Life-changing decision leads to career creating functional cabinets
The tragic loss of her husband led Kathy Morgan to the design industry as an option for the newly single mom to stay home and raise her two young sons. The shift from her corporate job led her to California Closet, where she worked her way up to become the company’s head designer. After six years she pursued construction design.
Morgan opened her first small showroom in 2010, expanding into the design of kitchens, baths, basements and additions. In 2021, she opened a 3,000-sq.-ft. showroom that she personally designed, with cabinets and displays all built by her own manufacturing company. She is a licensed general contractor with a staff of 11 to complete the company and carry out her vision.
Never happy with current cabinet offerings, Morgan, president of Functional Living Design Group in Powell, OH, took her concept of creating functional spaces into her design techniques. She developed a line of cabinets specifically to assist homeowners live functionally in their homes, creating organization and introducing storage concepts into cabinets and remodeling design with a focus on European cabinets. These are the cabinets designed into every project the company undertakes.
Unlike a traditional design-built remodeling company, Morgan’s approach to a project always begins with a focus on functionality. Where many designers might start with aesthetics, she believes the functionality and convenience of an area is what leads to long-term satisfaction. Her philosophy: “The ‘gift’ is on the inside of the cabinet and how it functions; the ‘gift wrap’ can be a cabinet finished in whatever style preferred for the home.” This attention to detail and philosophy is carried throughout every project.
