Karri Paul was design director at Tommy Hilfiger in New York City, living the fast-paced lifestyle of international fashion but on the brink of burning out. With the help of a life coach she figured out how to turn her passion for gardening into her lifeline.
“When I would fly home to visit family, the first thing I always did was take off my shoes and socks and put my feet in the grass,” says Paul, who grew up in Durham, N.C. and left for New York to attend the prestigious Parsons School of Design. “I did not feel grounded in New York. I did not feel a connection to nature.”
On the advice of career coach Eric Horwitz, who mentored people from Vogue Magazine to the White House, she moved to Charlotte where she founded K. Files Designs, a boutique landscape firm. Her focus is building community by designing beautiful backyards for high-end homes.
Now her joy comes in designing outdoor spaces—whether it’s beautifying a backyard for a wedding, designing a custom pergola with built-in swings, designing a backyard sports mecca or installing a vegetable bed so a mother can teach her kids to garden.
“The best part is when clients send me photos of the kids playing instantaneously,” she says.
Q. What did you love about fashion?
A. I enjoyed seeing the sketches come to life. It was incredibly exciting to be walking the streets and see somebody wearing your designs.
Q. What made you want to change direction?
A. It's incredibly cutthroat in fashion. I got pretty high up, and I was making more than enough money, but I had no life. I was in Europe or Asia every six weeks. I was managing my team back in New York while managing the factory in Asia. And under the pressure of a publicly-traded company, you have financial goals you have to meet. It was a lot.
Q. What made you decide to come home?
A. I lived in Connecticut for about five years while I still worked in the city, and I didn't know how to fully leave the city. I knew I didn't want to do that grind for the rest of my life. My dad had an accident, my mom had knee surgery, all in one year. I wanted to move home and be closer to family. Ultimately, I was missing community. I lived far away from my friends in the city, but I enjoyed the fresh air and my garden in Connecticut.
Q. How did working with a business coach help you find your new passion?
A. He helped me realize I had transferable skills from fashion. I started taking classes at the New York Botanical Garden, which is the largest botanical garden in the United States. …That education was my rocket launch. For the next year or two, I got certified in gardening and was marching my way to landscape design when I said, “Let's move.”
Q. How did you know you were doing the right thing?
A. I was still at Tommy Hilfiger, taking night classes, and it was like breathing new life into me. Suddenly I was super excited just to go to class for three hours. Learning plant Latin gave me so much joy. I cashed my last bonus, worked with my coach to figure out how to leave my job, and did a six-month intensive at NYBG that gave me all of the info I needed to set up my business.
Q. What is it about outdoor spaces that appeals to you?
A. I've read this quote from interior designers where people don't want to
have people over to their house because they're afraid of being judged
about how it's looking on the inside. I think you're less inclined to have
that feeling on the outside. Your outdoor space also serves many
functions, especially when it's nice out. You could be grilling for
friends, having people over by the fire, or playing in the yard. It's about
building something really beautiful.
Q. What are some backyard trends you really like?
A. Water features are both underrated and highly requested in a bespoke garden environment. I get excited when my clients request them. While it's an investment and requires extra planning, they have been proven to support mental well-being and attract wildlife. The sound of running water in a garden can be very soothing and aesthetically pleasing.
"I believe that your outdoor space is just as valuable as your indoor space."
“The best part is when clients send me photos of the kids playing instantaneously.”