My interest in beautiful homes began as a child while visiting the Pasadena Showcase Houses with my grandmother. I would look forward to these special events every year and was awestruck by the magnificence of the refined architecture and the stylistic décor. Years later, while in my current program at UCLA, I was excited to realize that Architect Paul R. Williams had designed my favorite of these homes. My passion for design further developed over time while I lived in New York City for ten years and periodically traveled abroad. 

 

While my academic and career paths followed different routes, I never lost interest in the aesthetics of my surroundings and living space. In the last eight years, I have been fortunate to have had the opportunity to spend my time managing a household, raising my two (now adult) children, and renovating a home. During this time, I reflected on my interests and passions and began pursuing a career in interior design by taking courses through the UCLA Extension Architecture + Interior Design Program. 

 

Through the ARC+ID program, I've learned hand drafting, pattern design, CAD, SketchUp, Color Theory, and Principles of Design. In addition, I've taken four courses in the History of Environmental Arts, covering architecture, furniture, and decorative arts and movements spanning from the early Grecian and Roman cultures through the 20th century in the Western world. These courses inspired me to view my surroundings with a new perspective and opened my eyes to some of the beautiful architecture in the Los Angeles area. I’ve also studied many of our time's pre-eminent architects and designers, e.g., Elsie de Wolfe, Billy Baldwin, Tony Duquette, John Elgin Wolfe, Paul R. Williams, Richard Neutra, Dorothy Draper, Eileen Gray, and Mark Hampton. Now that I have completed three-quarters of the program, I am eager to obtain hands-on experience through an internship with a design firm.