Archives: Members

Just as Amy’s Australian mini-labradoodle, Murphy, made her into a dog lover, we like to think the creatives at sshape have won over the office’s lone MBA. Amy spent the bulk of her career in and around large corporations, but as sshape’s Business Manager, she’s adjusting to life in our small corner of the design world. Her husband, two kids, and Murphy keep her plenty busy, but she still finds time to walk the architects and designers.

Some lucky people just know what they’re supposed to do in life. Araceli Torres is one of those lucky few, zeroing in on architecture early in a childhood packed with painting, arts, and crafts. Thriving on creativity and inspired by the cathedrals of her native Spain, Araceli has a practical side, too, finding happiness in designing efficient spaces that have brought joy to occupants in Spain, India, Germany, and the United States.

As a designer, Ashley thrives on being able to exercise innovation and strategy to engage and move people. When she’s not soaking in new facts through documentaries or daydreaming about a 1969 International Scout, Ashley enjoys the opportunity to problem-solve and use creativity in the workplace. One of her favorite moments in design is seeing how small, intentional decisions have the ability to create a positive impact on her client’s space.

Briana has always been a creative soul, so when she was introduced to interior design during an aptitude test in high school, she tried her skills by surprising her mom with several iterations of new living room layouts. Since then, Briana has been inspired by the potential and creativity in shaping experiences and telling stories through design.

Design of the spaces that surround us – at work, at home, and at play – has a powerful effect on how we feel. That connection between the mind and built environment drew once-aspiring psychologist Caitlin into the design world nine years ago. Now, the Minnesota native gets her own psychological boost from watching her clients see their visions come to life, from her dog, Charlie, and from indoor spinning.

If you hear singing wafting through the sshape office, it means Camila is at her computer, getting down to the business of creating beautiful, flexible interiors. Her decision to become a designer was made before she even had to think about it — a natural extension of a childhood spent painting, crafting, and dreaming of becoming an artist. Now, Camila thrives on creating unique spaces that benefit from her meticulous research into new materials, lighting, and finishes.

Cara’s initial fascination with design was ignited by her grandfather, who designed and constructed houses as a hobby. Throughout her childhood, she enthusiastically embarked on collaborative projects with him and crafted her own dollhouses and doll furniture in the process. In hindsight, it’s clear that a career in architecture was a natural fit for her. Combining these formative experiences with her education at Penn State University and the architectural inspiration she gained from her travels, Cara now creates designs that prioritize flexibility, adaptability, and creativity, all while promoting sustainability and well-being.

Growing up, Charlene always wanted to be a fashion designer until the day she started taking a home decor class in high school. With over 10 years of experience in the industry, Charlene enjoys transforming numerous ideas into a design concept and watching the vision come to life. When she’s not hard at work, Charlene spends time with her fiance, who just happened to be her 4th grade crush.

Growing up, Courtney enjoyed all subjects in school. This appreciation for various academics led Courtney to pursue design, a career that offered her a great mixture of art, science, math, history, and more. Courtney finds this same love of learning today through her clients and their workplaces. She enjoys creating experiences for her clients that enrich the space through design.

Diran became an architect to put his stamp on the built world around him. Now, after 20 years in the design world, one of his favorite parts of the process is previewing what that stamp will look like using technology like 3D modeling. Outside of sshape, Diran likes traveling on cruise ships and riding ATVs, but not at the same time.

A fearless, think-on-your feet mentality binds the list of characters Dorothee emulated growing up—from Zorro and Robin Hood to MacGyver and Kung-Fu Panda—but only Emma Peel married that swashbuckling mindset with a keen eye for design. Dorothee’s love of both adventure and design led to her role as a Senior Project Designer at sshape, where we definitely keep her on her toes. Instead of vanquishing bad guys, she relishes working directly with clients and savoring a quiet moment to take in a finished space before move-in day.

Graysen came to interior design by taking her love of the arts—from painting and ceramics to photography—and layering on an appreciation of structure and architecture. She relishes the style and simplicity of the 1950s and 1960s design, from clothing to cars, but she’s no Mad Men acolyte when it comes to office space. Graysen values today’s flexible, versatile workspaces and the creativity and collaboration they inspire.

When she was young, Haley dreamed of being an artist. Inspired by Monet and the impressionist style, Haley now pours her creative energy into interior design. She enjoys working closely with her clients through design challenges and taking the vision through to completion.

Like Javier, Heather started out designing spaces for her Sims, then made the leap from simulation to reality. Her favorite things about designing spaces for actual humans are seeing her designs brought to life and collaborating with her coworkers. Those coworkers don’t include her half-Maltese, half-Yorkshire dog, Remington Elliot, but probably should.

Isabel is a creative force in the commercial real estate industry. With over fourteen years of experience, she has carved a path of expertise in the realms of marketing, journalism, and public relations. Her profound passion lies in the art of storytelling, brand development, and leveraging marketing best practices to ensure innovative strategies. Beyond the realms of her professional endeavors, Isabel finds solace and joy in the company of her beloved family and friends. Her never-ending wanderlust fuels her desire to explore the vast wonders of the world, immersing herself in diverse cultures and savoring the flavors of new cuisines.

Javier’s earliest clients, his Sims families and the yellow-headed citizens of Legoland, benefited from his ambitious designs, love of creative problem-solving, and focus on the big picture. Years later, he brings the same skills to the sshape offices, where he can share his ideas with his bigger, more human clients in English, Spanish, or Italian. He’s still working on Portuguese.

Growing up in a 100-year-old farmhouse where her father also grew up sparked Jessica’s interest in interior design and how light, colors, and changes in the material could impact a space. After taking a few design and architecture classes at a local architecture firm, she confirmed that she wanted to be a designer. Today, she uses that same curiosity she had as a child to learn more about her clients and their companies to create workplaces that positively affect the people using them.

Leah has always been interested in the built environment, so it’s no surprise that in a middle school writing prompt, she wrote down that she wanted to be an interior designer when she grew up. When she isn’t having an internal debate over whether she’d rather meet Taylor Swift or Beyonce, Leah can enjoy her favorite part of the design process, putting design concepts and palettes together and seeing them come to life.

Lillian is a creative and passionate individual who has always been drawn to literature, history, and creative writing. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, writing, spending time with her two cats, and attending live folk music concerts. Lillian is a highly organized and efficient individual with a strong attention to detail. As sshape’s Office Manager, she’s excited to use her creativity and organizational skills to help the company achieve its goals.