Lesley’s creative process is rooted in her background as a musician coupled with her extensive experience designing commercial buildings for the largest tech companies in the world.
Born and raised in Cleveland, OH, she began playing the violin at age 6 and participated in multiple orchestras, performing everything from classical works like Stravinsky's "Firebird Suite" and Vivaldi's "Four Seasons" to soldout concerts with Grammy-winning rockstars like Jon Anderson (Yes), Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo, Mike Garson (David Bowie's piano man), and Styx.
While completing her Bachelor of Science in Interior Space Design at The Ohio State University, Lesley was frustrated by the lack of resources for students interested in sustainable design. So, she worked with the National U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) board to found the first USGBC Emerging Professionals Group in Central Ohio.
Lesley began her career designing large-scale commercial projects, then shifting to focus exclusively on luxury office interiors - including comprehensive space planning for employee optimization, incorporating strict security measures, custom furniture design, detailed budget review, strategic brand integration, project management and coordination of multiple trades, construction administration, and designing bathrooms and kitchens at scale.
Now, after immersing herself in the technology whirlwind of Silicon Valley and designing/managing luxury interior office renovations totaling over $100 million for some of the biggest tech companies in the world, she's excited to bring her experience of designing user-centric spaces into the residential realm.
Lesley was a nominee for the Commercial Real Estate Women, Silicon Valley "Rising Rockstar" award.
She is LEED AP ID+C accredited and NCIDQ certified, which is the highest certification for a professional Interior Designer. It is the industry's recognized licensure and indicator of proficiency in interior design principles.
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Lesley’s background in music instilled fundamental skills which she applies to her design process now:
"I have had the pleasure of working with Lesley on a multitude of projects throughout the Bay Area. Lesley does an amazing job of working with her clients and teams to create beautiful spaces and designs that work for her specific clients needs. In addition to that, she makes projects fun and easy for everybody involved. I would recommend Lesley to anyone that wants their projects done the correct way."
-Alex Lutz, Project Manager at NOVO Construction
Interior Decorators can help with the styling and finishing of a space, helping to choose color palettes, furniture, and other details. They aren’t qualified to participate in structural planning or renovations, and don’t often have the formal training or education of a certified designer.
Interior Designers can move a project from initial construction bids all the way to final touches. In concert with architects and contractors, Interior designers apply creative and technical solutions within a structure that are functional, attractive and beneficial to the occupants' quality of life and culture. Designs respond to and coordinate with the building shell and acknowledge the physical location and social context of the project. Designs must adhere to code and regulatory requirements and encourage the principles of environmental sustainability. Interior Designers are required to have an advanced degree in Interior Design, special certifications in the field, and knowledge of construction requirements and codes.
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