Hospitality Design - June 2015 - 99

medical offices, I quickly felt the need for
a new project type and reached out to my
college mentor [Randy Stegmeier]. He was
a one-man show at the time, and had just
lined up enough work to potentially need my
help for at least the coming year. In my three
years with Firm 151, we grew into a team of
four and worked closely with a construction
company, essentially becoming a designbuild group.
While I enjoyed the hands-on approach that
came with the small design-build scenario,
I had friends who spoke highly of their
experiences in the big firm environment.
Curious more than anything, I ended up
casually interviewing with one of the
larger architecture firms in Portland. I was
immediately offered a position as the lead
designer on a team that focused solely on
projects that were in collaboration with
Architropolis, a firm I had read about
in college, known for their maximalist
approach to design, which had partnered

1. Smallwares restaurant
and lounge in Portland,
Oregon is outfitted in
a red and white palette
and elements of wood
and stone.
2. The moody interior
of a Dream South Beach
Miami's guestroom.
3. Locally sourced
salvaged materials and
antique pieces mingle in
the Multnomah Whiskey
Library in Portland,
Oregon.

2
with the firm for some large jobs requiring
production power. The partnership
eventually dissolved, and I moved on to join
the Architropolis team as director of design.
After two and a half years in the fast-paced
position, I decided to take a sabbatical to
travel.
My big break: Upon returning, I promptly
moved from Portland to Miami in 2009 to
oversee the execution of the Dream South
Beach, which I had been the lead designer
on at Architropolis. After the hotel opened
in 2010, I headed back to Portland, and
settled back into freelance life. A year
later my business partner [and college
friend Larissa Burden] sat me down to
say she was ready to make the jump into
entrepreneurship and just like that we began
the process of starting up ELK Collective. So
far so good-I wouldn't trade the struggle of
business ownership for anything.
My first reality check was the first time I
sat in a budget meeting with a contractor
and client. Having your design priced out,
prioritized, and value engineered to an
'acceptable' point is a rude awakening; one
that only gets easier and more avoidable as
you grow as a designer.

3

In January of 2014, I was asked to consult
as director of design for New York-based
Hampshire Hotels for the company's new
lifestyle division, Début Hotel Group. For the
past year, I have been working closely with
the team at Début to develop the exciting
new brands they are bringing to the market.
I currently split my time between Portland
and New York.

The project I am most proud of is
[Portland's] Multnomah Whiskey Library.
That one was a real passion project for the
client and quickly became the same for me.
The concept and style were very different
from anything else I had worked on at that
point, and it is one I can look back on and
know that I am better for having been a part
of it.
My design style is avant-garde. My personal
style is effortless.
The space I love but didn't design is the
Wayfarer in New York by Meyer Davis. I
find the simple elegance refreshing.
My mentor is Michael Czysz of
Architropolis.
Designer I admire is Faye Toogood. The
fashion icon I love is Iris Apfel.
Guilty pleasure: flea markets. When my
friends refer to me as a hoarder, I am quick
to correct them-collector, not hoarder.
I would like my tombstone to read 'La vie en
rose.'
Recently Completed Projects:
Hotel Lucia (guestrooms), Portland, Oregon
Dream South Beach, Miami
Smallwares, Portland, Oregon
Levant, Portland, Oregon
Multnomah Whiskey Library, Portland, Oregon
Projects on the Boards:
East Bank Saloon, Portland, Oregon
The Green Room, Portland, Oregon
Desert Rose Hotel, Las Vegas
Alameda Guest House, Portland, Oregon

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