Have you always been so creative + artistic?

As a kid, I was obsessed with Crayola Crayons. For some girls it was the new Barbie- but for me those waxy colorful sticks gave me a key to a private world that was fueled by my imagination. I swear, >laugh< I think I had a portfolio with designs from the time I was 5. To this day I still find it exciting to buy a new marker + I must confess that I am guilty of being able to spend hours at the art store.

You have degrees in both architecture + interior design, do you find that they are a harmonious mix.... or not?

Well, when I decided to get my Masters in Architecture from SCIARC my junior year of art school I thought it was the next natural step. Little did I know what a heated controversy it would soon follow. I was told by a professor at SCIARC that I had done myself a "huge disservice" but between you + me, I feel he was wrong. Granted, each field of study concentrates on completely distinct functions of volume + space but I feel that my background in design only makes my work that much stronger + thoughtful- + vice versa. A good design of of any structure or object must not only have an provocative formalization but should also have had a careful study of function. Yes, it makes the work harder-- but in my opinion, it makes it better. Good design shouldn't come easy; if it does then you need to look at it again. I also think that because of my mixed cultural background, I am always trying to harmonize completely distinct influences.

What/who are your influences?

Everything influences me. It could be anything really- a painting, a building, the way a man caresses a woman's hand, the curves of a soft serve vanilla cone, music, stitching on a blouse or nature. I try to make an effort to learn a little about many things: carpentry, sewing, metal work, cooking, etc. Beauty + influence is everywhere- you just have to open yourself up to see it. 

How would describe your life?

The world is my canvas.