DesignHER is a platform that celebrates the vision, craftsmanship, and innovation of women in design. By curating stories from leading female designers, artisans, and creatives, our latest series, in collaboration with Women Create, offers an intimate look at the diverse paths these women take to shape their industries and their own businesses. Through thoughtful interviews and features, the platform illuminates the artistry and technical mastery that define their work, while exploring the deeper narratives of creativity, resilience, and leadership. DesignHER honors the unique perspectives of women, fostering a community where design excellence and empowerment intersect to inspire the next generation of trailblazers.
Kristy Smith is an award-winning luxury interior designer turned artist whose work bridges design, fine art and energy alignment. For over two decades, she has created transformative interiors across residential, commercial and hospitality projects. Her journey into fine art was born from a deeply personal chapter. After the challenges of postpartum, Kristy turned to creativity as a way to process and heal. What she discovered was unexpected: her artwork surfaced traumas she didn’t even know existed, pulling the curtain open from what was once an unknowing lens into a powerful, divine one. This awakening revealed a truth she now shares with others, especially women: anxiety often grows from the unknown and the weight of uncertainty. True transformation happens when we shift uncertainty into clarity, release control and learn to trust the process. In that act of letting go, we step into alignment — and it is in alignment that we embody the divine. In 2025, Kristy launched The Divine Aura Collection, a series of contemporary artworks that blend gold leaf, 3D elements and radiant color to embody transformation and empowerment. Each piece is designed as a mirror of one’s highest self, inviting viewers to step into their own light. Many pieces featured in today’s DesignHer can be seen at The Art of the Home in Vanessa Deleon’s Butterfly Effect room.
How do you think being a woman has influenced your approach to design and creativity?
Being a woman has influenced my approach to design and creativity by teaching me to lead with intuition, care and alignment. These qualities became the foundation of my Color Chi Method, where every design choice — from palette to composition — is guided by the intention to balance energy and create harmony. It allows me to design not just for beauty, but for transformation.
Can you tell us a bit about your background and how you got started in your craft?
My journey began 25 years ago, right out of college, when I had the opportunity to work with celebrity designer Jamie Drake. That experience gave me a strong foundation in luxury design, the use of color, and showed me the power of creating bold, transformative spaces. At 27, I launched my own design firm, building high-end projects across the globe. Later, my personal journey — especially through postpartum — opened the door to the art world.
“I found I could say things with color and shapes that I couldn’t say any other way — things I had no words for.” — Georgia O’Keeffe
Have you faced any particular challenges in your industry because you are a woman? How have you overcome them?
One of my biggest challenges was not feeling supported as a new mother in this industry. Balancing creativity with the demands of motherhood often felt isolating. What helped me overcome that period was developing the Color Chi Method — a way to realign my energy, reclaim my creativity and transform hardship into inspiration. It shifted me from feeling overlooked to standing fully in my power as both a mother and a creator.
What advice would you give to other women looking to enter the field of high-end artisanal crafts?
I would tell women entering this field to design from a place of alignment. The Color Chi Method is about balancing energy and creativity, and that same principle applies to building a career. Lean into your intuition and let go — because when you hold high, positive energy daily, you design from a higher frequency. That’s when you attract the right opportunities instead of forcing the wrong platform. This is the true power of Color Chi.
What role do you think community and collaboration play in your creative process?
Community and collaboration are everything to me! I truly believe creativity doesn’t happen in full isolation — it thrives when ideas, energy, and support are shared. Balance is needed, the yin/yang, and FUN! YOU NEED MOVEMENT & FUN! A few years ago, I started a women’s group called Relevance01, which became a space for connection, growth and encouragement. That community has lifted me during times when I doubted myself, and it continues to remind me that collaboration amplifies creativity. Whether it’s through sharing stories, aligning visions, or simply showing up for each other, those connections infuse my work with a higher frequency. My art is not just about what I create, but about the energy and inspiration that flows between people.
Can you share any upcoming projects or collaborations that you’re excited about?
I’m incredibly excited about the launch of my Color Chi Workbook, which is designed to guide people back into alignment through color and intention. It blends self-reflection, creativity and energy work into a seasonal practice that helps individuals realign their inner and outer worlds. Alongside that, my Divine Aura Art Collection debuted at The Art of the Home this fall, where my pieces are featured in Vanessa Deleon’s Great Room. This is such a meaningful moment because it combines my love of interiors, art, and energy alignment on a platform that reaches both collectors and the design community. It feels like such a powerful stage to share art that embodies transformation and alignment.
What role does storytelling play in your art, and how do you weave your personal narrative into your pieces?
Storytelling is the foundation of my art. My Divine Aura Collection was born from my own story of moving through postpartum depression and finding light on the other side. That journey of transformation became the heartbeat of my work — showing other women that they, too, can rise, heal and step into their divine energy. Each piece is created as a mirror of empowerment, reminding women to manifest into their highest selves every day. The butterflies, gold and light are not just aesthetic — they symbolize renewal, resilience and the beauty of becoming. By sharing my own story through my art, I hope to give other women permission to embrace theirs.
What do you hope your legacy will be in the world of high-end artisanal crafts?
I hope my legacy will be about helping others — especially women — shift back into their divine energy by staying aligned from the inside out into their everyday space. Through my art and the Color Chi Method, I want to inspire people to create spaces that don’t just look beautiful, but also raise their frequency and support their highest selves. If my work can guide someone to feel more connected, empowered, and elevated in their own life, then I’ll know I’ve made an impact that goes far beyond the canvas.
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