Meet Katherine McCravey | Founder and Principal Designer

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

Hi Katherine, why did you pursue a creative career?
I’ve always been drawn to the intersection of creativity and problem-solving, but I owe so much of that to my parents. From a young age, they encouraged me to explore my creativity without worrying about perfection. They enrolled me in art classes, celebrated every creative idea, and perhaps most importantly, gave me the freedom to experiment.

Our family home became my first design studio. They let me paint nearly every wall a different color, reupholster furniture with fabric we’d find together, refinish old pieces, and even paint the kitchen cabinets with flowers and butterflies (yikes!). Looking back, it certainly wasn’t award-winning design, but that was never the point. They created an environment where I could be curious, take risks, and learn by doing. That kind of support gave me the confidence to believe creativity wasn’t just a hobby—it could become a career.

As I grew older, I realized interior design wasn’t just about creating beautiful spaces. It was about shaping how people experience them. That realization drew me toward commercial interiors, where every project serves a purpose. Whether it’s helping a resident feel at home, creating a workplace that fosters collaboration, or designing hospitality environments that bring people together, thoughtful design has the power to influence how people feel and interact every day.

That balance of creativity and strategy is what ultimately led me to found Catalyst Interiors. We don’t just design spaces. We solve problems, support our clients’ goals, and create environments that continue delivering value long after opening day. Seeing an idea evolve from a blank shell of a space into a finished environment that people genuinely enjoy never gets old, and I’m grateful that it all started with parents who handed me a paintbrush, embraced the flowers and butterflies, and encouraged me to dream big.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
When I founded Catalyst Interiors in 2018, my goal wasn’t simply to start another interior design firm. I wanted to create a studio that people genuinely enjoyed working with. One built on trust, collaboration, and the belief that relationships are just as important as the finished design.

Of course, we’re passionate about creating beautiful interiors, but I’ve always believed that beautiful spaces are the natural outcome of something much bigger. They come from listening carefully, communicating openly, sweating the details, and treating every project as if it were our own investment. Our clients aren’t just hiring us for creative ideas; they’re trusting us to help navigate budgets, schedules, procurement, constructability, and the countless decisions that ultimately determine a project’s success.

One thing I’m especially proud of is the reputation we’ve built—not just for our work, but for how we work. We strive to be approachable and solutions-oriented. Whether we’re collaborating with ownership, architects, contractors, consultants, or vendor partners, we believe the best projects happen when everyone feels respected, heard, and invested in a shared goal.

While multifamily has become our specialty, we’ve had the opportunity to work across hospitality, workplace, and other commercial environments. Regardless of the project type, our philosophy never changes: design with intention, communicate with transparency, and follow through on commitment. We stay engaged from the earliest concepts through procurement, installation, and opening day because we believe our responsibility extends beyond the drawings.

Like most entrepreneurs, building a business has come with its share of challenges. There have been difficult decisions, unexpected obstacles, and plenty of lessons learned along the way. Those experiences have reinforced something I believe more strongly today than ever before: people remember how you make them feel. Long after a project is complete, they’ll remember whether you listened, whether you followed through, and whether you genuinely cared about the outcome.

As Catalyst continues to grow, that’s the culture I want to protect above all else. My hope is that we’re known not only for creating amazing interiors, but for creating exceptional client experiences, too. Beautiful design may be what first captures someone’s attention, but trust, integrity, and genuine relationships are what keep clients coming back.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
If a close friend were visiting, I’d want them to experience the side of Scottsdale that made me fall in love with living here. We’d start the mornings with coffee and an early hike at Camelback Mountain—there’s nothing quite like watching the sun rise over the valley before the city comes to life.

From there, we’d spend time exploring Old Town Scottsdale, wandering through the art galleries, local boutiques, and public art installations. It’s one of my favorite places to slow down, people-watch, and appreciate the creative energy that makes Scottsdale unique.

As an interior designer, I can’t help but admire the incredible hospitality design throughout the city, so I’d definitely stop by a few favorite resorts like Mountain Shadows, Sanctuary Camelback Mountain, and The Global Ambassador. Even if you’re not staying there, each property offers a different perspective on architecture, landscape, and interior design, and I always leave inspired.

Scottsdale’s restaurant scene has become one of the best in the Southwest. There are far too many to choose from, but perhaps Buck & Rider, the Mission, or one of Sam Fox’s restaurants would make the list.

What I love most about Scottsdale is the balance. It has world-class dining, luxury resorts, incredible golf, and a thriving community, yet you’re never more than a few minutes away from the serenity of the desert. It’s sophisticated without feeling rushed, and that’s a big part of why I’m proud to call it home.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Without a doubt, my biggest shoutout goes to my parents. Looking back, I realize how intentional they were about encouraging my creativity long before either of us knew it would become my career.

They enrolled me in art classes, encouraged every creative idea, and gave me the freedom to experiment without worrying about getting it “right.”

What stands out to me now isn’t that they let me paint the cabinets—it’s that they trusted me enough to try. They never made creativity feel frivolous or impractical. They treated it as something worth investing in, and that confidence became the foundation for everything I’ve built since.

Beyond creativity, they taught me the importance of hard work, integrity, and treating people well. Those values have shaped not only the person I am, but the culture we’ve built at Catalyst Interiors. Every opportunity I’ve had can be traced back, in some way, to the support, encouragement, and belief they showed me from the very beginning. I’ll always be grateful for that.

Website: https://catalyst-interiors.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/catalyst_interiors/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katherine-mccravey-6a139363/

Image Credits
Adam Frumkin, Carlos Chavez, Becca Johnson, Jeremy Spann