Krista Coupar has been working in interior design in San Francisco for the past ten years with such design notables as Kendall Wilkinson and Catherine Macfee, before launching her own consulting company, Coupar Consulting, in 2007. As a consultant, Krista knows that the backbone of running a successful business is in the education and integration of marketing, operational and financial solutions. Krista has collaborated with up-and-coming designers in San Francisco and Los Angeles. Her business building experience has led her to develop and launch design collaboratives Designer du Jour and The Chic Retreat.

Krista focuses on helping interior designers and retail businesses adjust to the new economy with tools and strategies that are custom to the design firm, easy to understand, and implement. She looks at the firm's business practices and creates a business strategy that stabilizes and expands the company pipeline by analyzing three main components: marketing, operations and financial. Krista then creates solutions that are simple to execute and replicate internally by the firm’s principal designer and staff.

Trained in the financial, retail, and interior design side of the business, Krista understands what makes an interior shine and what makes a design project successful from implementation to completion. “Beyond the development of the vision of the interior, benchmarks to a successful design collaboration between the designer and client is a deep understanding of what the client’s wants and needs are and the ability to manage those on a design, budget, and project management level.  This creates value for the client and maximizes profitability for the company. Internal structure, communication and collaboration are essential, as is the ability to maintain project momentum.”

Krista opened her first interior design fabric showroom at age 23, and in addition to her business training and expertise, Krista has a deep understanding in fabrics, fabric importing, window covering design and construction, and soft furnishing design and construction. Her other areas of interior design expertise include family friendly design, budget conscious design, and antique importing. Krista’s experience as a buyer and merchandiser for interior design

retailers has given her deep wholesale contacts in accessories and home furnishings from the country’s premier manufacturers. Krista often works as a senior designer & project manager in firms on larger projects to help facilitate project flow, manage project budget & profitability, maintain relationships between the principal, client and sub-contractors, while supporting the principal designer in implementing the design vision by aiding in closing sales on the individual interior components of the home. 

Krista’s range and depth of training and experience has given her the know-how to guide interior designers, retailers and creative professionals to build successful creative business ventures. She believes that when industry professionals grow and thrive, the industry as a whole becomes healthier and delivers a superior end product to the client.