I’ve been interested in how to design inviting and functional spaces since a childhood. I remember sitting with my mother in meetings planning and developing Puget Ridge Cohousing, where our family was a founding member. Listening to the architects in the group discuss how to foster community with design inspired me and eventually melded with my dabbling in theater production to become a passion for interior design.
I traveled to New York to attend Pratt Institute and completed the rigorous bachelor degree in interior design with honors. The program pushed the limits of my creativity with a highly conceptual curriculum. A semester studying in Copenhagen balanced the abstract focus of Pratt with an emphasis on unfussy user-focused design.
I graduated in 2009 and returned to Seattle where I started a ten year job at Couch, a Seattle-based custom furniture showroom. There I began working with clients to design custom pieces and, over time, became the store manager. Working at Couch rounded out my education including the logistics of running a business from supply chain management to branding. It was also a great learning environment on how best to work with clients to meet their needs, while managing expectations.
However, as the business grew my role became less creative and more administrative, and I began to miss having a creative outlet. Over time side projects in both event planning and interior design have become more and more fulfilling and I hope to transition into something that involves more design and artistic skills.