For Marion resident Kate Ross, being a designer isn’t about showing off. It’s making practical choices to bring simplicity back into your life, whether that’s creating a more open space in your home or a new collar for your favorite canine.

A former sports marketer with a bachelor’s in art history, Ross is expanding her “lifestyle” company, Kate Ross Designs, to include everything from interior design to artwork to pet products.

Having designed the house she currently lives in, Ross said she is ready to help others transform their homes into peaceful places. Ross spent a year designing every aspect of her house, including the doorknobs, hinges, and a 15-foot kitchen island that would make Martha Stewart drool.

“There’s so much I put into this house,” Ross said. “I wanted it to be peaceful with neutral colors. It has a modern/industrial/barn feel. I kept playing with old and new. I didn’t want it fancy. I wanted it open.”

And, it doesn’t have to be expensive, she said. Ross used old coffee bags, purchased at $1 a piece, to create cushions for her kitchen stools. For other pieces, including her kitchen island, Ross turned to local artists to construct her designs.

A native of Buffalo, New York, Ross worked as a public relations representative for the Buffalo Bills football team before moving to Marion.

It was Ross’s love for her two dogs that prompted a career change.

“I was working sports marketing and I loved it. But, I was working a million hours and leaving my dogs at home all of the time,” Ross said.

“Life is about simplicity and joy. In Buffalo, I had a very busy life. I came here and I’m so much happier. It’s gorgeous here, it’s simple, and it’s quiet.”

In 2003, Ross expanded her business by designing dog collars with Tartan Hound by Kate Ross.

“I make dog collars. That’s it,” Ross said. “I don’t have some new invention. I want a cute collar on my dog. Pets bring such a simple happiness to your life. You laugh when they walk in covered with mud.”

In 2011, Ross became the Executive Director of the New Bedford Art Museum. She left the position a year later to focus on growing her business, and even though she was there for a brief time, Ross said she enjoyed what she was able to accomplish.

“We made a lot of changes while I was there,” Ross said. “I’m especially proud that we renovated the entire museum. We got the museum going in a forward direction.”

With the newly expanded Kate Ross Designs up and running, Ross said she is looking for her next interior design project as well as searching for a retail space to help showcase her work and that of other artists.

“I want to bring simple and practical pieces to people and show people how to use them,” Ross said. “Life is so chaotic without even trying. When you go home you need a peaceful place.”