As we celebrate our 20th anniversary as a company, we will be interviewing various MSK employees and sharing their thoughts. Today we visit with Kelly Morisseau, CMKBD, CID, and Lead Designer, as she celebrates her 19th anniversary at MSK!
Kelly Morisseau
In May of 2002, Kelly and founder Scott Westby met, and Kelly told Scott she was working with him and he had no choice about it! This quickly turned into a family affair. Kelly, her mother Carol (an exceptional designer), and her father Len, (a designer and cabinetry specialist) all joined the company together, after relocating here from Vancouver Island, BC, where they had their own cabinetry showroom. Scott was thrilled to have such an experienced and talented team join his new company, and we shared many years of laughter, high design, good wine, and awards together!
Kelly is a published author (two books on kitchen design, and two fiction novels) as well as a blogger and all-around bon vivant! Let’s hear what she has to say.
What inspired you to stay so long at MSK?
I’ve heard that you spend more time with your co-workers than your family during your lifetime. If you’re lucky, your co-workers become a team and if you’re luckier still, the team becomes a family. I promised myself I would leave if it no longer was fun, and so far, I’m still waiting.
What drives you to perform at such a high level?
I never feel like I’m performing at a high level, but thank you. I’m always striving for the best design according to both me and the homeowners.
I’m fond of saying that most homeowners are thrilled about big purchases like trips and new vehicles, but not so much on remodeling. If I can make a family feel excited about the design and enjoy the process, then I’ve achieved my goal. I think all of us at MSK have this goal.
What is your favorite type of project to work on?
The project where the homeowner is willing to say, “Okay, here are some rough thoughts on what we like. Please create something.”
While I’m always happy to bring forth a homeowner’s vision, it’s being allowed the creative freedom to design one-of-a-kind projects that interest me. I don’t know why. It’s a lot of hard work, and it would be much easier to simply coast.
Do your travels inform your design?
My vacation time has always had an element of design show or two. In the years before the pandemic, I tried to attend at least one trade show a year, nationally and internationally.
My favorite trade show is Salone del Mobile in Milan, Italy. Don’t let the name, which translates as “Furniture Fair”, fool you. Salone is the largest luxury furnishing and design show of its kind in the world with a whopping 2.2 million square feet and 2300 exhibitors from almost 190 countries. The EuroCucina/FTK and International Bath Exhibition every two years features not only the latest trends in kitchen and bath design but also cutting-edge technology.
I’ve never been able to see the entire show, even with non-stop espressos. What I do see keeps me ahead of the design curve in this area and hopefully in sync with many of our clients who travel the world.
What other countries have you lived in?
I’m originally from British Columbia, Canada. I’ve lived in London very briefly, and Munich, so while I like to think I’ve completely muddled my accent, someone always catches it. I keep saying I need to live in one or two more countries yet for seasoning. It keeps life interesting.
