While I’m a huge fan of contemporary architecture and design, there’s a special place in my heart for the warmth and character of older homes. Portland is a city full of adorable bungalows, Craftsmen, Tudors, and Mid-Century beauties—all which bring a unique set of quirks and challenges to go along with the charm. Working with older and historic structures is a different kind of challenge that I find particularly exciting.

I wholeheartedly believe that Portland has some of the best food in the country! Here’s my rundown of some of my favorites spots:

› Special Occasion: Le Pigeon
› Sandwich: Lottie & Zula’s
› Brunch: Honey Milk
› Cocktails: Expatriate (get the nacho’s too!)
› Brewery: Breakside
› Wine: Les Caves
› Dim Sum: Din Tai Fung
› Asian Fusion: Oma’s Hideaway
› Thai: Thai Seasons on Sandy
› Tacos: La Taq
› French: La Moule
› Coastal: The Riverhouse Nestucca in Pacific City
› Sushi: Bluefin at 14th & Broadway
› Beer Bar: Tiny Bubble Room
› Indian: Siri

As a real estate professional, I feel that I have special responsibility to fight against the systemic racism that our industry has actively reinforced. Historic wrongdoings such as redlining and predatory lending practices deprived Black people of the valuable opportunity to build wealth through homeownership. To this day, bias on the part of real estate professionals still exists and disproportionately impacts BIPOC and their access to housing. As a result, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the median wealth of a white household was $188,200, while the median wealth of a Black household was just $24,100 in 2019—with inequities in homeownership being a significant factor in the disparity of wealth.

With this in mind, I have pledged to donate $100 from each sale to Taking Ownership PDX, an organization that repairs and renovates Black-owned homes to prevent displacement and keep generational wealth in the black community through homeownership.

Some of the best times in my life were spent at summer camp as a child. As a teenager/young adult, I worked in various positions at my beloved Camp Carson. I loved every minute of it! I always dreamed of having my own camp as an adult, so one day I teamed up with a few old friends back in Cincinnati and created a camp for adults. Think: all the best parts of children’s summer camp but with better food, better music, and no bedtime. I’ve since passed off the reigns to focus on my Portland community, but you never know…perhaps one day you’ll see me whipping up a Portland version =)
(side note: if you are interested in helping me host a city-wide color war…please reach out!)

Once upon a time, many broken bones and torn ligaments ago, skating was a huge part of my life. Beyond the physical skills gained, I worked on the marketing, PR, and event planning for my nationally-competitive team. At the height of it all, we were drawing in thousands of ticketholders per game! I’ve since moved on to safer hobbies, but the personal growth I experienced over the course of my roller derby career was priceless.

Don’t let my laid-back, free-spiited demeanor fool you—I’m a full blown Type A personality behind the scenes. I’m incredibly systematic when it comes to my business processes. In other words, I make spreadsheets for EVERYTHING!

After volunteering for many years at the Oregon Humane Society and “borrowing” my friends dogs for days on end, I one day came across my greatest 4-legged pal. Gustavo (aka Gustavo von Ruffenkamp…see what I did there?!) is the friendliest little guy and is always available for client meetups upon request!

In my past career in architecture, I worked on everything from high end residences to gigantic Nike Flagship stores and world class interactive museums (like The Australian Center For The Moving Image). Through the years, I became fascinated with the idea of spatial storytelling and experience design. I carry those fundamentals with me as a listing agent, where I aim to create a true experience for prospective buyers at every touch point and am always looking for immersive, multi-sensory art experieces as creative fuel.

Walking around Portland neighborhoods in the spring when everyone’s gardens start blooming brings me SO MUCH JOY. If you would have told me 15 years ago while I was living in a Manhattan midrise apartment that I would one day WANT to do yard work, I would have told you to get outta town! Once I bought my first home, though, it became a great creative outlet for me. Gardening has taught me a lot about careful planning, but also being able to roll with the punches when unexpected challenges arise. There’s always a solution, you just need to find it (aphids, get off my lawn!)

With years of design education and professional practice under my belt, I’m well-versed in my abilities to design in an array of styles and aesthetic sensibilities. When working with sellers, I always keep the target buyer demographic in mind for every aesthetic decision. With the said, if you love fun, unapologetically bold interiors…we’ll probably get along fabulously! Some of my favorite home designers and brands include:
· Blockshop Textiles
· Hay
· Muuto
· Quiet Town
· Industry West
· Sarah Sherman Samuel
· Studio Proba
· Happy Habitat
· And so much more!