Meet the Team: Stephanie Isaacs

Stephanie Isaacs is an interior designer at Rice Fergus Miller working on the firm’s hospitality team. Her love for all things design is apparent in both her process and end product. She is a ‘boomerang’ employee, having returned recently to the firm in a remote capacity – she lives in Spokane! – which allows her to balance work with all the other important things in her life. She’s currently leading the design of several of RFM’s projects at Northern Quest Resort & Casino in Airway Heights, WA. 

Rice Fergus Miller: Where did you attend school?  

Stephanie Isaacs: Washington State University! But worth noting that I started at Spokane Falls Community College with a transfer track to the Interdisciplinary Design Institute of WSU.

RFM: How did you get into architecture & design industry?

SI: My interest in design became firmly rooted in childhood watching “This Old House” with my parents. It would later be an article in 1997 Metropolitan Home where I discovered a sophisticated bedroom design that shattered all notions of what a “teenager’s” bedroom should look like. It was then that I was seduced by the power of design. My mom fondly recalls a memory of us going to an antique store and me picking up a broken mirror.  She said “But its broken” and I said “yeah, that’s what makes it cool”…it was that moment she knew I was destined for design. Ha!

RFM: What brought you to RFM?

SI: I started at RFM in 2016, which coincided with a large multi-use community project where I was able to take the lead creatively on multiple venues. The trust and support I was given throughout this process was nothing I had experienced previously in my career, and with that, allowed me to really flourish as a conceptual designer. I moved back to Spokane, my hometown, in 2018 for family reasons, and had worked at other firms along the way but I’d never felt the sense of family that I had with RFM. When I was asked to come back this year, working remotely from Spokane, I was elated. I’m thrilled to be back with my team working on project types not typically seen in the Inland Northwest.

RFM: Have you always been in hospitality design, or have you worked with other markets?

SI: I was exposed to hospitality out of the gate, working on large scale prototyping projects for Hilton Worldwide. I then transitioned to retail design for a good portion of my career working for major brands like Nordstrom and West Elm. Both markets are appealing from a design standpoint, but Hospitality requires more of a palpable story in the spaces we experience, whether it be a hotel lobby, guest room, restaurant, or a bar. I think Hospitality is unique in this way….a play on all the senses, whether familiar, aspirational, or fantastical.

RFM: What has working in hospitality design taught you?

SI: That sometimes, more is more. My minimalist design sensibilities have contributed to mostly restrained and edited spaces, which absolutely have their place in this industry. But, I think you can get pretty wild in Hospitality, and it only makes the experience better. Its something I’m actively trying to push myself on in upcoming projects!

RFM: What is the most challenging aspect of hospitality design? The most rewarding?

SI: Pushing the boundaries of design can be challenging in how the project is executed at the end of the day. You can concept until the cows come home, but unless you have a good technical team behind you, then details get overlooked and design can fall flat. Collaboration with other designers, artists, and consultants is really a rewarding part of the design development phase. It’s the magic moment of the whole process.

RFM: What is your favorite part of what you do?

SI: I’ve always been a curious individual with an urge to explore, discover, learn, and grow. To always ask questions and investigate the world around me. Design allows me to take a deep dive into a client’s story, and subjects or topics not previously known. To then synthesize that information into an aesthetic statement and reveal the rich and immersive story the client wants to tell, well that’s the bread and butter for me. I had a client tear up in a presentation, and it doesn’t get any better than that!

RFM: When you aren’t working, what do you like to do?  

SI: You can often find me galivanting in the outdoors, traveling, adventuring, camping, trying new things and almost always, eating, and critiquing design at all the new restaurants! That’s showbiz baby.