In 2001, Kate moved to Philadelphia from Bucks County to attend Moore College of Art + Design, where she received her BFA in 2005. While studying, she waited tables and poured cocktails in the evenings at Stephen Starr’s flagship restaurant, The Continental. Experiencing the impact and energy of the restaurant’s design firsthand further inspired Rohrer’s passion and continues to inform many of her hospitality projects to date, both operationally and aesthetically.
Rohrer started her interior design career in 2005 at Daroff Design and continued to cultivate her career at a boutique interior design studio in Philadelphia, alongside the founder. She worked on concepts for Starwood Capital Group, BR Guest Restaurants, Mina Group, MGM Grand, Starr Restaurants, LDV Hospitality, and the Ritz-Carlton Clubs.
In 2014 ROHE Creative was founded with a desire to create custom, detailed, and concept-driven spaces in her beloved city, Philadelphia. Rohrer has 16 years of experience in the hospitality design industry and brings a unique understanding of design past and present to the table. She can seamlessly blend styles, create strong conceptual narratives, and creatively approaches design challenges, project budgets, and schedules. She has led her female-owned and operated design studio through many award-winning projects and continues to receive accolades for the creation of compelling restaurant and hotel experiences, not just in Philadelphia, but beyond.
Rohrer was awarded 2017’s Best Restaurant Designer by Philadelphia Magazine, and has been featured in Food & Wine, Martha Stewart, Domino, Elle Décor, Wallpaper, Design*Sponge, Architectural Digest, Forbes, and Philadelphia Magazine’s 2019 New Power List. Recently she was honored by industry peers, Hospitality Design Magazine, as a recipient of their 2019 Wave of the Future Award.
In her free time, Kate can be found renovating her properties and hosting guests at the ROHEHOUSE BnB’s in Fishtown, Philadelphia, and The Poconos. She is a forever student; studying art, design, furniture, hospitality trends, and operations through her travel and explorations. When she’s not working you can find her on the beaches of Cape May, scouring antique stores and flea markets, and enjoying life with her ten-year-old son, Oliver, and two-year-old daughter, Dottie aka Dot-Dot.