After I graduated from Santa Clara University, I followed my best friend to San Francisco, where I became a European handbag buyer for I. Magnin. I was hired away by one of my vendors, Bottega Veneta, to open a new store on Rodeo Drive. It was at that point, working with their architects, that my eyes were opened to a new career path. They were designing a jewel box space with lacquered rosewood cabinetry, velvet lined drawers and innovative lighting. I knew I wanted to switch gears.

I moved back to Portland, where I had gone to high school, and got a degree in architecture from what was then the Oregon School of Design. I was very lucky to be hired by one of my professors and revered Architect, Thom Hacker. After a few years at his firm, I started my own design firm with Ann Laman, a woman with whom I’d gone through school. We worked successfully together for 17 years. I have been working on my own with a small staff of very talented women since then.