I am an Interior Designer informed by a lifetime of creative problem solving.
I sculpt spaces and fill them with beautiful and useful objects. The tools I work with are color, texture, patterns, shadow and light, furniture and art. I communicate with sketches and drawings, images, samples and specifications.
The design starts with a conversation. The conversation sparks the beginning of a story about you in your home and becomes the touchstone of our collaboration. Together we refine the story as we envision, develop and execute the design of your project.
I am fortunate to have been entrusted with a wonderful variety of projects throughout the United States and the Caribbean. Each project has had challenges requiring unique solutions. I am proud of the completed results of every project, but for me, the real thrill is the collaboration with clients.
I feel the overall design of an interior should be made understandable with as little obvious design effort as possible. Working within my clients’ style of choice, I balance the existing architecture and sometimes history of a place, assess what I am given to work with, agree upon what is necessary and determine what is achievable.
A project may be modest or complex, around the corner or faraway. I look for clients with high standards, who appreciate design and value an Interior Designer with extensive experience.
I’m a native Californian and after graduating from college with a degree in Environmental Design, I started my career in my hometown of Fullerton working for a well-known interior designer, John Piper. Eventually I took over that design practice, and while time has passed, I still consult with clients from those early days.
In addition to designing projects for my own clients, I have worked at and consulted with several architecture and commercial interior design firms on a variety of projects including: Robert Altevers Architects (Mission Hills Country Club, PGA West Country Club, Brynmawr Country Club), Harold Levitt Architect (Sea Drift Residence, Pebble Beach, CA), A.C. Martin Architects (H.F. Ahmanson & Co. Corporate Office), Color Design Art (Newport Coast – Bromelea Homes), Design 1 (Michael Milken Residence – Incline Village, Trump International Tower at Columbus Circle).
I like to experience new places. I have renovated homes for myself in Laguna Beach, New York City and the Hamptons, Beverly Hills and the Palm Springs area. In 2009 I met Larry, the fellow who became my husband and business partner. We rebranded the interior design firm as Nicholas Lawrence Design which grew quite large and we designed a lot of projects. We also created what became a beloved retail store, Modern Hacienda, located in Palm Desert, where we represented Knoll Furniture, Herman Miller, Alf DeFre and many other wonderful modern brands of furniture. In 2024 it was time for a change and we moved to Larry’s home town, Rockford, IL.
As it turns out, I love the Midwest. Rockford is a small city rich in architecture with beautiful residential neighborhoods and many handsome public buildings which are gradually being restored and repurposed. Rockford is a convenient city to live in, has many well maintained and uncrowded parks, there is a vibrant artistic community, the city leadership seems to be forward thinking and the people here are generally friendly, authentic and have a sense of community.
Resettled in Rockford, I am open for business at Lake and Forest Interior Design to serve clients in northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin communities. And it is an easy drive to O’Hare Airport and I am up for travel for the right project.