Growing up surrounded by carpenters in her family, Kari developed a passion for construction and carpentry work from a young age. As a kid, Kari was always dreaming up elaborate house plans, spending hours sketching blueprints and picking out furniture from her parents' old Sears and JCPenney catalogs (who remembers those?!). She even created invoices for each room to make an overall budget cost for her houses (you know, normal kid stuff). It's no wonder she would find herself in the remodeling and design world.

Kari, alongside her husband David, co-founded DeShong Design + Remodeling. Originally from Ohio, she made the move to Pittsburgh from Raleigh, North Carolina in 2011. With a Bachelor's degree in Biology from Ohio Northern University and a Master's degree in Environmental Studies from Ohio University, Kari brings a unique blend of analytical thinking along with creative insight to the construction industry.

Outside of work, Kari loves spending time with her family and friends. She enjoys hosting, camping, and hiking during her free time. Recently, she started combining all three activities by organizing an annual multi-family camping weekend in various states and locations. She invites over 200+ families and individuals (and it's growing!). If you're interested, just ask! Don't worry; you don't need to be social to join!