Our Story

Our mission is to encourage a move beyond mass production by curating and enriching spaces that honor quality, carry profound stories, and function as lasting sanctuaries for the families within them.

 

 

Designing Homes with Context, Quality, and Family in Mind

For some kids, it was trains or horses. For me, it was always the house. My parents used to drive our family through the historic neighborhoods of large cities, and I was glued to the window, obsessing over every beautiful detail. This early love grew into a passion for art, a deep admiration for Architecture and History, and an avid interest in World Events—a tendency that led some to call me a "walking encyclopedia." This is the lens through which I see design: a space must be beautiful, functional, and rich with context.

 

My mother, a professionally educated and trained seamstress, introduced me to a different kind of beauty: the world of textiles, color, pattern, and texture. I am forever grateful for the lessons she's taught me—to celebrate the process, embrace making mistakes, and appreciate the value of true craftsmanship. This philosophy informs my deepest belief: I cherish items—both new and vintage—that are carefully made, of a quality difficult to find today, and carry stories and memories of where they came from. I strive to avoid mass production and instead seek pieces that possess lasting value and soul.

The summer after I turned 11 I spent two weeks at my grandmother’s house. Growing up with four brothers, the quiet wasn't something I was used to, and I found myself watching a lot of tv. It was there I discovered HGTV and realized that adults could have jobs just to make homes beautiful. And while Trading Spaces is in so many ways horrific to watch now, something sparked inside of me. The age old question was answered: I knew exactly what I wanted to be when I grew up.

My commitment to high-quality, lasting design is supported by a deliberately chosen professional background. I didn't just study design; I learned how homes are built, managed, and connected to their communities. My professional journey intentionally gathered a diverse set of skills to support this high standard of quality, starting with my Bachelor's Degree in Construction Management with an emphasis in Business. This provided the vital structural and practical knowledge—the know-how often missing in purely aesthetic design.

Over six years, I worked with two different Interior Design groups, mastering the nuances of client-centered aesthetics and how to translate vision into reality. Following this, five years in Civil Engineering broadened my scope, cultivating an essential appreciation for community development and how a home connects to its Omaha neighborhood and context. In short, these experiences taught me precisely what works and what doesn't, allowing me to offer you a design process that is as structurally sound as it is beautiful.

 

Now, I am proudly returning from this journey to my passion: the home and the people within it.

My greatest love is my family—my husband, and our two beautiful children. They are the inspiration for my success and the reason I am so deeply committed to building lasting beauty. I believe a beautiful home is more than just decor; it's a synthesis of art, history, and craft, built to support the people who live within its walls. I am dedicated to using my unique background to help you discover pieces of lasting beauty and create a space that feels like a cherished, once-in-a-lifetime sanctuary.

 

Happy Hunting, fellow connoisseur. 

 

 

Katlyn, Owner & Finder of The Ephemeralist