Meet Krista Watterworth Alterman | Creative Director & Owner

We had the good fortune of connecting with Krista Watterworth Alterman and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Krista, what do you attribute your success to?
Listening! Truly listening to your client base is crucial. What are their needs? What do they love? How can you serve them in the best possible way? Through years of careful listening I have learned that my clients are looking for a unique, one of a kind design that reflects their family. They want an expert who can make their decor dreams come true! And they want our signature The New Palm Beach™ style: that livable luxury that only KRISTA + HOME can provide. We curate a home to reflect each family in a unique, creative way while remaining polished and sophisticated. Our goal? To design a home that complements each family and lifestyle, one that is both livable and luxurious. They also want to make their home projects stress-free. They count on us to handle every detail, so their project is seamless. I have learned through the years that providing outstanding service is crucial. At KRISTA + HOME we like to say that providing outstanding service to our clients “is our calling”. So, what does that really mean? It means truly listening on a deep level to see how we can best serve our customers. It means going above and beyond, doing things before they ask and taking that extra step to keep them engaged and happy. Strong communication with your customers is also key. For us, that means lots of updates, meetings (virtual for now) and site visits. Let’s face it—interior design is a luxury service so I have found that luxury, concierge, top-level service is something my clients expect…and they should! We are constantly looking for ways to up the ante and give them outstanding service. It’s about listening, small touches and always finding a solution, no matter what the challenge is.
Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Everyone loves a success story, right? Krista + Home was once a boot strap start-up with two employees: myself and my husband Eric. Our dream was to create homes that not only look like they’re jumping off a magazine page, but that are also livable, comforting and highly functional. The kernel of that idea turned into a movement, and The New Palm Beach became the signature K+H style. All of our projects include a feeling — a vacationing spirit, a respect for the modern and the historic, and a livable yet luxurious energy. As we grew into a highly sought after firm, we searched across South Florida for the most talented players, a team who all believe that great service is a calling. What we offer today is a full service firm that creates personally curated and branded experiences for each and every client. Designing is only a small part of what I do. There is so much more to running a successful design business. The challenge of building a company, keeping it successful, growth and innovation is heavy yet fun. As I started to build my company, I realized that assembling an incredible team behind me was crucial. Even though the company is called KRISTA + HOME, I am definitely not a one-woman show! We are a full-service interior design firm. My team is a group of highly skilled, experienced and fun individuals. We take our work seriously and pride ourselves on great customer service and passion for design. My Chief Operating Officer went to Stanford and is a business guru who is sharp as a wit. She designs and implements all of our business operations, oversees the staff and heads up sales. My Chief of Product Development Officer founded numerous backed tech companies and is an attorney, which is extremely helpful. He is leading our next big step as a company, as we move into custom and curated product. I like to say that my secret weapon is my Marketing Director, who manages all of our social media, handles our branding/company vision and brings in kickass client leads. My Design Coordinator is one of the most organized and efficient people I know. She controls our intricate schedule seamlessly. I hire Design Assistants and Junior Designers that are mini versions of me, I like them to have all-around design skills and I love mentoring them. Each of them usually has something they specialize in as well. Our work family is really special to me. We work very hard, but we play hard too. I definitely believe that the ability to collaborate has contributed to our success. We also collaborate with our clients – it is a two way communication to get to a great design.
Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I would definitely take them to Palm Beach! We start with a stroll down historic Worth Avenue, to admire the beautiful architecture and partake in the fabulous shopping! Then, we stop for a glass of Rosé at The Colony Hotel. After that, we would head to Buccan or the neighboring Imoto for delicious dinner. Finally, we would visit the iconic Breakers Hotel and have craft cocktails at HMF. A few of my other favorite spots are Coolinary Cafe, led by the incredible chef Tim Lipman. We are so lucky to have our new retail workspace right next door to Coolinary! I highly recommend the Chicken & Waffles. Some of my other favorite things to do are wandering around the Antique District in West Palm Beach, hunting for special pieces for clients. There are so many fabulous stores there. I also love heading to the beach in Jupiter early morning to watch the sunrise with my tribe of girlfriends.
Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Jessica Glynn and Eve Greendale are photographers that I use regularly. They are both outstanding. Photos are very important to my business as an interior designer. Jessica specializes in Architecture and Design Photography and Eve is more lifestyle, which is perfect for social media.
Website: www.kristahome.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/designpalmbeach/
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristawatterworth/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Krista_Home
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KristaHome
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/KristaWatterworth/featured
Image Credits
Krista photo by Eve Greendale All other photos by Jessica Glynn