About Cathy Lee
Cathy Lee brings flair and a passion for people to every venture she undertakes. She established herself in Honolulu’s business world by creating Mix It Up!, a fun series of after-work socials that attracted more than 2000 professionals at a time and became a popular fixture of the urban scene. But Cathy chalks up her biggest romantic success to another venture, her video dating service, whose most charming client she would end up marrying.
In 2002 the interior designer helping her remodel a half-finished house she’d bought stopped returning her calls. Not a trained professional but ever the entrepreneur, Cathy decided to tackle the project herself. She embarked on a year and a half of self-study and on-the-job learning, complete with false starts, beginner’s mistakes and mind-numbing work. The result—a lush Island/Eclectic house with movie theater, meditation room and floor-to-ceiling views of the surrounding Hawaiian mountains—caught the attention of the design world. Homescape magazine featured her home on its Fall 2003 cover with an 11-page spread inside.
Cathy continued to develop her unique style with numerous luxury homes she purchased, remodeled, decorated and sold. She developed a following among design-challenged homeowners seeking advice and organized Invitation to Design workshops to meet demand. She cites mixing styles and textures, making bold statements in relaxing spaces and avoiding matchy-matchy elements as key style signatures. The inspiration she draws from movies, magazines and travels with her husband and their 8-year-old daughter is evident in Cathy’s signature look: tropical touches, clean urban lines, exotic Mediterranean and Asian accents.
Since launching RSVPstyle with partner Lissa Rodrigues in late 2006, Cathy’s phenomenal energy has gone into making sophisticated home design and décor fundamentals accessible to anyone willing to learn. Her lessons delivered through sold-out Invitation to Design workshops and seminars, RSVPstyle’s Invitation to Design Style Kit and DVD series, and RSVPstyle.com. The interactive site is anchored by Cathy’s expertise and her dangerously addictive if-I-can-do-it-so-can-you attitude. 
It features video tips, expert interviews and articles and a community of online enthusiasts who sign up for free help in developing their own eye for design. Users post photos of their own project or Cool Finds, exchange comments and get help for Design Dilemmas.
In addition, Cathy’s interior design columns are featured monthly on AroundHawaii.com, an Oceanic Time Warner website; and with Crystal Cruises and Outrigger Travel she is developing an Invitation to Design workshop to host aboard the Crystal Symphony. Her homes have been featured in local publications as well as on HGTV's House Hunters – High-Dollar Homes in Hawaii.
A hands-on mom, Cathy involves herself in school and community activities. She has brought her fresh ideas and energy to fundraising for the American Heart Association, American Diabetes Association, American Red Cross and Make-A-Wish Foundation. Her philosophy is that as with creating and learning, giving back should be fun.