Meet Kevin Francis O’gara | Interior & Product Designer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Kevin Francis O’gara and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kevin Francis, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
Starting my own business was always innate to me – I remember my first “business” making custom artwork for my friends in fourth grade! I have always been entrepreneurially inclined, and like many in my generation, have utilized social media to monetize my hobbies. Before I started my own website, I had a photo blog on Tumblr that I quickly figured out how to monetize with display ads. After a few years of producing my blog Thou Swell (now called The Francis Files) and working with home decor brands through editorial partnerships, I launched my product studio with a collection of original area rugs. I think looking for those opportunities to expand my brand reach while diversifying my income stream at the same time has been core to my business growth.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
One of the core tenets of my business has always been an informed perspective. I can’t overstate how the process of researching, writing, and producing my original design blog Thou Swell for nearly eight years gave me such a foundational education on design history and contemporary interiors. It helped hone my eye, and I developed my style through designing and styling vignettes and rooms in my own house before I ever worked with clients. I also grew an appreciation for the inspiration research and brainstorming process, which is the most important part of the process for any new product or art collection I release. I am so fortunate to have found this deep passion for my work at such a young age. I’m also grateful for the design community in Atlanta and across the blogs and social media pages who inspired and encouraged me along the way.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I currently live in Midtown, but I’ve previously lived in Buckhead, Chastain Park, Vinings, Cabbagetown, and West Midtown throughout my childhood and college years. I have so many favorite places across the city, so it’s hard to choose, but here are a few favorite spots I visit often. I love Little Tart Shop and Star Provisions for the city’s best pastries, Muchacho for a pea flower matcha on the weekends, Piedmont Park’s 10th Street lawns for an in-town picnic, Anis for the best old-school French ambiance, Delbar for Mediterranean cuisine, Umi for the best sushi, Fritti for thin-crust pizza, Clermont Hotel’s rooftop for drinks with a view, and Banshee for late night dancing.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I can’t speak to my success without mentioning the incredible internships that introduced me to the design world, including branding and marketing guru John Lineweaver and accomplished designer Suzanne Kasler in Atlanta, Celia Tejada at Restoration Hardware corporate in Corte Madera, and Lucie Ayres of 22Interiors in Los Angeles. These experiences taught me more about the industry than school ever could, and opened my eyes to the possibilities of my career.

Website: https://kevinfrancisdesign.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kfogara/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinogara/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/kevinfrancisogara

Image Credits
Kevin O’Gara