INTERIOR DESIGN BLOG

When people ask how I ended up in architecture and interior design, I usually laugh and say, “It started with psychology, and a little anthropology.”

I was born in Costa Rica to an American dad and a Dutch mom, and I grew up moving through different cultures. Add in a lot of travel, and I got to see firsthand how people all over the world live, gather, and express themselves through their surroundings. That mix of experiences planted the seed for my interest in design, it made me curious about how environments shape the way we feel and connect.

Before diving into design, I earned a B.A. in Psychology with a minor in Anthropology, then spent ten years working in operations and marketing. On paper, it might look like a big career switch, but honestly, it all connects. Psychology taught me how spaces influence mood, focus, and connection, while anthropology gave me a deep appreciation for culture, history, and the way environments reflect daily life. My career in marketing and operations added project management, communication, and problem-solving to the mix, skills I lean on constantly in design.

Now, as I work through UCLA’s Interior Design Foundation program, while working as an Design Assistant at an Architecture and Interior Design Firm, all those threads come together. For me, design is about more than creating pretty spaces. It’s about designing with intention, balancing beauty and function while creating environments that actually support the people who use them. It’s the perfect mix of creativity, psychology, culture, and travel.