- Words and Photographs by Lia Crowe
I meet Kate and Patrick at Bear & Joey Cafe to sip on oat-milk coffee drinks and chat life, style and what it is that makes this brother-and-sister team tick. While they both thrive on the connections they make with people through the process of real estate, Kate loves the interior design side of it—seeing the potential in homes—and Patrick finds the satisfaction of receiving positive feedback from happy clients really pumps his tires.
Recognizing the benefits of working as a team, I ask how they complement each other.
“We’re both social and we like connecting with people,” says Patrick, “but Kate is more of a big picture, creative, outside-the-box thinker than I am.”
And according to them both, Patrick excels at the necessary details of the business, making sure the i’s are dotted and the t’s are crossed.
Kate and Patrick grew up together and it’s pretty evident there’s a lot of laughter and the kind of inside-joke fun that only siblings can share. But it’s also clear there is a lot of mutual care and support as they talk about the life lessons they have both learned.
“I’ve really stopped comparing myself to other people and feeling the need to be doing more and more,” Kate says. “The best lesson has been to slow down. The reality is I have two kids and I’m doing really well for where I’m at. We will grow our business and there’s time for that, but there is also time to enjoy where we are at now.”
When it comes to style, Patrick likes to always wear at least one dressy element, and he believes fit is also important. For Kate, it’s all about comfort and trends, and she laughs, saying, “I am very much a ‘screenshoot Instagram outfits and try to recreate them’ person.”
Kate…
Fashion & Beauty
Uniform: Casual and clean.
Favourite denim, brand and cut: Denim Forum high-waisted skinny jeans.
Current go-to clothing item: Daily uniform is jeans and a white button-up shirt.
Best new purchase: Cream cowboy boots.
Favourite day bag: Louis Vuitton Neverfull.
Accessory you spend the most money on: My bag (Louis Vuitton Neverfull).
Favourite work tool: My laptop; it goes everywhere with me.
Sunglasses: Black aviators.
Scent: BYREDO Bal d’Afrique.
Favourite skincare product: ZO Exfoliating Polish.
Favourite hair product: Olaplex shampoo.
Style Inspirations & Life
Favourite musician: Can I say Justin Bieber?
Favourite local restaurant: Stage Wine Bar.
Favourite city to visit: Buenos Aires.
Favourite app: Instagram.
Favourite place in the whole world: Home.
Reading Material
What you read online for style: I get 99 per cent of my style inspo from Instagram.
Fave print magazine: Architectural Digest.
Coffee table book/photography book: Live Beautiful by Athena Calderone.
Book currently reading: Fear Is Just a Four-Letter Word by Tracy Tutor.
Patrick…
Reading Material
Last great read: Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris.
Book currently reading: The Sisters Brothers by Patrick deWitt.
Favourite book of all time: The Alice Network by Kate Quinn.
Clothes/Grooming
Uniform: Currently…black denim from Oxford on Johnson Street.
Favourite denim, brand and cut: Slim, light-wash from Oxford.
Current go-to clothing item: Jersey cotton button-ups by Desoto from Outlooks.
Favourite pair of shoes: Cole Haan navy cloth shoe.
Favourite Day-bag: Leather computer bag from Oxford in black.
Accessory you spend the most money on: Nomos Tangente Watch.
Sunglasses: Persol.
Style Inspirations & Life
Favourite fashion designer or brand: Lululemon.
Favourite local restaurant: Tapa Bar.
Favourite cocktail or wine: Old Fashion, pinot noir (especially love the Oregon region).
Favourite city to visit: Budapest.
Favourite place in the whole world: Byron Bay.
Story courtesy of Boulevard Magazine, a Black Press Media publication
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