Designer Spotlight

1. Where are you from?

I was born in Boulder, Colorado and up until I was 7, we lived in the mountains just west of Boulder in Lefthand Canyon. Once my youngest sister was born, my parents decided they needed to be closer to the city, so we moved to Longmont. When I was in high school, we moved again to a small hobby farm in between Longmont and Boulder and had horses and chickens on 4 acres.

2. What drew you to hospitality design over something else?

In college, I was able to travel more as an adult and got to experience the hotels in Las Vegas and New York for the first time (that weren’t a Hampton Inn). I was blown away by the way they made me feel and that I had the option to be a designer for such immersive and expressive spaces. I decided that Hospitality design was what I wanted to pursue and didn’t stop until I became a hospitality designer.

3. What’s one design trend you’re loving right now?

Color drenching. I love that color is back in style and the way that a drenched room feels both dramatic and cozy at the same time.

4. What’s a design trend you hope never comes back?

Cool, millennial grey everything.

5. Where do you look for and find inspiration in the world?

Travel, social media, magazines, and fellow designers.

6. What do you consider your greatest achievement?

Earlier in my career, I had the privilege of seeing my design come to life as the lead designer for the AC Hotel in Los Angeles. This was a large, new construction property with an affluent owner that was looking for a modern hotel with a European look and feel. With the proximity to the LAX airport, the owners group also wanted nods to aviation without being literal. The freedom I was given with my design concepts, and the final outcome is what makes it my greatest achievement. If you look at the reception desk closely, you’ll see it’s modeled after an airplane wing and the sloped ceiling of the bar lounge mimics the ascent of an airplane.

7. What’s your favorite kind of space to design?

I love designing restaurants, bars, and hotel public spaces like the reception and lobby areas. Westwind Tavern is a great example of a recent, beautiful restaurant design. This property has been in the KTI portfolio for many years, and I was honored to help the owners group bring their vision to life for the next phase of its life. Not only was the square footage of the restaurant increased (which allowed for a giant indoor/outdoor bar), but it went from a warm traditional design to a sleek industrial tavern.

8. What’s the best part about finishing a project?

Getting it photographed and experiencing it finally clean and being used by guests!

9. What’s your favorite KTI Hospitality project?

My favorite project so far with my time at KTI has been our Northstar Lodge in Lake Tahoe, California. It’s a collection of 3 buildings that are being remodeled in phases over the next 5 years. We have partnered with Marriott Vacation Worldwide to rebrand the buildings with a new narrative to make all of the buildings more cohesive and memorable. We’ve completed the model room for the first building and are anticipating a completion the spring of 2026. I love narrative building and bringing a design to life with the power of storytelling – I can’t wait for it to be completed and photographed for you all to see.

10. What’s your favorite non-hospitality KTI project?

The residential team’s Funk it Up project. What a dramatic and fun transformation! I like when renovations really reflect the clients personality, and I feel like the residential team did a great job of showing off their clients.

11. What are you watching right now?

Love Island USA just started back up, so you know I’m locked in on that one. We’re also watching the final season of YOU which has been very entertaining.

12. Tell us about your family (and fur babies!)

At home, it’s my husband Charlie and I with our two dogs Hudson and Hope. Charlie and I adopted Hudson – a lab mix in 2020 (shout out to the pandemic puppies!), got married in 2021 and adopted Hope; a golden retriever/spaniel mix in 2023. 

13. What’s one food you couldn’t live without?

Mexican food. I could literally eat it for every meal, every day and die happy. My current hyper-fixation is the family-run restaurant called Venalonzo’s Tacos near I-25 and Arapahoe.

14. Take us through your 5 to 9 AM before your 9 to 5.

My AM consists of waking up at 5:30 for a quiet morning of coffee and reading before work.

15. Do you have a party trick or hidden talent?

I have been around and ridden horses my whole life, and had a horse named Oliver for almost 30 years. I went to CSU for a few years and played on the (horse) Polo Team. I haven’t kept up with this talent since I lost Oli in 2021, but I want to get back into it and learn something new. Maybe I’ll join the local Polo Club??

16. If your fingers could dispense 5 beverages, what would they be?

Sparkling water with lime, coffee, margaritas, horchata and ice water (I’m not a big flavored drink girlie, I mostly just drink gallons of water – ha!)

17. Where can we find you on a Saturday?

I love training my dogs and doing things with them, so we have puppy school most weekends. They’re currently working towards service dog certifications and learning agility for fun. I am also a ravenous reader and have finished 23 books this year so far. I read mostly fiction right now. I love thrillers with a good twist and have been captivated by fanfiction books. The creativity that authors bring when the universe they’re writing about has already been developed just lures me in and it’s not often I read a bad one.

18. What’s a hobby you hope to pick up one day?

I’d like to learn to play the piano and learn a new language.   

19. Where is the best place you’ve travelled?

It’s a tie between New England in the fall (the leaves turning was a vibe) and London.

20. How would you describe your personal design style?

When I design for myself, my style is traditional, colorful, layered, and patterned verging on maximalism (a style characterized by bold colors, layered patterns, diverse textures and a “more is more” approach). I love unusual, and quirky items that really showcase who we are and our personalities. Here at work, I don’t think I have a personal design style – I listen to my clients’ vision and bring that to life no matter the look they’re going for!