By Donna Heiderstadt

Sometimes, all the inspiration you need to set you on the proper career path is right in your own backyard. “I grew up in a town with lots of historical homes from the late 1800s and early 1900s, which initially got me interested in residential design. I was always fascinated with the architecture and style,” said Abby Via, who is currently the Right Kitchen and Bath Designer for Mosby Building Arts in Kirkwood, MO, where she has worked since 2021 and has been responsible for $1.4 million in kitchen and bathroom projects in 2022. When Abby found the Residential Environments and Design program at Virginia Tech, her decision was easy. 

One of the first projects Abby worked on following graduation was a double bathroom remodel for a house built in 1906. It remains one of her most memorable because she was able to make both spaces more functional for the homeowners by rearranging layouts and adding storage. “Watching a space transform before your eyes is completely rewarding,” said 26-year-old Abby. “Seeing my clients’ joy after the project is complete makes it all worth it.”

Abby, who chooses the word “intentional” to describe herself and plans to apply for NKBA’s CKBD certification in the spring, admits she enjoys elements of many design styles. “I lean most toward Transitional and Grandmillennial design as I love pairing traditional influences with modern flairs,” she explains.

Volunteering is another passion. Abby currently serves as a committee member for NKBA’s Missouri/Southern Illinois chapter as well as Mosby Building Arts’ Community Outreach Committee. Its most recent initiative involved partnering with the nonprofit Special Spaces to transform the bedroom of a five-year-old girl with cancer. “I worked with two other Mosby designers to achieve her room,” Abby explained. “We planned it all: measured and documented the space, interviewed the family, designed, researched furniture and fixtures, and then did the work.”

When she’s not making clients happy with her design accumen, Abby enjoys reading (she’s a member of two book clubs), cooking, concert-going, playing pickleball and exploring all that St. Louis has to offer with Josh, her husband of two years. She also loves visiting New York City. “There’s a part of me that thinks I need to live there for a bit to try it out,” she said. “The city feels alive and is unlike anywhere else I’ve been. Each time I go, I look forward to the architecture and good food the most.” Still, Abby has set her sights far wider than the Big Apple. “I want to travel to all fifty states to fully experience what the U.S. has to offer,” she said.