At Abel Design Group, interior design is about more than aesthetics. It is about shaping how a space feels, functions, and communicates from the very first moment someone walks in. For Principal Kathy Chauvin , that work begins with listening, understanding a firm’s people, culture, goals, and aspirations, then translating those ideas into environments that feel intuitive, purposeful, and deeply connected to identity.
With more than two decades of experience and 15 years at ADG, Kathy has helped shape a design approach rooted in empathy, collaboration, and longevity. In this edition of Insights by Design, she shares how spaces can tell a story, why functionality is inseparable from design, and how thoughtful interiors create experiences that resonate long after a first impression.
Can you walk us through your career journey and how your time at Abel Design Group has continued shaping your approach to interior design?
Kathy: My career started in very small firms, which ended up being a great foundation because there was never an opportunity to get pigeonholed. From the beginning, I was involved in everything: field verification, finish selections, documentation, client meetings, and construction administration. That kind of exposure accelerates your growth because you’re experiencing the full process very early on.
When I came to Abel Design Group 15 years ago, that same start-to-finish approach continued. Being part of a project from the initial client conversations through construction makes you a stronger designer, because you’re not only involved in shaping the ideas, but also in carrying them through into the built environment.
That continuity allows you to protect the original design intent while ensuring the final space meets both the client’s vision and their functional needs.
When someone walks into a space you’ve designed, what do you hope they feel or understand within the first few moments, and why is that important to you?
Kathy: What I hope they feel is exactly what the client wants them to feel. That may be different for every space, but if we’ve done our job well, the experience is intentional from the very beginning. For some clients, that may mean creating a sense of confidence and professionalism. For others, it may be warmth, energy, or a sense of discovery. The goal is that those feelings are never accidental.
That’s really what design is about. We’re shaping how someone experiences a space. If you go back to those early conversations where we define what the client is trying to achieve, then at the end, you want to see that carried through in the final environment. When people walk in and feel exactly what was intended, that’s when you know the design has come full circle.
What does it mean to translate a brand into a spatial experience, and how does that show up in your work?
Kathy: The first step is understanding the brand. You can’t design for a client if you don’t fully understand who they are, how they want to be perceived, and what kind of experience they want to create. Sometimes that experience is immediate and direct, and other times it unfolds more gradually through movement and sequence.
Empathy plays a big role in that. You have to think through how someone encounters the space, what they see first, how they move through it, and what is revealed along the way. When that’s done well, the brand isn’t something that has to be explained. It becomes something people feel as they move through the environment.
How do you use interior design to communicate story, culture, and identity within a space?
Kathy: There are many ways to tell a story in a space, but we try to think beyond the obvious. A history wall can be effective, but often those moments are static and easily overlooked. Instead, we focus on creating environments that allow our clients to tell their story more organically through the space itself.
That might mean incorporating their materials, products, or processes into the design in a way that feels integrated and intentional. Those elements become part of how the space is experienced and talked about, allowing the client to share their story naturally rather than relying on a single moment or feature.
How do empathy and user experience influence the way you design environments that feel meaningful and intuitive?
Kathy: Empathy is incredibly important in interior design. It’s not just about what a space looks like, but how it feels and functions for the people using it. You have to think about scale, proportion, lighting, acoustics, and how all of those elements come together to shape the experience.
When everything is working, people may not even be able to explain why a space feels good; they just know that it does. When something is off, they feel that too. As designers, we have to stay tuned into those details and understand how people will experience the space once we’re no longer there to guide them.
How do materiality, lighting, and finishes contribute to the overall narrative of a project?
Kathy: Materiality, lighting, and finishes play a major role in shaping how a space feels. If they’re not aligned with the overall goal, they can work against the design. But when they’re intentional, they help reinforce the experience and bring the concept to life.
For example, if you’re trying to create an intimate environment, everything needs to support that: warmer tones, softer lighting, controlled acoustics, and a more human scale. All of these elements are interconnected, and if one is off, the entire experience can feel out of balance.
How do you balance aesthetics, performance, and day-to-day functionality to create a cohesive experience?
Kathy: For me, functionality is essential. If someone walks into their new space on day one and they do not have what they need to do their job well, then no matter how beautiful the space is, it is not successful. That is why we spend so much time understanding how people work, what different groups need, and how a space has to perform both now and over time.
Sometimes that means designing for very specific needs within an organization. Other times, it means thinking ahead to flexibility, growth, or long-term adaptation. A client may need a space that can evolve over the course of several lease cycles. They may be growing quickly, or they may need the ability to shift functions without having to start over. Those considerations are just as important as the initial design concept.
Timelessness is another part of that balance. We pay attention to what is current, of course, but we are not designing for trends alone. We are designing for longevity, relevance, and continued performance. When a space still feels fresh years later and continues to support the client well, that is a real measure of success.
What role does collaboration play in bringing a unified design vision to life, especially across teams and offices?
Kathy: Collaboration is fundamental to everything we do. We work closely with our internal teams, clients, and the broader project team, from brokers and project managers to consultants, contractors, and fabricators. Design is not a one-person effort, and the best outcomes come from being open to input and perspectives throughout the process.
That becomes even more important when working across multiple offices and regions, where strong communication keeps everyone aligned. Whether through ongoing conversations, shared tools, or in-person collaboration, the goal is always the same: to stay open, adaptable, and focused on the best solution. In my experience, that collaborative approach consistently leads to stronger, more cohesive results.
In your role, how are you helping shape and evolve interior design practices across the firm while maintaining design consistency?
Kathy: That’s a significant part of my role, and something I try to stay very engaged in across all of our offices. I make an effort to see as much work as possible and stay connected with teams, both to understand what they’re working on and to help guide design direction when needed. With multiple offices, there’s a natural overlap in influences, products, and ideas, so part of my role is helping ensure we’re not becoming repetitive while still maintaining a consistent level of design quality.
At the same time, it’s about sharing knowledge and awareness across teams. There are moments where one office may be developing something very similar to another, and having visibility into that allows us to either leverage that work or push it in a different direction. It’s not about limiting creativity, but about making sure each project feels intentional and tailored, rather than a repeated solution.
Ultimately, it comes back to reinforcing strong design fundamentals. Trends will always evolve, but the core principles of design don’t change. By keeping teams focused on those fundamentals, while also encouraging exploration and new ideas, we’re able to create work that feels cohesive, thoughtful, and consistently aligned across the firm.
How do you navigate constraints, such as budget, schedule, and code requirements, while preserving the overall design intent and user experience?
Kathy: The first step is not thinking of them only as constraints, but as design parameters. Every project has them, and part of our role is to work within those realities rather than around them. When those factors are understood early, they become part of the design process instead of something that disrupts it later.
Challenges usually arise when information is missing or changes unexpectedly. That can lead to redesign and delays. But when there is alignment from the beginning, it’s much easier to maintain the design intent while still delivering a space that performs well and meets all of the project requirements.
Looking ahead, how do you see the future of interior design evolving in creating more immersive, experience-driven environments?
Kathy: Experience is becoming more important. Across industries, people expect more from the spaces they enter, whether that is a workplace, a hospitality setting, a retail environment, or something else entirely. They want spaces that feel intentional, welcoming, intuitive, and memorable.
In the workplace, especially, that conversation became much more pronounced after COVID. Employers began asking how to bring people back to the office, and the answer was not simply to provide desks. It meant thinking about the full experience, how employees arrive, how they navigate the space, how easy it is to use, how comfortable it feels, and how well it supports both focus and connection.
That same thinking extends to guests and clients. What is their experience from the moment they arrive? Is it easy, seamless, and thoughtful? Does the space feel like it reflects who the company is? More and more, those questions are shaping the future of design. The environments that will stand out are the ones that not only look good, but also create an experience people genuinely want to be part of.