Scholarship Winner Spotlight 2025
Congratulations on being a winner of the 4th Annual Rocky LaFleur Scholarship Fund Student Competition! Tell us a little about your background and what led you to your design education at UCLA Extension.
I am transitioning from a career in medicine to interior design, so UCLA Extension offered the flexibility I needed to balance work and family obligations with school. When I was initially looking into interior design programs, UCLA impressed me with their curriculum and experienced faculty. I also wanted to go to a design school in a large city; I think you get a certain richness and diversity that can enhance an interior design education that you may not find elsewhere.
What most inspired you about the Competition brief and drove the vision for your project?
I loved the concept of the home being a gathering space, where multiple generations of Rocky’s family could be together in one place. I had Thanksgiving in mind, the idea of an extended family celebrating a holiday with lots of good food, togetherness, and time away from other obligations to pause and enjoy life.
The setting of the home in the Midwest and its architecture also inspired the interior design. Since Rocky was from South Dakota, I wanted it to be a place that would remind him of where he was from and who he was. I think it is important to have a space like that. So, I decided to draw on the Midwest’s Scandinavian heritage, which helped me with interior details like colors, flooring, and textile choices.
Which space or feature of Rocky’s Midwest Lake Home was your favorite to design, and why?
Each space grew on me, but I think the study was my favorite. I wanted to make it a more intimate, cozy space. The Great Room and the Dining Alcove have tall ceilings, lots of natural light, and bright walls. I made the study contrast those areas by applying dark wood paneling and using darker hues. Nobilis’ “Canopy 2” mural was the starting point for my design in a lot of ways. I knew I wanted a mural, and this particular one has a colorway and motif that goes so well with the location of the home and design concept. It adds some elegance to the interior.
The Competition brief required that you incorporate products sold by KF in your project. Which pieces and/or KF supplier partners stood out to you, and why?
I love textiles so combing through KF’s textile partners’ offerings was really enjoyable. ZAK+FOX had a lot of the textures and colors I was looking for so I found something from them for every room. They offer a lot of beautiful dark hues and playful but sophisticated patterns; I especially loved the “Shinji” fabric with its foxes and flora that I used for drapes in the Dining Alcove.
Holly Hunt carries simply gorgeous, well-made furniture pieces. I love the clean lines that can be read as modern, but they also go well in more traditional spaces. These pieces are comfortable and graceful. I also wanted to include local materials and products when possible, so I incorporated pieces from Caste, which is based in Montana, and complimented the architecture and other furnishings in the home well.
You have already shared that you plan to use your prize money to join us in Paris in January 2026! We can’t wait! What do you look forward to gaining most from that experience?
I am so excited! The last time I was in Paris was right before I started interior design school in earnest, so it will be amazing to be back having the experience and education I now have. I am looking forward to being around the interior design community there, learning as much as I can, and meeting people in the industry. So much of anyone’s success in interior design is about the relationships you can form with others, so being able to do that in Paris will be really special. And as I mentioned above, I am a huge textile fan so seeing KF’s amazing partners in Paris, appreciating their work, and learning more about it, will be delightful, I think.
Congratulations on being a winner of the 4th Annual Rocky LaFleur Scholarship Fund Student Competition! Tell us a little about your background and what led you to your design education at UCLA Extension.
Thank you, I’m beyond thrilled to have been selected! My background is in graphic design and art direction, and I spent the first part of my career working in marketing agencies on branding for entertainment and tech companies in Los Angeles. Then… COVID hit (trigger warning!), and we moved into an old Spanish apartment that was full of charm but in serious need of TLC. I spent that year working from home and on my home, diving fast into the world of interiors. My living room became a workshop: first I learned what lathe and plaster meant, then quickly moved on to building custom furniture and ripping out flooring.
I realized graphic design only scratched the surface of what I wanted to create. Interior architecture lets me solve for space and composition in real-world environments. Seeing the parallels between graphic design and interior design confirmed that I was completely hooked on this work. Changing careers was scary (and still is!), but the UCLA program has shown me that interior design encompasses everything I love and am passionate about. I've absolutely loved my time in the program!
What most inspired you about the Competition brief and drove the vision for your project?
I’ve followed the competition for a couple of years while working my way through the UCLA program, but this was the first year I felt confident enough in my skillset to apply. I’ve also long admired each of the judges, so this year felt especially personal. When I saw the plans, I immediately started to visualize how the spaces could take shape in the context of a modern lakeside home. What drew me most to the brief was the idea of designing a true gathering place. I wanted to create a home that felt relaxed, lively, and playful, where patterns and textures encourage connection across gatherings of all kinds. Throughout the process, I kept thinking about Rocky’s words, the way he encouraged students to stay curious and to show up, which really guided me through the project.
The design became about connection between generations, between the indoors and outdoors, and between Rocky’s Midwestern roots and his life in design. I focused on materials that will age naturally, furniture that invites use, and a palette that feels familiar but still refined. My goal was to create something that reflects Rocky’s spirit of warmth, community, and joy in the shared experience of design.
Which space or feature of Rocky’s Midwest Lake Home was your favorite to design, and why?
The home was already filled with beautiful windows overlooking the lake, so much of the design naturally centered around the light that moves through it. The great room became both my favorite and most challenging area to design. With its vaulted ceilings and open plan, it’s expansive yet needed to serve multiple purposes. Several entry points complicated the flow, so I focused on creating a layout that felt open and adaptable, comfortable for large gatherings yet still intimate during quieter moments. I chose to emphasize the existing beams and carried that language through the rest of the room with natural wood cladding on the walls, bringing warmth and texture while maintaining a strong connection to the outdoors. My favorite element is the custom-sized Gregorius Pineo Hansen Table in Chelsea Red crackled lacquer. I love a red accent, and this one brought such a sense of liveliness and spirit to the room.
The Competition brief required that you incorporate products sold by KF in your project. Which pieces and/or KF supplier partners stood out to you, and why?
Textiles were my first inspiration when trying to nail down the design, and I had so much fun working with Clarence House, Zak + Fox, and Pierre Frey. I love to mix pattern, and there were so many directions to explore. In the living room, I paired Zak + Fox’s blue plaid Sommar fabric on the sofas with Clarence House’s Boteh for the roman shades. The scale of each play beautifully off the other, layering color and energy back into the space. On the opposite side of the room, Pierre Frey’s striped Jacaranda wallpaper lines the dining alcove ceiling, breaking up the natural wood cladding and complementing the floral repeat of Clarence House’s Olivia on the shades.
I also fell in love with Porta Romana and Hilliard lighting, both of which appear throughout the project. The organic shapes in Porta Romana fixtures add a touch of modernity, while Hilliard’s hand-finished details connect back to the traditional craftsmanship that inspired much of the design. Together, they bring a mix of polish and warmth that keeps the space feeling personal and lived in.
You have already shared that you plan to use your prize money to join us in Paris in January 2026! We can’t wait! What do you look forward to gaining most from that experience?
I’ve already booked my plane ticket, and I couldn’t be more excited! What I’m most looking forward to is connecting with this world and gaining a deeper understanding of the design industry. Just being in Paris is inspiring on its own, but to experience it surrounded by so many incredible makers, designers, and artisans feels truly once in a lifetime. I can’t wait to dive in headfirst, make new connections and friends, and come home overflowing with ideas and insights (and hopefully a suitcase full of Sennelier pastels and cheese!)
Congratulations on being a winner of the 4th Annual Rocky LaFleur Scholarship Fund Student Competition! Tell us a little about your background and what led you to your design education at UCLA Extension.
Thank you so much! It’s such an honor to join the ranks of past winners and to have my submission reviewed by such esteemed members of the interior design community.
I’m from a small rural logging town in the Pacific Northwest, and from an early age I sought out anything related to art and interiors—from arts and crafts 4-H to photography classes at the local community college. Twenty years ago, I studied wood and furniture design at California College of Arts (and Crafts) in San Francisco and later worked in various corners of the design world—display, products, packaging, and some interiors—in both New York and California. More recently, my focus has been on my family, though I’ve continued to sketch, study, and keep design close. I’d been considering UCLA Extension for a long time, and the timing is finally right to dive in with intention. I’m so grateful for this scholarship—it feels like momentum toward the next chapter of my design career.
What most inspired you about the Competition brief and drove the vision for your project?
It was such a pleasure to learn about Rocky LaFleur and what a kind and generous person he was. I spoke with colleagues who knew him; Mary Little, a Los Angeles–based artist, shared stories about his charm and how everyone considered him a close friend. It was clear how much he was loved by so many.
After listening to his story on Convo By Design with Josh Cooperman, I really connected with Rocky’s life and how he brought his small-town ethos of community and connection with him to the big city. I imagined what his life was like growing up in rural South Dakota and the beauty that surrounded him there. The state flower, the purple Pasque Flower, is one of the first to bloom in spring on the cool plains of the Midwest—I pictured Rocky seeing this fuzzy purple flower with a bright yellow stamen against the gray landscape. This visual inspired the colorway for the Great Room and Dining Alcove. Another transformative point in Rocky’s life was his move to California in the late 1970s. I felt a loose 1970s style would be fitting for the Study, where Rocky could read, reflect, and meditate. I continued the gray colorway in this space and added touches of yellow to reflect the Pasque Flower stamen.
Drawing inspiration from the woodland lake setting, I selected pieces from Kneedler Fauchère that brought the outdoors in: rustic Hilliard “Acorn” table lamps, Dedar’s “Nenufar” jacquard fabric echoing water lilies, the faux-bois wood grain of the Ironies “Walensee Sofa Table”, velvety “Velours Faon” fabric by Nobilis recalling a fawn’s coat, and the whimsical Porta Romana “Mushroom Wall Light”. The spaces are designed to feel welcoming, lively, and full of connection, reflecting Rocky’s vibrant personality and life story within a beautiful, wooded lakefront setting.
The Competition brief required that you incorporate products sold by KF in your project. Which pieces and/or KF supplier partners stood out to you, and why?
There were so many beautiful products to choose from; I fell in love with several.
The first item I selected for the Study was the wallcovering Marguerite in Cacao by Clarence House. The pearlescent brown ground really makes the multi-color floral field pop.I imagined Rocky sitting in the cozy study, surrounded by a bloom of flowers on vines complementing the green wetland view out the window.
The Porta Romana “Mushroom Wall Light” I placed in the Study window seat is so charming—I knew instantly it would be perfect in a lakeside retreat. The sculptural plaster forms are elegant, yet they also have a wonderfully homey warmth.
I found myself gravitating toward Pierre Frey pieces for both fabric and furniture. I especially loved the subtle curves of the “Mirage Table”, and the “Virgule Sofa” and “Patt Sofa” used in the Great Room.
The selection of Nobilis fabrics was elegant and meticulously crafted; ZAK+FOX fabrics have an inviting warmth that feels both sophisticated and relaxed.
I adored Dedar’s silvery metallic crochet Argento Vivo fabric for window treatments in the Great Room and Dining Alcove. It felt modern yet also reminiscent of vintage tatted tablecloths one might discover in an antique shop in rural South Dakota.
The “First Arm Chair” and “First Side Chair” by Vladimir Kagan, available through Holly Hunt, felt welcoming and ideal for lingering conversation at the dining table. The armchair’s wooden sculpted curves reminded me of gentle water waves, subtly tying the design to the lake views.
Caste offered many contemporary furniture pieces, including the “Volt Stools”, “Loma Lamp”, “Bridger Table”, “Beauvais Console”, and “Rennic Drink Table”. I incorporated Caste pieces in all three spaces I designed, as their industrial-leaning shapes fit well alongside both vintage and more traditional selections. All the pieces were truly inspiring.
You have already shared that you plan to use your prize money to put towards tuition. We’re so happy this will help you continue your education. What plans and aspirations do you have for yourself once you complete your program?
I’m grateful for this opportunity and have missed working with other creative people over the past several years. Once I complete the program, I hope to join a team of talented designers where I can combine the interior design skills I’m honing at UCLA Extension with my past experience in furniture and product design to contribute my perspective and create work I’m proud of.
