d take them to Death & Co for brunch followed by shopping around RiNo and the Dairy Block.

I couldn’t send them back home without showing them my two favorite areas, a short drive from Denver; Red Rocks and Boulder.  We could do a morning workout at Red Rocks, a hike along the water at Bear Creek or paddle boarding at Soda Lake followed by drinks at Origin’s patio. For Boulder, we’d go hike Chataqua or go tubing down Boulder Creek and shop Pearl Street with a mandatory stop at the Rio’s rooftop for some margaritas.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I have only been able to get to where I am today because of the support of my family, my design community and my clients. My family always gave me the freedom to transform our shared spaces with *almost* no complaints. My design community has been so supportive of my journey and I don’t know where I would be without them, in particular Lisa Breashears, of Breashears Design.  She was my first mentor and she truly believed the quickest way to learn anything was to just do it. She threw me into the fire of a fast-paced design life and I loved every second of it and learned more than I could imagine. Last but not least, my clients all have a special place in my heart for the support they have shown me. I have never taken their trust for granted and am so humbled to be let into their lives,  It’s this trust that allows me to deliver their most custom design, one that celebrates their daily flow and rituals.  

Website: holisticinteriors.net

Instagram: holistic.interiors.denver

Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/kristen-schneider-53929136

Facebook: @holisticinteriors

Image Credits
Casey Poe, Raemi Rue, Kaitlyn Haupert, Stephanie Bassos