Strohmaier Construction
Palouse Chapter, Communications Chair

Two months before she graduated in 2019 with an Associate in Applied Science Degree in Interior Design from Spokane Falls Community College (an NKBA Affiliated School), Summerlyn Travis already had a job lined up at Strohmaier Construction as the company’s first interior designer, tasked with helping to develop a program to integrate design and construction. Two years and 70-plus projects worth $8 million in revenue later, she is the Spokane, Wash.-based company’s Chief of Interior Design and oversees a team of three designers hired during the pandemic to meet increased demand. “Being involved with a vast number of projects has allowed me to be open to different styles, incorporate new innovations and continue to grow our design numbers,” she says.

Summerlyn’s favorite project over the past two years is one she calls Modern Jungle. “This was one of my first larger projects as a designer,” she explains. “It had some crazy angles and high expectations. This was a full main-floor remodel. It challenged me in many ways and will always hold a special place for me.” Her personal design preferences favor mid-century modern — “the colors and simplicity draw my eye,” she says — which is a dramatic shift from her teen years, when her bedroom was decorated with “everything and anything pink.”

“Being involved with a vast number of projects has allowed me to be open to different styles, incorporate new innovations and continue to grow our design numbers.”

These days, her obsessions include maintaining a work-life balance. “I make sure that I don’t skip a workout or a get-together because I feel like I need to keep working,” she says. “In this industry right now, we could work 24/7 and probably never be caught up, so taking the time for yourself when you need it is so important.” Still, Summerlyn has found time to sit on the board of NKBA’s Palouse Chapter as Communications Chair for the last two years, and in 2022, she will serve as Programs Chair. She’s also passionate about supporting local interior design students through events and community involvement that allows them to connect with industry professionals. 

When she’s not at home with her Goldendoodle, Honey, or hanging out with family and friends, Summerlyn loves to spend time in Cannon Beach, Ore., where her family vacationed every summer when she was a child. She expects her future travels will take her farther afield. “I want to experience different design styles in different cultures,” she says, “and viewing them in person would be amazing.”