As a young girl in Connecticut, Kathy Banak was drawn to color and design. She would spend hours mixing and matching palettes or exploring the local fabric shop while most little girls played with dolls. Over the years her interest with color continued to expand. Following her creative mother’s example – a hobbyist seamstress – she regularly refreshed her bedroom décor and wardrobe in response to changes in fashion trends and her interests.
After graduating from Central Connecticut State University, Kathy pursued a career in the high tech industry where she spent the next 20 years in sales, marketing and management positions before realizing, like many people, that her career was unfulfilling. As her 40th birthday approached and she reflected on life, Kathy realized it was time to pursue her true passion. Relying her natural gifts and the years she spent developing her eye for color, Kathy exited the corporate realm and threw herself into the world of interior design. After completing course work in the mid 1990’s at the New York School of Interior Design, she moved across the country to Seattle full of energy and resolve.
Once in the Northwest, Kathy helped non-profits with marketing while consulting for friends and referrals on interior design. With her talent for “seeing color,” Kathy began creating custom color palettes for each client’s home by not relying on what was trendy or traditional, but on the owners’ personalities and lifestyles. She derives tremendous satisfaction from not only the beautiful “surface” results, but the emotional impact room transformations had on her clients. For many, living in an environment that was a true reflection of themselves provided inspiration to implement change in other areas of life as well.
In 2002 Kathy realized that she had a gift with assisting people with the transformation of their homes. Since the official launch of Authentic Home in 2003, Kathy has helped hundreds of clients transform their homes and is grateful for the opportunity to fulfill her life dreams by helping others achieve their own Authentic Homes.
Currently residing near Coeur d’Alene Idaho, Kathy and her husband have embraced all that their new region has to offer, loving everything about it!