Kara Gordon
Kara Gordon is an accomplished interior designer and business owner based in Euless, Texas, serving the greater Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Interior Design from Stephen F. Austin State University, graduating in December 2000, along with a minor in general business that reflected her early ambition to one day run her own company. After gaining experience working with established design firms, Kara built a strong foundation in both the creative and operational sides of the industry, preparing her for the entrepreneurial path she would later pursue.
In 2013, following the birth of her son, Kara launched her own design business with the goal of creating a flexible, scalable career that allowed her to balance family life while building something of her own. For the first decade, she operated independently from her home, collaborating with local renovators to bring her designs to life. A pivotal moment in her career came when she partnered with Amanda McCurdy, a licensed general contractor whom she hired full-time and now works alongside as a 50–50 business partner. Together, they lead a fully female-owned and operated design-build firm, where Kara directs all aspects of design—from client consultations and space planning to materials, furnishings, and décor—while Amanda oversees construction. Their firm is uniquely positioned in the market, offering both renovation and full-service furnishing and styling under one roof.
Kara’s work spans residential and commercial projects and is grounded in strong client relationships, attention to detail, and a practical understanding of construction. She is an active member of several professional organizations, including ASID, IDS, NKBA, and NARI, and also serves as an instructor at the Heritage School of Interior Design in Dallas. In addition to her design work, Kara co-founded the non-profit Built by Her Collective, which empowers and educates young women pursuing careers in the construction trades. Her achievements include being featured on the television show Billion Dollar Buyer and earning a national first-place design award. Through her work, teaching, and advocacy, Kara continues to elevate both the design industry and the next generation of women within it.
• Bachelor's Degree in Interior Design
• Minor in General Business
• Featured on Billion Dollar Buyer reality show
• National-level first place for bathroom design in 2019
• American Society of Interior Designers
• Interior Design Society
• National Kitchen and Bath Association (NKBA)
• National Association of Renovations (NARI)
• Built by Her Collective
What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to people skills. It all boils down to people skills. My business partner and I are both very good with people. You also have to be confident, and I think the confidence goes a long way, especially upon first impressions. I think knowing that relationships are at the forefront of what we do, because we are serving clients who are real people, and we are entering their real homes, the relationships are everything.
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I've ever received is the concept of not limiting your growth around the fears that you have. A lot of people don't grow because they are trapped in a fear cycle. They're like, well, what if this fails, or what if this doesn't work out? Well, my worst case scenario of my business failing puts me in a 9-to-5 like everybody else, so what is the worst case scenario? So dream big. Do it. Do the big things. Don't be afraid. Just try it out, and if it doesn't work, just adjust. I think my business partner and I do a really good job of keeping that mindset. And, you know, if we do get a big idea, and it seems a little risky, we do it anyway because it's worth the risk.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would tell young women entering the design field that this career is bigger and deeper than you think it is. It's more complex and technical than you think it is. So if you have the mindset that I'm going into a field that is a professional field, that you have to be confident and earn respect in, then you can do this field. It is just a much more challenging field than most people realize. I actually teach at a design school, I teach Intro to Commercial Interiors, and every day I'm talking to students that are going into design, so this is something I share with them regularly.
What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
I think for us, the biggest challenge is just juggling it all, because we do have a really high client load. And being that we are the only female-owned and operated design-build firm who also does furniture and decor, we get a lot of calls, and we have a lot of clients, so I think just juggling all of that is probably our biggest challenge right now.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
I try very hard to keep a work-life balance. I will say I'm a bit of a workaholic, so sometimes that's hard. I'm also divorced, and so I'm a single mom half the time, and I try to keep my focus on my child on the days that he's with me, and so that sometimes looks like putting your work on the back burner when you know you have a deadline. There's a lot of time management and being intentional about how you spend your time, and that all plays into this whole mindset I keep about my own life, that you need to be present in the moment you're in, and whether that's a work situation, or whether that's a relationship you're face-to-face with someone, you just have to be intentional.