From Designer to Founder: Why I Built FifthHouse
Some creative studios are born from opportunity. FifthHouse was born from experience, conviction, and a desire to do things differently.
After more than a decade working across agencies and in-house teams, I realized something was missing. I wanted a space where strategic design and intuitive thinking could coexist. A studio built not just to make things look good, but to help brands show up clearly across every platform. Identity, web, campaigns, all of it.
That space didn't exist in the way I imagined. So I built it myself.
The Long Way Around
My path into branding and design wasn't traditional. I come from a working-class family. Both of my parents served in the military. I worked my way through college as a line cook. Those early experiences taught me to move with precision, solve problems under pressure, and take pride in every detail. That mindset still shapes how I work.
I learned early that design isn't just visual. What communicates clearly to one audience might miss completely with another. It has to work for different people in different contexts. Growing up across cultures in Japan and Mexico gave me a wider lens to pull from and taught me to think about who's on the receiving end, not just what looks good.
Over the years, I've led campaigns for national brands, built visual systems from scratch, and partnered with marketing teams to launch startups, products, and large-scale initiatives. The through line in all of it: great creative work takes more than good taste. It takes clarity, emotional intelligence, and a strategic foundation that holds up across every touchpoint.
FifthHouse was built to provide exactly that.
What Makes Us Different
FifthHouse isn't a high-volume branding shop. We don't churn out logos and disappear. We work with founders, marketing teams, and small brands that are ready to level up their presence and want a creative partner, not just a vendor.
That means brand identity that's strategic and flexible. Web design that works and feels like you. Campaign branding for launches and high-visibility moments. Creative direction that helps you think bigger and stay consistent. Design systems that make execution easier across your team.
We don't vanish after the handoff. We guide you through the process, shape the strategy, and create work that's meant to be used, not just admired.
Why "FifthHouse"
In astrology, the fifth house represents creativity, self-expression, and the spark that makes something original. It's where instinct meets artistry. That felt true to the kind of work I wanted to do.
Over the years, I've been called a design goddess (their words, not mine), a wizard, and told more than once that what I do feels like magic. When it came time to name the studio, I leaned into that. Not as a gimmick, but as a reflection of the intuition and creative fire that's always shaped my work.
FifthHouse isn't built on mystique for its own sake. It's grounded, strategic, and designed to deliver creative solutions that are aligned, intentional, and yours.
Who This Is For
We work with:
Startups preparing to launch or relaunch
Organizations that need a website that actually reflects their brand
Small businesses ready to refresh their identity
Marketing teams looking for an embedded design partner
Founders who want visual storytelling that matches their ambition
Whether you need a full visual identity, a design system, a campaign, or a website that says what you actually mean, we meet you where you are and help you get where you're going.
What's Next
FifthHouse is just getting started. We've already become a trusted partner for brands that value thoughtful, high-impact creative work. But the vision isn't just to deliver great design. It's to build long-term relationships with people who understand that their brand is one of their most valuable assets.
This studio is an extension of everything I believe about design. It should be intentional, expressive, and crafted with care. It should work just as well on a screen as it does in print.
Quick Answers
What is FifthHouse?
A creative studio offering brand identity, web design, campaign branding, and creative direction for startups, small businesses, and marketing teams.
Who runs FifthHouse?
Kashia Spalding founded FifthHouse with over a decade of experience across agencies and in-house creative teams.
What's the difference between FifthHouse and an agency?
You work directly with senior-level creatives. No account managers, no layers. Strategic thinking without the overhead.
Where is FifthHouse based?
Nashville, but we work with clients everywhere.
The Takeaway
I didn't build FifthHouse because I wanted to start a business. I built it because I wanted to do the work the way I knew it should be done. Strategic, personal, and built to last.
If you're building something meaningful and want your brand to reflect that, this is what we made FifthHouse for.
