I grew up in a 1920s beach house along the coast of Maine, where my family set out to transform an outdated New England cottage into something entirely our own. Having moved from the West Coast, our goal was to bring a little California sunshine with us by creating a home that felt fresh and airy with the effortless ease of coastal living. What began as a family project would eventually become my world.

By the age of eight, I was hooked. Refinishing furniture with my mom? Absolutely. Painting walls? Sign me up. Redoing floors? Even better. My Saturday mornings were spent downstairs watching HGTV, collecting ideas and imagining what our home could become. Then I’d inevitably head upstairs to put those ideas to work in my own room. I’d spend the rest of the weekend rearranging furniture, creating art for my walls, dreaming up DIYs, and finding new ways to make my space feel just right. Whenever I ran out of things to do in my own room, I’d ask my mom what I could tackle next.

Looking back, I suppose I was preparing for a career in interior design long before I realized it.

When it came time to choose a career, I took the more conventional route. I followed what felt like the “safe” path and became a product manager for an industrial software company helping manufacturers leverage the Internet of Things to increase operational efficiency. It was a far cry from the world of interior design—or so I thought. 

But somewhere along the way, I began to recognize that the two worlds weren’t nearly as different as I thought. I spent about seven years as a product manager, translating needs into solutions, coordinating across teams, solving complex problems, and thinking carefully about how people interact with the spaces and systems around them. Today, I do much the same, just in a different medium. Instead of translating user needs into software requirements, I’m translating the way you live into the needs of your home. Instead of managing software developers, I’m collaborating with contractors and craftspeople. And instead of designing digital interfaces, I’m designing furniture layouts and floor plans. 

It turns out, all those years weren’t a detour after all. They were preparing me for something I had wanted since I was little. Eventually, I moved back to Southern California and could no longer ignore the pull to do what I had always loved. So, I left the tech world and started Kaija Interiors.

I think the universe has a funny way of nudging you to do what you love. I’m endlessly grateful I was able to follow that nudge. 

Welcome. I can’t wait to hear about your project.