We all have that friend who's known for something; For Hope, that “thing” is design. Some of her fondest childhood memories are of afternoons spent rearranging furniture, imagining paint colors and wall treatments, and even pulling down window treatments that didn’t look right (to the eternal consternation of her parents). As an adult, her nearest and dearest began turning to her for advice—Which light fixture? What kind of wallpaper? What about this floor plan?—and that passion evolved into something else entirely: the idea of a beautiful new career that felt absolutely nothing like work.

A few years ago, Hope left her job in marketing to embark on the ultimate passion project: Overseeing the build and design of her new home. Despite the inevitable chaos, what resulted was a physical manifestation of her family’s unique personality: a space that’s vibrant, yet calming, modern, yet relaxed, joyful, yet restrained. It is often said that places define people. But for Hope, good design is the result of people defining places. Delighted and inspired by what she’d accomplished, Hope realized there was no going back—and that her dream career had already begun.