So nice to meet you! First off, what’s your name? Tell our readers a bit about yourself—where you’re from originally and where you live now.

Hi! I am Kasey McCaskill, a 22-year-old up-and-coming interior decorator and designer! I was born in Indialantic, FL, where I resided until attending Flagler College. For the last four years, I have been living in St. Augustine, FL, and loving every minute of it!

Tell us one thing you love about where you live now?

One thing I love about St. Augustine, FL, is our little hub of small businesses. We have such an amazing community of locally owned businesses, each adding something unique and special to our town. I find it so special how genuinely supportive all the business owners are to each other. It is truly so inspiring and motivating to be living and building a brand in a community where everyone supports each other's ventures.

Tell us a little bit more about what your company does and how it started? How does it help your customers?

My company, KM decorates, was never something I planned on, but somehow always knew was meant for me. My friends and family urged me to pursue interior design for as long as I can remember, but I enjoyed it so much as a hobby that I was terrified of that being diminished if I followed that love any further. The demand for my help and eye for decorating spaces ramped up when I began college. I started doing more and more rooms for friends and other students simply for the love of it. At this point in my life, I was approaching college graduation with no post-grad plan, but somehow an odd sense of overwhelming comfort. In September of 2025, a friend posed the idea of starting an Instagram account just for fun to serve as a digital portfolio of places I've worked on. After years of resisting, I finally caved and created the account known as @kmdecorates.

Not even a few weeks into posting on the account, I was getting multiple inquiries each day. Being a full-time student still, and not fully recognizing the talent everyone else saw, I was completely shocked and blown away that people wanted this service from me. I said yes to each job, figured it out as I went, fell deeper in love with the craft, and am proud to say that I now decorate homes full-time. It has been a dream come true, honestly, and I am still struck by the opportunities and support I've experienced in the last 7 months. I wake up every day so excited to work on projects, and I go to sleep at night feeling like a kid on Christmas Eve... so eager and restless and full of ideas and dreams. It has dawned on me that THIS is what you want "work" to feel like. Nothing has ever felt so "right" before and integrated so seamlessly and effortlessly into my life. I firmly believe that that is because it is really what's meant for me...it was just a matter of time.

If someone wants to start a business, what advice will help them?

In building my own business, I have realized that it takes a very specific personality to become a successful business owner. My best piece of advice for someone who wants to start their own business is to be disciplined. Not being governed by someone else and having a lack of direction can be daunting for some. However, if you're anything like me, you will use this freedom to fully tap into your true potential and create the business that you've always envisioned. You need to be structured enough to set designated work hours, hold yourself accountable, and create your own order and expectations. I have noticed that the more committed, focused, and routine I am, the more job inquiries come my way. It is no one else's dream but yours, and your effort reflects your success.

What was one feedback from a happy customer/client that you won't forget about?

I love hearing feedback from clients about how they feel like they have finally a space that reflects their personal style, or receiving a text the next morning about how well they slept in their new space, or that they truly love their room for the first time in their life. One comment will always stick out to me, though. Clifford, a longtime client and friend of mine, texted me while he was away visiting another country and told me that he couldn't wait to get back to his apartment that I had decorated. To me, that comment perfectly encompasses what this is all about and why I do what I do. I want to create a space for you that you long to come back to. One that you miss even when you're away on amazing vacations. Your home should be your sanctuary, a place where you can let your guard down, relax to the deepest level, host and celebrate, and be proud to show off. Being entrusted with cultivating this for someone is such an honor.

What is the biggest misconception about your industry?

The biggest misconception about interior design and decorating is that having a beautiful home is costly. Although this can be true in some cases, my strong focus on sustainability is what sets KM decorates apart and attracts customers to my services. I understand that buying furniture and decor pieces can often be expensive, so I prioritize thrifting and second-hand shopping to source unique, one-of-a-kind pieces for my clients. I think everyone should be able to have their dream space, and that doesn't have to mean breaking the bank!

What has been one of your biggest struggles building your business and how did you deal with it?

The biggest struggle with building my business has been the behind-the-scenes work. Decorating rooms is not new to me. That is something I can do in my sleep. However, the actual business and legal side of it has been a fun challenge. Being a perfectionist and wanting to set my business up for success and do things correctly and streamlined from the get-go, I spent countless days researching, meeting with mentors, asking for help, and figuring out logistics. I am always up for a challenge and love learning new things, so this was thankfully an exciting part of Km decorates fully coming to fruition and taking on the title of a business rather than a mere hobby.

Any shoutouts you want to make?

I want to thank my parents, Bob and Laurie, for nurturing this passion in me. Thank you for letting me paint my room every color a little girl could ever dream of, buying me a new comforter each month when I'd change my style, and for sitting back and watching with a smile on your face as I redecorated your entire house and loudly moved furniture during the night. Thank you for recognizing my dream and future before I even did, and for quietly supporting me while I came into realized my own fate.

Where can our readers learn more about you and your company?

Readers can learn more about myself and my business on my Instagram page @kmdecorates, or by visiting my website kmdecorates.com