Mother Stories
Pregnancy Style: Kate Harmer Of Hum Creative
Written by Katie Hintz-Zambrano
Photography by PHOTOGRAPHED BY BELATHÉE PHOTOGRAPHY
Aug 27, 2015
We can’t think of a better first-ever Seattle mama to profile than Kate Harmer. As the founder of Hum Creative—an innovative branding studio known for its graphic, out-of-the-box designs—chances are you might have seen her work if you’ve popped into a Starbucks, gazed at a She & Him album cover, or visited the site HelloGiggles (she was the founding web designer) anytime over the last few years. Her latest project (alongside her “other half,” Death Cab For Cutie’s Nick Harmer) is a baby girl set to make her debut any day now. Here, the gorgeous mother-to-be shows us around her enviable home—in cute bump-friendly duds—and talks impending motherhood, being a boss, raising a bad-ass daughter, and dressing her blooming bod.
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- "I’d call it considered, but comfortable. I like to feel polished and generally try to stay aware of design trends, but I don’t have a lot of patience for high maintenance clothes. Everything I buy better work with a pair of sneaks." Kate wears a dress from Eileen Fisher.
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- "My style has become more feminine with pregnancy. I’ve always veered more gender neutral, but I’ve learned the joys of dresses and skirts out of pregnancy necessity. I may never go back to pants!"
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- "For months I lived in a fitted knit skirt from Storq with structured cropped sweaters and tops. I loved showing off my growing bump. In my third trimester the weather got hot—and I got much bigger—so my daily uniform is a flowy dress and Birkenstocks.”
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- "I’ve loved it. Pregnancy changed everything I’ve always believed about what does and doesn’t work on my body, and forced me to try on styles I never would have considered before. It almost feels like I’m shopping for and dressing someone else. I hope I never remember all my old hangups, and remain a little more adventurous post-pregnancy."
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- "Prism in Ballard stocks interesting pieces that have worked for most of my pregnancy, like boxy crop-tops and linen dresses. Aritzia is also a great option for non-maternity office wear. I’ve been obsessed with french fries and cannot get enough of the ones at Rachel’s Ginger Beer on Capitol Hill."
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- "Pregnancy has brought up a lot of emotions about my mother, but not all are purely sad. There are moments when I am in tears because I can’t call her to ask a question, and others when I feel like I’m getting to know her better through experiencing a bit of motherhood myself. I look at pictures of her as pregnant as I am now, and I understand her facial expressions more than I ever did before. Losing a parent means you have to work hard to keep learning from them. I imagine I’ll be doing a lot of mental detective work as my daughter grows up, hoping to tease out her life lessons from my memories."
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- "My mother was very independent and sure of both herself and her values. I don’t always feel like I received these traits, but I’m going to do my best to teach them.”
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- "I’m excited about how rapidly this world is changing for women, and think this is a great time to be a girl. I can’t wait to watch our daughter grow up knowing she can be and do anything she wants, and that the world will actually believe it, too. I think I secretly wanted a girl, but had convinced myself that we were having a boy. When we found out she was a girl, a huge wave of fear overwhelmed me. It’s a lot of pressure to teach someone to be a woman. Such an awesome challenge."
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- "We’re pretty sure we’ve chosen a name, but aren’t totally ready to commit. The name we have in mind is an old family name that I’ve always loved. It’s familiar, but not overwhelmingly common. We shared possible names with people early on and quickly realized that we didn’t need to hear everyone’s opinions on the matter."
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- "We’ve tried to keep gear to a minimum, but somehow there is still so much stuff! I want to keep this babe close for the first few months at least, so I’m excited to try out different types of baby carriers. We got an Ergobaby carrier and a Solly Baby wrap to start.” The beautifully illustrated Home by Carson Ellis.
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- "I wanted the nursery to feel calm and feminine, but not too traditionally girly and babyish. I’m going to spend a lot of time in there, so I wanted to create a space that felt great to me. We invested in a few nicer pieces, like a nice rug and comfy chair, that we could easily put anywhere else in the house. The rest of the room is from Ikea, which will allow for flexibility as our daughter gets older. I imagine it won’t take too long before the room is only hers, and her dresser is covered in puffy stickers."
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- "Nick will be on tour until just before the due date, so both my sister and mother-in-law have offered to stay with me right around that time. It will be nice to have them there in case anything happens unexpectedly. Nick will be home with me for a few months after the baby is born, and both our families are close. Our parents are super eager to help out when she gets here."
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- "I’m so excited about going on this adventure with my husband. Nick has a curiosity for the world and an optimistic outlook on life. I wish I had known him throughout my own childhood! I know he’ll be an amazing partner in parenting, and I can’t wait to see how he helps shape this new person."
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- "I worry a lot about passing my own habits and hangups on to my daughter. I've let anxiety inform much of my decision making throughout my life, and sometimes still do. I hope I can teach my daughter to be a more confident, brave, and adventurous person than I am."
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- "This dress is from Eileen Fisher's the Fisher Project line, which feels a bit younger and weirder to me. This is actually the first thing I bought after hearing I was pregnant and it has gotten me through a long hot summer. I’ve worn in a million times."
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- "I didn’t realize how many things change, in addition to your belly. My hips and butt relocated only a few months in, and I swear everything else is constantly shifting. The biggest surprise for me, however, has been how very clear it is that there is a baby in there! In the early months everything is quite abstract, but now I can feel feet and elbows, and the baby responds to me. I feel like I’ve got a little buddy with me at all times."
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- "We’ve been lucky to have a smooth, by-the-books pregnancy. (Knock on wood). I had no clue how short of breath I’d be, however. Forget walking up stairs, I can barely make it through a long sentence!"
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- "I wish someone had told me how sentimental I’d be! The smallest things can feel huge and punch me in the gut when I least expect them. There are so many commercials on TV right now that make me weepy. I do a lot of pretending something is in my eye these days."
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- "Information and advice from friends has been way more helpful than books. One friend sent me a Google doc of all the baby-related products that she truly used in the first three months, each one with a link to purchase. Another lent me a book about sleep with her notes about what did and didn’t work handwritten in the sidebars. I truly love when people say, 'don’t take anyone’s advice, but here’s mine…' I want to hear everything that my community has to share, even conflicting viewpoints, so that I feel ready to make my own decisions later."
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- "I’ve outlined a plan, but I’m really trying to focus on 'healthy baby' as the primary goal. I’ll use natural pain-coping methods and will see how much I can handle, but I won’t be disappointed if I wind up with an epidural or C-section. Much like weddings, I’m not sure I’ve ever heard of any birth going exactly as planned. I hope to stay open to the experience, however it winds up going."
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- "Hum is a full-service creative studio, developing brands for clients that are doing amazing things. We do everything from strategy and branding to websites, packaging, and book design. My role as the owner and creative director is to oversee the creative vision for both the work that we do and the studio as a whole. While much of my day is spent meeting with clients and checking in on projects, I’m also very focused on building a studio at which everyone is inspired to do their best work and loves coming in every day." Kate wears a Tienda Ho tunic, Adidas sneakers, and a Baleen necklace.
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- "I was a freelance designer and illustrator before pursuing my MFA at the Rhode Island School of Design. At RISD I had a lot of instructors who ran their own small studios and was inspired by their unique approaches to work and management. I left that program with a dream studio of my own in my head, and started Hum as soon as possible."
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- "Does 'tunic' mean that its supposed to be worn over pants? It might, but that hasn’t stopped me from wearing this one as a dress. It’s made of a super thick fabric so it feels like I’m wearing a soft blanket. When I hold my arms outright, you can see that this dress is truly just two squares of fabric with armholes in it. This will be a staple in my wardrobe well after baby is born.”
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- "This was a surprise to me, but building and fostering a creative team is immensely gratifying. It makes me so proud to see the Hum team create beautiful and thoughtful work, and so happy to see them enjoy each other’s company. This group has definitely become a family, and that drives me to work hard every day."
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- "I’m not sure I believe in big breaks, but I definitely believe in little ones. I try to see every project we do as a stepping stone to the next, and I’m a big believer in acknowledging small successes. Even if a project doesn’t help us gain visibility, it may teach us something new that will help us crush the next one."
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- "We recently did some rebranding work for Cornish College of the Arts, where I received my BFA. It felt pretty great to be hired and trusted by my alma mater, and to work directly with some of my old instructors. We’re currently working with a handful of clients who are shaping the city of Seattle in various ways, including KEXP, the public radio station; Forterra, Washington’s largest land conservation group; and Vulcan, which is helping build Seattle’s technology and science industries." Kate wears a Vince top, J Brand maternity jeans, AK Vintage necklace, Oliver Peoples sunglasses, and Yellow 108 hat.
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- "I’ve been trying to avoid buying maternity clothes, but there’s no hacking pants. These J Brand jeans are dark enough to wear to work and feel pretty comfy. This Vince top is thick, almost like a sweater, so it keeps my newly ‘outie' belly button under wraps. I like that it’s also a little bit sheer."
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- "Honestly, we don’t know how we’re going to do it. I want to be fully present for my child, but also for my company. My husband and I are both a bit obsessive about our work, so we’ll try to clearly define our time and continue to support each other both professionally and as parents. Our only plan is to be flexible, adjust as needed, and to ask for help often."
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- "Balancing his tour schedule is really about keeping perspective. Sure, it will be hard when he’s away, but that also means that he gets to be home, full time, in between tour dates. Not many dads get to spend the first three months at home with mom and new baby. Tour is the trade off. Luckily we also have two sets of grandparents who are ready and eager to help when he’s away."
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- "A few of our close friends threw a casual co-ed shower for our friends and immediate family at Rachel’s Ginger Beer in Seattle. It was perfect—there were no games, just good people all hanging out and having fun on a sunny Sunday afternoon. I sipped on a ginger beer while guests enjoyed cocktails and fries. They decorated the space with huge balloons spelling out YEAH BABY. Guests all brought their favorite children’s books, and filled out 18 years worth of birthday cards with sweet notes for the baby. I tried to read them, but couldn’t get past the first two years without sobbing, they are so sweet! My sister is also planning a 'sip and see’ after the baby is born. I love the idea of our daughter getting to meet her entire family all at once. I also can’t wait for an excuse to eat all the foods I’ve been missing throughout pregnancy. There will definitely be wine, salami, and soft cheeses at this sip and see."
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- To follow along on the rest of Kate's motherhood journey, check her out on Instagram.
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