Hello, I’m Karen
I’m an interior designer exploring the relationship between people, places and wellbeing.
I’m the person behind OKOS KOTI — a space where interior design, human-centred thinking and everyday wellbeing come together.
With over 20 years of experience in interior design, I’ve always been interested in more than how a space looks. I’m fascinated by how the environments around us influence how we feel, behave and experience everyday life.
Why does one room feel welcoming while another feels uncomfortable?
Why do some spaces help us concentrate, rest or connect, while others leave us feeling overwhelmed?
And how can we create places that work better for the people who actually use them?
These are the questions I’m increasingly exploring through my work.
From Interiors to Human-Centred Design
My background is firmly rooted in interior design. I have a BA (Hons) in Interior Design and have spent more than two decades working with space, layout, colour, materials and the practical realities of creating interiors.
Over the years, I’ve also explored holistic interior design, Feng Shui, biophilic design, colour psychology and natural materials.
But my curiosity has gradually taken me beyond the traditional idea of interior design.
I’m particularly interested in human-centred design — understanding the people who use a space and considering their needs, experiences and behaviours when designing the environment around them.
That could be a home, workplace, classroom, healthcare environment or any other place where people spend time.
The setting may change, but the question remains the same:
How can we create better places for the people who use them?
What You’ll Find Here
OKOS KOTI is now becoming a place for exploring these ideas.
Through articles, research, design experiments and case studies, I look at the everyday environments around us and consider how design can make them more supportive, inclusive, comfortable and enjoyable.
You’ll find ideas around interior design, human-centred design, wellbeing, natural living and the ways our surroundings affect everyday life.
And because OKOS KOTI has always been about more than interiors, you’ll also find some of my other interests along the way — including Feng Shui, lifestyle, natural wellbeing and astrology.
Not everything has to fit neatly into one category.
Sometimes the most interesting ideas are found in the spaces between them.
A Little About Me
Before creating OKOS KOTI, I worked across residential interior design, ran my own interior design studio and home furnishings business, and later mentored interior design students at South Essex College.
My experience has given me a practical understanding of how spaces are designed and put together, while my ongoing curiosity keeps me questioning how they could work better for the people who experience them.
That combination — experience, curiosity and a genuine interest in people and their environments — is what I’m taking forward.
And that’s where OKOS KOTI is heading next.
People. Places. Wellbeing. Design.
