Tell us about your background and your career path prior to Heritage
I was born and raised in Oregon and moved to Portland in 2013. Prior to starting interior design school at HSID, I worked in the customer service industry and had multiple barista jobs. I also spent time working as a florist and during the pandemic I created a vintage shop where I sourced and sold vintage furniture which I loved.
Why did you decide to pursue interior design as your career?
I’ve always loved interior design, and it’s always been a career option that I’ve considered. During my childhood I would constantly rearrange and redecorate my room, and I still do that now! At the beginning of the pandemic I was laid off from my barista job so I started my vintage furniture store. During that time, I was sourcing furniture and decor for friends and family. I enjoyed it so much that I realized I wanted to pursue interior design as an actual career. Since I had so much free time, it felt like a great opportunity to go back to school for a formal education in interior design.
What challenges did you have to overcome to get where you are today?
The biggest challenge I had to overcome was dealing with imposter syndrome and learning how to feel confident and proud of my work and my talents – that’s something I’m still learning! Learning the technical skills for interior, including AutoCAD and SketchUp, helped to boost my confidence and allowed me to feel more credible. Presenting my work to my peers and professors pushed me to grow a lot as well.
Where do you draw inspiration from?
I am really drawn to hard surfaces, particularly tile and stone, and that’s where a lot of my inspiration tends to start. I love seeing the mix of colors, texture & pattern. I’m also inspired by mid-century architecture and vintage furniture, I particularly love designs from the modernism and post modern eras. I love the funkiness and mix of shapes and colors that are in post modern design and that’s something I try to include in my designs.
What is the best advice you’ve ever received?
The best advice I’ve received is to not take criticism from someone you would not go to for advice. It helped me focus on just living my life in the way that feels best to me, and seek advice from the people I admire and who are living in ways I aspire to live.
What is your future career goal as an interior designer?
A dream of mine is to design and open a local bar with my partner. I’d also love to design some really luxurious hotels – I’m very inspired by the Proper Hotels that Kelly Wearstler has designed. It would also be exciting to design some fun, kitschy motels like the Madonna Inn.
What are you working on currently as a designer?
I recently redesigned a co-working space in SE Portland called Idyl Space. The building is industrial and has amazing bones with exposed concrete walls, exposed beams, and concrete floors. I wanted to maintain that industrial element but bring in pieces that added coziness and luxury. It’s a very open space so I was able to create private work zones by dividing the space with drapery and sourcing meeting rooms that look like little phone booths. See the gallery below!
After that project I began working at Ann Sacks Tile & Stone in an administrative role but am hoping to grow into a design position.
