Shannon Southwell first discovered her passion for fashion, color theory and retail spaces while earning her Bachelor of Science in Merchandise Management at Oregon State University. She began in-store and discovered a love of creating inviting spaces through visual presentation early in her retail career. After a brief stint in the Hospitality industry, Shannon eventuallyRead more
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Ever since she was a child, Lindsey had a passion for art and design. Like many future designer’s, Lindsey was constantly rearranging her bedroom and producing “grand reveals” of newly designed rooms to surprise her parents returning home from trips. From a young designer, Lindsey went on to complete her undergraduate degree in Communication andRead more
Portland student Quinlan “Q” Walther started out in pre-med, but never felt passionate about her education—until she found Heritage! While still in the Fundamentals course Quinlan launched her design business “Studio Q” and began building her website: www.studioqid.com. We interviewed Quinlan to learn more about her background and goals for Interior Design. Read all aboutRead more
MANDY HO, MANDY HO DESIGN Mandy did not grow up wanting to be an interior designer. She came from a family that values practicality. While she always had a knack for design, it was never considered a viable option as a career. In fact, Mandy had three different careers before she finally decided to pursue interiorRead more
RACHEL ANDERSON, HARPER RAE DESIGN CO. Rachel Anderson recently graduated from Heritage and is already running a successful design business, Harper Rae Design Co. We interviewed her to learn more about her inspiring journey. 1. Tell us a little bit about your background I’m a Midwest raised girl who has called Oregon home for overRead more
Santa Barbara was full of creative energy, with many beautiful homes Alyssandra Smith drew inspiration from. Being so close to Los Angeles, she also had the opportunity to meet some incredible designers, which solidified her desire to become one herself. Born in from Colorado Springs, Colorado, Alyssandra moved west to attend college in Santa BarbaraRead more
STEWART HORNER, INTERIOR DESIGNER | PENNY BLACK INTERIORS After a successful career at Nike, Stewart Horner decided to follow his everlasting passion for interior design. He brings extraordinary design experience to Heritage and is already well on his way to becoming an accomplished interior designer. Stewart recently shared his journey with us and we areRead more
MARTHA DANE, INTERIOR DESIGNER | OLIVE + RUST CO. Martha Dane was born and raised in Massachusetts just outside of the city of Boston, Massachusetts with her mother and two sisters. When she graduated from college, she was offered the opportunity to move to Seattle for a new job and took the chance. Although itRead more
Heritage graduate, Olga Abbott, overcame many obstacles on her way to becoming an interior designer and the person that she is today. She recently shared her story, which inspired us and will inspire you too! Read on for her full story. Childhood in Siberia I was born in Siberia in the small town of AnzheroRead more
Many designers find out early on in their life that they want nothing more than to design and decorate homes, but how each designer comes to that realization is unique. Stephanie Plymale spent much of her childhood moving from place to place, without somewhere she could really call home. During a time when her family wasRead more