How I found My Way Into Design

For the past 25 years, I’ve specialized in kitchen and bath design for Chicago’s North Shore and the greater Chicagoland area — transforming thousands of kitchens, bathrooms, and interior spaces in homes across Winnetka, Glencoe, Lake Forest, Northbrook, and the surrounding suburbs. My journey has evolved from hands-on design to business ownership, which gives me a perspective that bridges beautiful, functional design with a clear understanding of the most efficient path from concept to completion.

My path into design started in my own kitchen. I was 23, teaching school, and used a summer off to design and renovate the kitchen in my first house. I loved it more than I expected to. A few years later, a friend in the industry mentioned a kitchen design position at a local firm.  I took it as a side project, and within a year, I’d left teaching for good. Twenty-five years later, what still pulls me in is that no two kitchens are the same. Every client comes to the table with different priorities, different challenges, and a different idea of what their space should feel like. The finished projects are beautiful, but the part I love most is watching a client walk into their new space and genuinely light up. That moment is why I keep doing this.