Carmen Kuhlken, the newest member of our Style on a Shoestring family

We were privileged a few months ago to hire a new design assistant, Carmen Kuhlken, who we know is going to be an interior design superstar. Here in her own words is Carmen’s personal introduction:

“Design is in my blood — my parents are landscape architects plus my mom owns a bead shop and my brother is a graphic designer. So it’s no surprise that I emerged from this artsy family as an interior designer. In fact, when we lost our home in the 2003 Cedar Fire, I was just a teenager but my parents entrusted me with designing the second floor of our new house, including the bonus room. That led to working in contemporary furniture retail stores, and I topped it off with a BFA in interior design at San Diego State University. At Style on a Shoestring I mainly assist Tina Gospodarec but I help all of the designers as needed, and I’m also proficient in drafting software. My favorite way to do residential design is to bring the outside in with natural textures — no doubt an influence from my parents!”

Welcome to Tracy Lynn Studio, Carmen!