Our Passion is Creating Beauty in People's Lives
Meet our team
FOUNDER & PRINCIPAL DESIGNER
Lara Anderson
I LOVE DESIGN! And with 25 years in the design industry, I STILL love everything to do with it! Interior Design is a vast industry, and I have experienced it all, retail, commercial, hospitality, but my absolute favorite facet is luxury residential design.
What’s my style?
In a word, timeless.
I love to mix contemporary surprises with traditional characteristics. Nothing spikes my happy meter more than a vintage furniture piece used in concert with sophisticated modern pieces or abstract artwork. The cherry on top is always texture! Texture is often overlooked because we take it for granted. Texture is all around us in everything we see and naturally, we crave it. You may have experienced a space that felt lifeless, sterile, uninviting - that’s due to a lack of texture.
I have studied, experimented with, and applied all aspects of design with countless clients. My many years of working in interiors have made me into the thoughtful designer I am today. Through the years, I’ve developed the relationships and inside connections essential to creating uniquely fabulous interiors, allowing the homeowner to stay relaxed and worry free throughout the process.
My Design Story
While putting myself through design school, I hit the ground running and worked as a design assistant for a successful Seattle designer specializing in sophisticated and custom residential design. After graduation, I moved to Portland, worked in commercial design, and started a family.
Design temporarily took a backseat while I opened the beloved Red Door Interiors store in downtown Olympia. For 10 years, together with my mom, Kathy, we refurbished furniture, curated specialty pieces, and provided a unique shopping experience within downtown Olympia. I also dabbled in product design and patented two home décor products that you may have seen in HGTV magazine, House Beautiful, and Seattle Times.
As my sons got older, I felt I had more time to devote to interior design and in 2014, I jumped at the chance to start a full-service interior design firm.
I was born, raised, and still call Olympia home. When my boys were young, their father and I built our family home on five acres in the woods of West Olympia. The land has been in my family for generations and is very special to our extended family. We built the home from the milled trees we cut for the house site. Building that home was my “Masters” degree in design. There is no better way to learn the building process than to roll up your sleeves and get dirty in the details - the blood sweat, and tears so to speak. We completed our home in 2008 and still love it today just as much as that initial design I created so long ago.
When I’m not in my happy place at my drafting table you’ll find me… cruising the Puget Sound, spending time with friends and family, visiting art galleries and museums, dancing and enjoying live music, or working in my yard.
I love beauty and acknowledge it all around me in nature, art, people, architecture, film, the list goes on and on.
OPERATIONS & MARKETING DIRECTOR
Megan Mikkelsen, MPH
Creating beautiful and healthy spaces has been a passion of mine since I was a teen. What we surround ourselves with impacts both our mental and physical health.
Combining my master's level education and career in public health together with interior design has given me the opportunity to help others love where they live while at the same time helping them embrace health and make more eco-friendly choices.
Assisting with design at Red Door, I love helping clients create ideal cabinetry layouts, find the perfect wallpaper, design a functional and organized closet, and add the perfect finishing touches to make their space unique.
I also love creating efficiencies within our business and marketing our services by sharing gorgeous before and after pictures. Who doesn’t love looking at pictures of beautiful interiors?
When I’m not wearing one of my ever-changing hats at Red Door, you’ll likely find me watching my daughters play volleyball, traveling, or enjoying a glass of wine with my husband at one of our favorite local restaurants.