More About Me...

I was born and raised in Northeast Ohio in a little farm town outside Akron. My salt-of-the-earth family had blue collar roots in hands-on fields like masonry, mining & construction, and I was taught to use a tape measure before a knife and fork. I learned from my family what it looked like to contribute to a community, serve the greatest good, and make space for all kinds of people.

I was an introspective but cheerful kid, with my nose always in a book unless I was dancing or singing.

But still, as I grew up I struggled to understand and relate to the world around me - why was everything so dark and rushed and full of cynicism? 

Where were the big-hearted people? 

It took me a long time to find my footing as a bleeding-heart entrepreneur. After all, making money can be tough when you want the best for absolutely everyone and when you put yourself last - a habit I had to work hard to overcome - but what they say is true, you can’t pour from an empty cup!

Despite the negativity and opportunism in the business world, I’ve always been determined to make a way that felt good in my bones, not just my bank account.

And now I’m proud to say I’ve built a business that can flex with my passions and interests, and go where my heart leads me - one that allows me to live out my values.

Before I opened Rough Diamond Studios in 2016 I had a long and winding road that started with a degree in Interior Design. But the 2008 crash hit Interior Design hard, and there were no jobs to be found. 

I did freelance design for years before deciding to go back to school and become a History Professor. (My interests have always been wide and varied!) I attended The University of Chicago for grad school as a stepping stone toward a PhD, but once I saw the ugly culture of Academia in the Humanities, I ran screaming like my hair was on fire. 

I ended up in a cubicle working for a soul-sucking insurance company while I tried to figure out what to do next.

That’s the chaos into which Rough Diamond Studios was born. 

I spent almost a decade building my reputation as a Home Stager and mentoring other new stagers, but eventually I needed a new challenge.

And my heart was so on fire to help create spaces that elevated peoples’ moods - spaces that people would actually use and make memories in!

Actually, the very first moment I knew I would become an Interior Designer was walking into a therapy appointment at age 18 and feeling just how much the sickly seafoam green walls and flickering fluorescent lights affected me. 

I knew I could help prevent that for other people, and now I get the joy of dreaming up magical spaces that elevate others above their everyday lives. After all, life can be really tough, but design can be a balm for the heavy soul.

It’s my way of healing the world a tiny bit at a time.

Now I offer primarily Virtual Airbnb Design which allows me to work with investors all over the country, and help them build their wealth while creating magical spaces for others to enjoy. 

What a life. 🥰

From being able to see the big picture to poring over the smallest of details, my skills are perfectly suited to the task of dreaming up and communicating a design to a client long-distance, right down to where to place each pillow. 

And after decades of experience in the field of design, I’m pretty unflappable, incredibly honest and accountable, and an absolute wizard at pulling my clients’ visions out of their heads and into reality.

So if you’re a big-hearted investor looking for a drama-free experience with a designer who will hold space for you, your profits, AND your wild & dreamy ideas, then you’re in the right place. 

Exploring beautiful Ohio with my husband and friends, reading epic fantasy series, bingeing shows about cryptids and supernatural phenomena 😆 or DIYing yet another corner of my 100-year-old home! Family & Friends come first for me, and that's why I built my business around being able to devote more of my time and energy to the people and things I love most in the world. Life goes by quickly if you don't slow down to treasure each day.