Get to Know the Atelier Interior Design Team

Photo by Amy Blomquist

Atelier Interior Design is a full-service, award-winning interior design firm transforming homes around the state of Colorado. “Color, pattern, culture” is what defines us as our designs are driven by vibrant color and pattern complimented with textural and sculptural details. Although we bring over 20 years of experience to the table, it is the individual expertise and unique strengths of each of our team members that make what we do possible. Along with delivering exceptional design, our clients often add that there is no shortage of laughter or fun when working with our team of four - to understand this, you have to get to know us.

Keep reading for behind-the-scenes interviews that give you a look into the personalities that shape our team - and ultimately, our work!

Katie Schroder
Owner & Lead Designer

What are your favorite hobbies? Lots! Golf, tennis, pickleball, skiing, hiking, SUP, swimming, nice meals out, cooking, entertaining, concerts

What's your favorite food? I have a favorite meal - breakfast - and my favorite food weirdly is…eggs

What's the best place you've traveled to? That’s a hard one, but it will probably be Africa, which I’m visiting this summer. Since I haven’t been there yet, I love Mexico because you can experience so many diverse experiences from cities to the beach.

Do you have any pets or fur babies? Otis, my 4 yr old Golden Doodle!

What's something you're most proud of? My marriage, my kids, and creating Atelier - in that order!

What are you passionate about? Being active! I’m not an amazing athlete, but I’m decent at lots of different sports and love being active! Traveling is another thing I’m passionate about whether it’s local, national, or interim national - I love it all. I have a fierce curiosity about discovering new things. Work-related, I’m most passionate about color and pattern. I just find so much joy in understanding a client and making their space come alive with colors and patterns that reflect them.

What's your favorite thing about living in Denver? It’s a wonderful city! I’m originally from San Diego, CA and I love living here as I enjoy the seasons, the restaurant scene, and the different activities each season has to offer!

What behavior or personality trait do you bring to both your personal life and work-life? Joy and enthusiasm! It’s important to have fun and laugh!!!

Something people would be shocked to learn about you? I’m passionate about water! Having grown up near the water I have a strong affinity for all things water-related. I LOVE to swim as I have been a competing swimmer in the past and also have done sprint triathlons. I gravitate to all art related to water or swimming or the coast.

When you were little, what did you think you'd be when you grew up? Something creative. My parents would go out to dinner and I would move all their furniture around. I would set elaborate table settings. I just loved creating and altering the home at an early age.

Favorite part of working for Atelier? We are very creative and professional, but we like to have FUN. Life is precious live it up!

Annie Haveman
Design & Marketing Coordinator

What are your favorite hobbies? Hiking, swimming, paddle boarding, park days with friends (and our many dogs), cooking!

What's your favorite food? Anything Asian! Sushi, Pho, Dim Sum, you name it.

What's the best place you've traveled to? Jordan for sure.

Do you have any pets or fur babies? Sweet baby T, the light of my life.

What's something you're most proud of? Going against the grain and pursuing a career that makes me happy. I went to business school and the natural route was to go into sales/marketing/etc. but that just gave me a sinking feeling in my stomach when I thought about it. So I found an internship with an interior designer right after I graduated and the rest is history.

What are you passionate about? Definitely traveling – I am super fortunate to have a family that lives abroad so I get to see new places all the time. My goal is to make it to Asia within the next couple of years!

What's your favorite thing about living in Denver? The lifestyle, of course – you have a smaller scale city full of art and good food, and then you have the mountains in your backyard. I really love the mix of indoorsy-outdoorsy things to do.

What behavior or personality trait do you bring to both your personal life and work-life? I’m one of those people that can just figure something out – if I don’t know how to do something or what something is I will research it and teach myself. It is insanely useful for both my personal and work life, whether it be for something handy around the house, a new way to cook something, or design tools I haven’t learned yet.

Something people would be shocked to learn about you? Most people don’t know that I swam butterfly competitively for a while – I started swimming when I was a kid and did it all through high school. I actually wasn’t half bad.

When you were little, what did you think you'd be when you grew up? The honest answer: an Orca whale. I saw Free Willy and told my parents that I wanted to be an Orca whale when I grew up because they were so free out in the big ocean. Is it a metaphor for my life? Possibly. The normal person answer: an artist.

Favorite part of working for Atelier? How much we laugh. We work our butts off but man do we have a good time doing it. We all have the same humor and joke around a bunch so it’s never a bad time in our office. A close second is how much responsibility we are given – Katie allows us to get our hands dirty and actually do a lot of the work ourselves, which has allowed me to learn so much and really grow as a designer and worker. 

Photo by Amy Blomquist

Meridith Wood
Director of Operations

What are your favorite hobbies? Walking, projects aroung the house, working in the yard, hanging out with friends and family.

What's your favorite food? Pasta!

What's the best place you've traveled to? Villa Gamberaia, located in the hills of Settignano, overlooking Florence and the Arno Valley.

What's something you're most proud of? Wrangling up a dog, that was herding an RTD bus, that I later adopted.

What are you passionate about? Nature

What's your favorite thing about living in Denver? Friends and family.

What behavior or personality trait do you bring to both your personal life and work-life? I'm OCD.

Something people would be shocked to learn about you? I trim my lawn with scissors.

When you were little, what did you think you'd be when you grew up? Veterinarian.

Favorite part of working for Atelier? Laughter.

Kelly McWhorter
Design Assistant

What are your favorite hobbies? I love to workout - running, weight lifting, yoga - if it’s active, I'm in.

What's your favorite food? Japanese - Okonomiyaki and cold udon bowls are my go-to's! I was lucky to learn from my patient and amazing friend Naoko when I lived there. Pacific Mercantile Company on Larimer St. in downtown has everything you need.

What's the best place you've traveled to? I spent ten amazing days in the Mongolian steppe. A friend and I traveled by foot, ox, and horse, staying with different nomadic families.

Do you have any pets or fur babies? I'm a dog aunt to three short-leggers Hillary, Zoey, and Arthur. They're such a blast.

What's something you're most proud of? Probably my time as a Surface Warfare Officer in the Navy. I think service of any kind is such an important experience in life.

What are you passionate about? I love to travel - I've moved within the States and internationally nearly every two years since I was twenty. People fascinate me and I love to see how others live.

What's your favorite thing about living in Denver? Denver knows how to strike the work-life balance, a mid-sized city with a little bit of hustle, a laid-back vibe, and folks who are up for anything. The year-round sunshine PLUS changing seasons is such a draw for me.

What behavior or personality trait do you bring to both your personal life and work-life? I'm a little bit kooky while also being regimented and organized. This totally suits interior design - one part creativity and one part project management.

Something people would be shocked to learn about you? I drove warships for ten years, but get horribly seasick. I'm so happy to have a job on dry land!!!

When you were little, what did you think you'd be when you grew up? Well, based on the palicial Barbie homes I constructed out of shoe boxes and other household trinkets, it’s safe to say interior design was in my blood from a young age.

Favorite part of working for Atelier? Our team! Everyone is so kind and insanely fun; which means we attract clients who are such a blast. You couldn't ask for a better crew.