KATIE MOORHOUSE, ONE OF ATLANTA’S MOST PROMISING AND innovative designers, has had a love for beautiful design as far back as she can remember. Originally from Southern California, Moorhouse and her family migrated to Georgia when she was 10 years old. “I’ve lived in the South for the majority of my life, and my parents are from New York, so I’m kind of bicoastal,” Moorhouse says. “Though I was born on the West Coast, I consider myself a Southerner at heart.”
The impetus for her love of design? A dreamhouse—Barbie’s Dreamhouse to be more specific. And her Barbie’s Dreamhouse was, of course, custom. “When I was a child, it wasn’t about playing dress-up or playing with dolls. It was more about, what does my Barbie’s house look like,” she says, laughing. “I didn’t have the actual Barbie Dreamhouse. Instead, I used a bookcase, and the shelves were different levels of her home. I was constantly redecorating Barbie’s house.”
Moorhouse says she became hooked on design shows as a tween. Her interest escalated throughout her formative years, and she immersed herself in learning about the artistic medium. “I was so interested in the craft, I started working for a local designer while I was in high school,” she recalls. “She took me under her wing and taught me so much. I’d work at her shop a few days a week after school and sometimes on weekends. When I went to college, I’d work for her when I came home for Christmas break.”
Moorhouse attended The University of Georgia, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in furnishings and interiors. From there, she embarked on a creative career journey and never looked back.
Embracing the Southern ethos and connecting with Atlantans in the profession, doors opened for her. Proving her mettle as a young, gifted designer, Moorhouse worked with some of the city’s most influential interior stylists, architects and builders. “The first 14 years of my career really shaped who I am as a designer,” she says. “The people I worked for and with influenced me more than they know, and I had great opportunities to work on amazing projects. I met architects and builders—it’s not just these great designers; it’s all the trades involved.”
The collective spirit Moorhouse references is one that she treasures. “It’s all connected here. Working in the industry, I’ve kept those relationships since I began my own business. That’s what has been so lovely about it,” she says. “I’m still working with some of the same architects and builders that I worked with as I was coming up in the business.”
Moorhouse established K. Moorhouse Design in 2024 and hit the ground running. In the fall of 2024, she showcased her distinctive style in Atlanta’s Serenbe Designer Showhouse, fashioning a bedroom in tranquil hues. Seasonal colors showed up in subtle ways—an ochre alpaca throw, a whisper of trim color along the top of white draperies and a burlwood antique desk with modern artwork above it. A sisal rug, raffia-wallpapered ceiling and a plaster shell pendant light added unique textural components, creating a warm, elegant setting.
Moorhouse has received accolades from local professionals and publications, including being named one of Modern Luxury’s “The New Faces of Design” in June 2025.
“Atlanta is a very big little city,” she says. “Everyone supports everyone. We all have the mentality that there is enough work to go around. It’s not a competitive or cut-throat kind of industry. It’s so supportive, and I rely on those relationships and on referrals from designers, builders and architects. I do the same; I’m referring clients, too. It’s all about the relationships you build in this industry, and Atlanta has a thriving and caring group of professionals.”
Moorhouse’s philosophy brings together all aspects of the craft. Beautiful soft goods, colors, textures and materials that go into creating a cohesive space are more than just decorating an empty shell or renovating a room. “I enjoy the decorative aspect of what I do, but I love the construction, the building side as well,” she reveals. “I draw the spaces to figure out how it all works together. My first boss was an architect, and I learned the architectural standpoint of design. I approach my projects with that kind of mindset. It’s not just about filling a space; it’s about the space itself. I have a deep appreciation for construction and architecture.”
She does indeed, often walking construction sites to get an idea of those “shells” she loves to create and talking to the builders about electrical plans, lighting and layout. Her first project involved working with a client from Atlanta who wanted her vacation home imbued with a coastal vibe. “It’s fun for clients and me to plan out these projects,” Moorhouse says. “They don’t live there every day, so they’re willing to take more risks. Second homes are where clients make bolder choices in terms of color or wallpaper. This client bought a spec home, so we infused her personality into the home, with coastal elements and colors.”
Clients tend to make bolder choices in smaller spaces in their permanent homes as well. Powder rooms or guest bedrooms are spaces where color or perhaps wallpaper on a ceiling can make a statement. “I love powder rooms,” Moorhouse says. “These small spaces allow clients to be a bit more daring, like using beautiful stone for a vanity, bolder colors, an antique mirror. There’s something special about designing small spaces. I worked with a client who wanted her guest bedroom to make a statement, so we drenched the room in a rich brown color with plum undertones by Sherwin-Williams called ‘Bitter Chocolate.’”
Moorhouse believes in starting with a neutral palette, like the creamy warm white of Benjamin Moore’s “White Dove,” then introducing natural fibers such as cotton or linen with pillows, curtains and rugs. Her personal style, she says, leans toward clean and crisp with solids and patterns mixed in.
Moorhouse encourages clients to bring in imagery or start with a rug or artwork or even a pillow. “I love to design around a color palette that a client brings me,” she says. “I think warmer palettes are here to stay. Many times, clients will bring me magazine clippings or images from Pinterest or Instagram. Often, they will tell me, ‘I don’t like the chair or the couch in this image, but I like the feeling of the room.’”
Inspiration comes in many forms, and Moorhouse gleans hers from travel. From Lake Como in Italy to Paris’ Maison&Objet, an international trade fair, she gets out of the showrooms and immerses herself in new environments. “It can be a trip to the High Point Market in North Carolina,” she explains. “Whether it’s personal travel or business, just getting out of your environment can get you out of a creative rut.”
Lately, Moorhouse’s creativity has been soaring, with a very busy client roster. She attributes that to connections, clients who appreciate her honesty, guidance and expertise, and a little girl’s dreamhouse nestled on bookshelves long ago. *
Brigitte Surette is a freelance writer, editor and copywriter.
To learn more, visit brigittesurette.com.
Inspiration comes in many forms, and Moorhouse gleans hers from travel. From Lake Como in Italy to Paris’ Maison&Objet, an international trade fair, she gets out of the showrooms and immerses herself in new environments.
