Meet Kristy Valdivia l Founder and Lead Virtual Interior Designer with Crew Collective Design

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kristy Valdivia

Hi Kristy, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
My journey to this business wasn’t a functional one. However, if I look back, I was always the kid who re-arranged my bedroom several times a year and designed the room to the look and feel I wanted. My parents would come home from work, and my room was like a bomb went off, only to await the final reveal. I was an athlete, but my most fulfilling moments were growing up as a dancer, performer, and vocal artist. Through that, I learned the theme of creativity through movement. By creating Crew Collective Design,

After many years of climbing the corporate ladder with Fortune 500 medical devices and pharmaceutical companies like Johnson and Johnson and Boston Scientific, I quickly became burned out and unhappy. My true passion developed after designing my friends and family’s homes, and here we are today. I started my entrepreneurship at 45 years old, and I am originally from Upstate/Western NY, and I have been out here ever since after college for my entire professional career.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
As I worked for large Fortune 500 companies like JNJ, I realized corporate burnout is real. Starting my own concept or business and understanding how to get started is the biggest obstacle and learning curve. It’s a very humbling experience.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
We are interior design, simplified. Our hybrid approach allows us to cater to clients locally while extending our services virtually to anyone, anywhere, through our personalized online design studio.

Our value proposition revolves around efficient, quick, cost-effective interior design services tailored to you and your home without hidden fees. We do everything for a full-service interior designer. However, the shopping links are sent to the client so they can purchase on time and when the budget allows. It simply is a more streamlined process and cost-effective! Setting us apart, we’ve removed the middleman, making zero markups on furniture purchases and putting more money back in your pocket. Transparency is vital to us, and we ensure a smooth, collaborative process for our clients.

Why I started this business: I hate paying extra fees for anything as a consumer. I am a huge value person, and that is what I offer to my clients. My services are a flat rate for the project, and I deliver on the clear objectives in my packages. Clients love how easy, streamlined, and transparent it is to work with a designer.

We’re always looking for the lessons that can be learned in any situation, including tragic ones like the Covid-19 crisis. Are there any lessons you’ve learned that you can share?
Work from home is a thing, and anything can be done virtually. Interior Design does not need to be in person anymore. Virtual Interior Design has exploded since COVID-19.

Pricing:

• Hourly: Design Advice
• Packages start at $695/space

Contact Info:

• Website: https://crewcollectivedesign.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crewcollectivedesign/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/crewcollectivedesign/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@CrewCollectiveDesign
• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@crewcollectivedesign

Image Credits
Will work on what photos to submit