Name: Richelle Nolan
Company: IA Interior Architects
Position: Managing Director, Principal
Years of Experience: 20 years (1.5 years at IA)
IIDA member since: 2006

Favorite space in your home: My living room is my favorite space in my home. My mother, who owns Oberlin’s Custom Design, has sourced, designed and/or made most of the furniture and objects within. It’s peaceful to me and is the first place I go to relax.

Design accessory you just can’t live without: Deep Black. You often will not find me without soaking in black attire.

What project have you worked on that you are most proud of and why?: I have been blessed in my career with millions of square feet of design I am extremely proud of. One special project that is near and dear to my heart is Kaiser’s Westside Medical Center. The project was Kaiser’s first LEED accredited facility; the design team, owner and contractor were a team in its truest sense, from planning to its first patient. The art program was integral to the design/functionality of the space, We created spaces where people love to work, Doctors and nurses have a higher functionality and productivity, and patients have a beautiful space to heal.

What gets you excited about design?: Seeing a team that empowers each other, where new, innovative or quirky ideas are celebrated and the outcome of the environment has enabled people to have the lifestyle they desire, productivity or business goals are achieved with more relationships built than they could have been imagined. I’m a strong believer that great design enables strong relationships. People to people, people to space and business to environments.

Interesting fact: My first real design job on my own was my restaurant, Café Roche. I renovated, designed, marketed, created the menu and ran it as the head chef. I was 19, sold it after 3 years and moved to Japan where I worked in design + construction services.