I was born in Hollywood but raised in the epicenter of the American Arts & Crafts movement of South Pasadena. Growing up I learned to admire and respect the design aesthetic which I find myself referencing in my work with turn of the century home remodels and renovations to modern Green designs. While in college, I decided I needed my own source of income and I found myself in retail, where I remained for over 10 years and where I started my design career. I found I had a knack for creating displays and my strength developed as a visual merchandiser. My skills took me throughout California both at the single store, multi-location and some corporate level with Restoration Hardware, The GAP, The Disney Store and Smith & Hawken where I learned the intricacies of space planning, ADA compliance and creating spaces that were both visually pleasing and functional.

While the store manager for the now closed San Francisco location of Smith & Hawken, the University of California Berkeley opened their city location for design and art of the School of Extended Education (or UC Berkeley Extension) on the ground floor of the high rise apartment building my partner and I were living in at the time. I had Tuesday afternoons free and decided to fill the time by taking a class: Introduction to Interior Design. After the first few weeks of classes, I fell in love with interior design. I quit my retail job and decided to go back to school in the fall of 2003 full time to attend the UC Berkeley Extension