Danielle Steele

 Marks-Woods Construction Services

Baltimore/Washington Chapter

Design obsessions have a clever way of revealing themselves — and Danielle Steele had just such a revelation. “It wasn’t until 10th grade that I realized design/architecture was for me,” recalls the Winchester, Va., native. “I’d find myself constantly being late for everything because I’d be driving around admiring all of the beautiful and historical houses in my hometown.” She chose to study for an interior design degree at NKBA-affiliated school Virginia Tech, and after graduating in 2017, landed her first job at Marks-Woods, where her current title is interior designer.

“It’s also helpful to do a site visit prior to starting design — you can learn a lot about people’s unique taste just by seeing how they’ve decorated their home.”

As she works on remodels, Danielle draws heavily on architecture and art influences, incorporating periods of design into today’s style to create a timeless and unique living space for her clients. “I ask them to send me Pinterest boards and other forms of inspirational imagery,” she says. “It’s also helpful to do a site visit prior to starting design — you can learn a lot about people’s unique taste just by seeing how they’ve decorated their home.” In addition, she notes, the range of clients she works with pushes her to diversify her own design aesthetic and “flex my creativity muscle.”

Artistically gifted as a child, Danielle remembers “always tearing apart my room, throwing everything in the middle of the floor and reorganizing/redecorating.” When she was 13, her dad helped her with a major bedroom renovation, which included wainscoting and wall art she created herself. These days, newlywed Danielle and her husband enjoy hiking, biking, tubing and winery visits. They also have a 15-year-old yellow lab named Falcon, her husband’s childhood pup. “I grew up with cats, Hamlet and Rocky, who live at my parents’ house,” says Danielle. “Don’t tell Falcon, but I’m more of a cat person.” She’s also a huge fan of national parks — her favorite is Montana’s Glacier National Park — and her ultimate goal is to visit all of them.