Rising Stars: Meet Kari Boetsch

Today, we’d like to introduce you to Kari Boetsch.

Hi Kari, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
My love for vintage and antiques began as a child. I grew up in a country home in a creative atmosphere. I picked up a camera in high school and learned how to use a dark room at a young age. Watching my mother run her own business and do creative work on the side was a great experience for me. It taught me that hard work and determination can make your business successful. I am an entrepreneur at heart.

This is my second business in the metro Detroit area. After selling my first successful business in 2018, I decided to educate myself further in digital photography after only knowing about film photography. I decided to take a trip to France to get inspired by the beautiful landscape and culture.

I started going to flea markets and started photographing vignettes of curated antique and vintage collections for the home and garden and people started asking to purchase the items which led to a social media and website shop. I started little design projects in my home and documented and shared my story publicly which led me to interior styling for people locally and online.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I think the biggest challenge for me was selling my first successful business at the height of its growth and making a complete change, but it taught me to be brave. I learned so much about myself during that period of time and what I wanted for my family and future career.

I think putting yourself out there as an artist is very challenging. There is always a time when failure happens, but that’s how we learn and grow and it’s important to not be afraid of that because that teaches us more about ourselves.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am a photographer and curator. I collect and gather beautiful antique and vintage items for the home and garden. I create vignettes and photograph each collection for my shop. I also do interior styling for clients. I will put a collection together for a client who needs something specific or is looking to refresh their space.

For instance, a gallery wall a holiday tablescape, or an overall room refresh. I specialize in having the ability to curate collections with a unique mix of old and new, making them more unique and one-of-a-kind. I am most proud of having the ability to balance what I truly love doing and making into a business that I love.

What does success mean to you?
Success is loving what you do for a living.

Contact Info:

• Website: the-collected.com
• Instagram: @thecollecteddesign
• Facebook: @thecollecteddesign