Happy Karma Homes lights up Central Texas with quality home renovation
By Elizabeth Finkenbinder | Photos courtesy of Derek and Anna Morris
Three words come to mind when you meet Derek and Anna Morris — energy, integrity and love. This husband-and-wife team, a powerhouse couple who own Happy Karma Homes, exudes joy and excitement when talking about their home renovation and restoration business.
They launched the local company in July 2019 after both had decided to quit high-powered executive jobs to pursue the adventure of owning a business.
Derek and Anna had known each other since childhood because their parents were friends, but they did not spend much time together growing up. They would see each other at holidays on occasion and catch up, but then go about their lives.
Anna went to Southern Methodist University in Dallas and got a degree in corporate communications. She ended up living in New York and enjoyed a thriving career in pharmaceutical sales for more than a decade.
Derek graduated from Texas A&M with a degree in accounting and ended up working in the oil and gas industry in the Houston area.
They pursued these goals separately for several years. Even after Derek visited Anna in New York, they still did not end up together.
Finally, they reunited during the holidays one year and began spending time together, pretty quickly realizing that they belonged together and the rest was history.
They married in 2014, and one of their first goals was to travel the world before they settled into any kind of domestic life. For three years, they traveled happily, observing culture, architecture and home designs from more than 30 countries.
Once they returned to Texas, they continued for a while in their chosen career paths. Anna had lived in Austin and started a wellness company and worked as a life coach. These pursuits really enabled her to listen deeply to people and their needs.
They both had been feeling that they were unhappy in their current careers, even though they were on a fast track to financial and professional success.
Secretly Anna had always loved interior design. She used to rearrange her bedroom furniture frequently as a child. She had grown up in the historical district of Temple, so she really appreciated the beauty of older homes.
Derek had always loved architecture, and so it seemed their circumstances had brought them around to starting a company for themselves.
Friends were very supportive of the dream, even though it didn’t seem to make sense from a practical standpoint.
In 2019, they began Happy Karma Homes. They had spent so much time traveling that they became what they fondly called “self-professed homebodies.” They wanted their clients to find a forever home that would be a place of refuge and joy.
“We create homes you will love and never want to leave, from the flow of the house to the colors to the efficient use of storage,” Derek said.
They agreed enthusiastically that the best moment is when they ask the client what they want in a house and see their eyes light up as they discuss their dream home and what daily life would look like living in that space. The satisfaction they get from making that family’s life better is worth every bit of the hard work they put into each project.
Anna spoke about their desire for customers not to be stressed out during the home renovation process, which led to the name “Happy Karma Homes.”
They want people to have peace during the process and for clients to know that they will also have integrity in that proce
The Morrises greatest desire is to serve customers well and live up to their “brand integrity” by giving clients the most solidly built and beautifully designed home possible, a home designed to be a forever space for each family who hires them.
They are currently working on projects in North Temple’s historical district. The goal for completion of each home is usually around six months.
On April 30, the Historic Preservation League will be promoting Temple’s historical district with a trailer block party on Ninth Street near the renovation projects on which they are currently working. This will be an informational session about restoring old homes and preserving the integrity of those houses as well as other design information.
The couple has a Facebook page called Happy Karma Homes as well as a website where anyone can look at their work. The newly renovated homes glow with fresh paint and new floors, but they especially shine because of the love and creativity this couple has poured into each one.
Derek and Anna reside in North Temple with their son Jack and two dogs, and were preparing to welcome another baby in March.
If you are in the market to renovate or restore an old home, Derek and Anna Morris will transform your house into a forever happy home.
Happy Karma Homes
401 N. Main St. #844, Temple
512-549-6467
happykarmahomes.com
