2025 was a bit bonkers. But transforming dreams into reality - worth it.

Among the best things I saw as a designer in 2025: 3daysofdesign festival in Denmark.

The year 2025, in all its glory (and horror), is almost outta here and the year-end reviews are all around us, including in Architectural Digest's Best Things Designers Saw in 2025. Overwhelmed and probably overstimulated describe the volume of my over-the-top experiences and sights and I’ve been wondering if and how they will ever sink in or if I could sum them up. Then while washing my coffee-stirring spoon I thought, hey, the amount of enjoyment I get from a spoon is ridiculous ... and a-ha realized I could start writing about something as small as that. Which seems like a decent mantra too, when overloaded, look to something small to get things going. Which has often been my approach to interior design. 

I bought the spoon this year among a clump of others at a vintage/antiques store in Mount Vernon, Washington, soon after a butter knife I procured in France by slightly nefarious means in the 90s went missing during a weekend of merriment at our house. 

Other than the knife, our flatware isn't at the fancy-pants level. At the "oh fer fun" level though, we have vintage Fiesta forks, etc. with shamrock green handles. (High and low people: it often leads to design greatness!)

I don’t want to admit how much the missing knife bothered me but I was with my parents when I got it and it was kind of a joke we shared for years. But, the spoon is stamped with The Ritz-Carlton, has that awesome heavy feel and is somewhat akin to the knife coming back to me.

A super (and simple) thing I saw as a designer in 2025. Things with meaning, character and patina for the win.

Once upon a time, my sister and I stayed at a Ritz-Carlton with my parents in Chicago. It was the nicest place I’d probably ever stepped foot into at that point in my life. Years later, on that same knife-procuring trip to France, my friend Dana and I met my parents for drinks at the Ritz in Paris and, let’s just say oui oui mesdames et monsieurs I would highly recommend it. 

At this point you may be thinking as am I, ‘Wow I hope a knife and spoon didn’t cause the overwhelm.’ Nah, I hadn’t really put together until writing this why that spoon was even interesting to me. The big buried lead is that 2025 was the first full year of running my interior design business. I set it up last year while enrolled in a London-based program with the Interior Designer’s Business School, run by architect and interior designer Jo Chrobak. 

And I’ve had clients! Lovely, engaged, supportive clients for living and dining projects, great rooms and baths that have taught me so much. I did that work while I kept toiling at ‘day job’ and so much physical therapy to rehab my knee after ACL/meniscus repair surgery. It was A LOT. Was there crying? You betcha. I couldn’t have done it without my guy Dan DeMay. And even with his help and the support of many others, all of this at once I do not necessarily recommend. 

In addition, part of the design program included choosing an interior design event to attend and I decided to wait and go big. And in June we went to Copenhagen, Denmark, for 3daysofdesign. And it was so cool and educational and stimulating and vibrant that I might be ruined for any other design event.

3daysofdesign in Copenhagen is a feast for the senses and happens all over the city, even on boats!

This festival carried an apropos theme of Keep It Real — one that fits perfectly with my approach not only to design, but to life. The festival was embedded throughout Copenhagen in galleries, apartments, stores, art schools and in the streets with exhibits, installations, music and even live cake decorating (and eating!). The schedule was packed. You could never see and experience it all — even if you never slept a wink of those 3-plus days. We booked at least one tour per day, spontaneously chose other events, and wandered in-between. 

I saw it described as a festival of creativity, community and let's call it craftspersonship. I agree and more than anything, it was utterly immersive. We met and enjoyed learning and talking with so many people. We saw so many well-designed pieces from furniture to textiles to lighting, so much art, so much architecture and so much thinking outside the box. The experience and the exposure to all that design culture was exhilarating and exhausting and I can’t wait to go back. 

Dan and I outside Design Museum Danmark before our guided tour as part of 3daysofdesign.

If you’re into Scandinavian and/or Mid-Century Modern design, although it’s certainly not limited to that, it’s epic. And it included plenty of bringing the outside in and doing it as non-toxically as possible. Which is my favorite.

One of my favorite rooms seen at 3daysofdesign. Love the use of color and pattern.

In September, I started a sabbatical from my day job, booked additional projects, traveled to Turkey (more on that including Turkish rug buying later), and attended a day-long event at the Seattle Design Center and another in Vancouver, British Columbia (Canada). I visited one client’s finished home and toasted to them the day before they were to host their family for Thanksgiving.

2025 was learning, changing, growing and connecting, with some pain, healing, laughter, and lots of love. Here’s to a 2026 full of those things (less pain perhaps), designing more feels-like-home, personalized spaces and maybe a tad more relaxing and enjoying. If you've been thinking about transforming your home, let's talk in the new year. Cheers!