Lauren Nielsen

From: St. George, Utah

Desired Career Focus: Hospitality + Residential design

Certifications: LEED Green Associate

Associations: ASID

Contact Info

Email: lauren.e.nielsen18@gmail.com
Phone: (435) 773-1209

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Portfolio

Lauren Nielsen is an emerging interior designer with a Bachelor's degree in Interior Architecture and Design from Utah State University. Her design philosophy centers around concept development—she believes that great design not only transforms spaces but also tells meaningful stories.

Lauren has gained valuable industry experience through internships at Becca Interiors in Connecticut and PGAL in Las Vegas. These opportunities have deepened her appreciation for both beauty and functionality in the residential and hospitality sectors. Lauren aims to bring impactful, narrative-driven spaces to life as she works toward achieving her NCIDQ certification.

Do not judge me by my successes, judge me by how many times I fell down and got back up again.

Nelson Mandela

Student Projects

Residence

This high-end Prairie / Mid-Century Modern residence is in St. George, Utah. The client is a retired couple with four grown children who frequently come to visit with their young families. The client requests an “age in place” home with ADA capabilities, an ADU apartment, and enough space for family reunions.

An architectural rendering of a prairie-style mid-century modern home set in the desert landscape of St. George, Utah. The house features clean horizontal lines, large overhangs, and a mix of smooth concrete and stone materials. A stone pathway leads to the entrance, surrounded by native desert plants, including cacti and yuccas. The background showcases rolling desert mountains, and tall saguaro cacti frame the scene, enhancing the natural integration of the home into its environment. The rendering combines hand-drawn sketch elements with shaded digital components for depth and texture.

A detailed construction document displaying the main floor plan with precise dimensions for all walls, windows, and doors. The drawing includes wall, window, and door tags for identification, along with dimension lines indicating measurements between structural elements. Annotations and symbols provide additional construction details, ensuring clarity for builders and contractors. The plan is presented in a technical drafting style, adhering to architectural standards.

A construction document page featuring three detailed wall section drawings, illustrating variations of a flat roof assembly. Each section includes labels for key building components such as the single-ply membrane roofing, sheathing, rafters, fascia board, aluminum fascia, soffit, and exterior finishes like EIFS/stucco. Two of the sections depict basement wall details with concrete foundation walls, while the third section showcases a slab-on-grade construction method. Insulation layers and other structural elements are annotated to provide clarity for construction and assembly.

A detailed construction document displaying the basement floor plan with precise dimensions for all walls, window wells, and doors. The drawing includes wall, window, and door tags for identification, along with dimension lines indicating measurements between structural elements. Annotations and symbols provide additional construction details, ensuring clarity for builders and contractors. The plan is presented in a technical drafting style, adhering to architectural standards.

ULTA Loft

The ULTA Beauty redesign focuses on creating an inclusive, gender-neutral space for all customers. This project introduces the ULTA Loft, a dedicated area featuring male grooming products, offering a welcoming environment for male and gender-diverse customers. The design concept throughout the project is a broken makeup palette. By breaking down traditional gender roles in beauty retail, this redesign not only fosters inclusivity but also redefines what it means to be beautiful.

A modern, upscale brow bar interior featuring a long counter with a dramatic backlit marble facade in tones of cream, black, and gray. The wall behind the counter is clad in sleek display shelves backed with black veined marble. Minimalist bar stools with dark wooden seats and black metal bases are lined along the counter. The ceiling is finished in a dark bronze grid with integrated lighting, including two large, oval-shaped brass pendant lights and track lighting. The space is elegant and refined, with a warm, masculine aesthetic. Several blurred figures suggest a lively, yet relaxed environment.

A stylish, modern commercial interior featuring an accessible stair and elevator lobby. The staircase features sleek brass handrails and white treads with black nosing, set against a backdrop of matte black paneling. A man in motion descends the stairs, while another person in a wheelchair rolls toward a pair of elevators, highlighting the importance of accessibility. The space is illuminated with soft, indirect lighting and features a sculptural, geometric ceiling fixture in black and gold. The floors are warm, medium-toned wood, and the overall design emphasizes inclusivity and contemporary sophistication.

The floor plan of the Loft is blocked out in different shades of brown and grey to communicate the uses of space. The loft is U-shaped around the edge of the building, with a staircase at the front left of the building. Up the staircase, the customer would first pass through men’s fragrance, then see hair and beard care displays on the way to the brow bar. To the right, there is a hallway that leads to the employee break room, and continuing forward there is a second staircase and elevator access. The second bend to the right leads to the skin care area. The loft is outlined in a railing made of glass and steal, the center is open to below.

This image shows two cut sections of the ULTA building (right and left sides). To communicate the relationship between the loft and the main level, the loft and staircases are highlighted in brown, while everything else is shaded grey.

An exploded axonometric drawing of an ULTA Beauty building with a two-story layout featuring an upstairs loft. The exterior and interior walls are pulled away from the structure to reveal the central layout of the building. The first floor includes retail zones, display fixtures, and circulation paths, while the loft level appears as a more intimate or specialized area. Structural elements like columns, floor slabs, and staircases are visible. The drawing is rendered with clean lines and soft shading, offering a comprehensive view of the spatial organization and interior architecture.

EcoMat

Approximately 700 million plastic laundry detergent jugs are thrown away each year in the United States, overflowing landfills and polluting our oceans. This eco-friendly laundromat seeks to bring awareness to the issue. Wall covering and flooring selections are made with recycled materials in mind. The washing and drying machines conserve water or energy. Earning points towards a LEED ID+C Gold Rating. The goal, however, is not only to be a sustainable building, but to inspire the customers to commit to a more sustainable lifestyle as well. This is our planet. We have to work together.

Rendered 3D view of the laundromat, at the foreground is a detergent refill station. The is a neon pink sign that says “Laundry, laundry, laundry.” Stacking dryers are against the wall while washers form an island in the middle of the room. There are seats and folding tables in view as well.

A conceptual sketch illustrating the development of a laundromat floor plan. The drawing features a colorful bubble diagram with various overlapping and adjacent circles, each color-coded to represent different functional zones within the laundromat. Labeled areas include the window display, waiting area, washer and dryer area, back of house, and restroom. The diagram visually communicates spatial relationships and circulation flow, serving as an early-stage planning tool to organize programmatic needs and optimize user experience.

Display windows that showcase an interactive statistic where people can add their detergent bottles to show how much plastic was saved from the landfill that month.

Laundromat recycled materials rendered: black and white floor (restroom and main area) and multicolored countertops all made of recycled plastic for laundry detergent jugs.

Tile in Time

Inspired by art in the Louvre, this tile line has a rich historic precedent. The museum organizes the art by region and school, which is how I have arranged my research as well. There are four different schools: Northern European, Spanish, Italian and French. I have chosen five art pieces one from each school to study. Each painting has recorded an interior and a tile. This study is to understand how interior design trends have changed overtime. My hope is that as we continue into the future, we will not forget the beautiful past.

This is a vignette looking down on black shoes standing on tile inspired by “The Marriage at Cana” by Paolo Veronese, an Italian oil painting on canvas from 1563, it is currently hanging in the Louvre Museum. The tile has a combination of hexagon and square shapes, soft orange, purple, black, and white marble tiles.

Moses Turning Aaron's Staff Into a Serpent by Nicolas Poussin, a French Baroque painting from 1647, is displayed in an ornate gold frame. The artwork depicts a dramatic biblical scene where Moses, standing among a group of onlookers, transforms Aaron's staff into a serpent as a sign of divine power. The figures are arranged in a classical composition with rich colors and dynamic gestures characteristic of the Baroque style. At the bottom of the painting, a decorative tile is visible, adding a visual element to the framed display. This tile inspired one of the patterns from the “Tile in Time” line. Large-scale squares and circles overlap each other in a symmetrical sequence.

This is a vignette looking down on female leather shoes standing on tile inspired by “The Meeting between St. James the Greater and Hermogenes” by Lorenzo Monaco; an Italian tempera and gold on wood, Gothic painting from (1387-1388) it is currently hanging in the Louvre Museum. The pattern has a combination of grey rectangles and squares with black triangle tiles. The grout is red.

The Annunciation by Rogier van der Weyden, a Netherlandish painting from 1435, is displayed in an ornate gold frame. This early Renaissance artwork depicts the angel Gabriel delivering the message to the Virgin Mary in a richly detailed interior setting. The scene is characterized by delicate drapery, soft lighting, and precise architectural details. At the bottom of the painting, a decorative tile is visible. This tile inspired one of the patterns from the “Tile in Time” line. Small square tiles zig-zag across the room with orange and black contrasting colors.

The Marriage at Cana by Paolo Veronese, an Italian Mannerist painting from 1563, is displayed in an elaborate gold frame. The large-scale composition captures the biblical wedding feast where Christ performs his first miracle, turning water into wine. The scene is bustling with elegantly dressed figures in Renaissance attire, set against grand classical architecture with ornate columns and balconies. At the bottom of the painting, a patterned tile is visible, adding a tactile and decorative element to the framed presentation. This tile inspired one of the patterns from the “Tile in Time” line.

This is a vignette looking down on female pointed shoes standing on tile inspired by “Moses Turning Aaron's Staff into a Serpent” by Nicolas Poussin; a French, Baroque oil on canvas from 1647, it is currently hanging in the Louvre Museum. The pattern has a combination of circles within squares, the tiles are a mixture of orange and black stone with some terrazzo. The grout is grey.

The Meeting between St. James the Greater and Hermogenes by Lorenzo Monaco, an Italian Gothic painting from 1387–1388. The scene depicts a spiritual confrontation between the apostle St. James and the sorcerer Hermogenes, rendered in vivid tempera with stylized, elongated demon figures and gold leaf detailing. Gothic architectural elements frame the composition, with intricate patterns and halos highlighting the divine narrative. The floor features a decorative tile design with geometric patterns, adding depth and texture to the sacred interior setting. This tile pattern inspired one from the “Tile in Time” line.

This is a vignette looking down on female pointed shoes standing on tile inspired by “The Annunciation” by Rogier van der Weyden, an oil on wood panel from 1435, it is currently hanging in the Louvre Museum. The tile pattern is a modernized version using penny tiles, a combination of orange and black circles organized to mimic the zig-zag pattern.

Soul Salon

This tenant improvement (TI) project transforms a standard commercial space into a high-end, spa-like retreat. The hair salon exudes tranquility while maintaining a refined, modern aesthetic. Thoughtfully curated lighting enhances the space, maximizing natural daylight while incorporating strategic fixtures to create an inviting atmosphere. Sound control elements ensure a peaceful experience, minimizing echo and enhancing the sense of escape. Every design choice—from the layout to the finishes—reflects Soul Salon’s commitment to luxury, comfort, and an elevated client experience.

A conceptual sketch illustrating the development of a hair salon floor plan. The drawing features a colorful bubble diagram with various overlapping and adjacent circles, each color-coded to represent different functional zones within the salon. Labeled areas include the lobby, wash area, dryer chairs, styling booths, chemical room, break room, and mechanical room. The diagram visually communicates spatial relationships and circulation flow, serving as an early-stage planning tool to organize programmatic needs and optimize user experience.

A page from an FF&E (Furniture, Fixtures, and Equipment) specification document detailing a built-in wash sink cabinetry unit. The page includes a picture of the sink unit, along with material callouts and finish swatches. Specifications describe the cabinet faces in a white oak laminate and hardware in matte black. Functional details include integrated plumbing access, storage space, and backsplash protection. Text and callouts ensure the correct product is ordered by outlining dimensions, materials, color codes, and installation requirements for the project.

Floor plan of a hair salon with rendered materials: black carpet tile in the lobby with a crack pattern, stained concrete throughout the main salon area (treated with no-slip product), dark brown LVT (luxury vinyl tile) in the break room, and 2” tiles in the bathroom.

A page from an FF&E (Furniture, Fixtures, and Equipment) specification document detailing a product display shelf for the lobby. The page includes a picture of the shelf, along with material callouts and finish selections (white oak). Text and callouts ensure the correct product is ordered by outlining dimensions, materials, color codes, and installation requirements for the project.

A page from a set of construction documents showing interior elevations with detailed cabinet drawings. The elevations include front views of built-in cabinetry, drawers, and shelving units, annotated with precise dimensions, material callouts, and construction notes. Dashed lines indicate hidden elements such as shelving heights or upper cabinetry alignment. Elevation markers and section symbols are included to reference other sheets. The layout is clean and technical, designed to guide millwork fabrication and installation.

A page from a set of construction documents featuring a reflected ceiling plan (RCP). The drawing shows the ceiling layout with detailed material notations, dimensions, and the placement of various light fixtures including recessed lights, pendants, and track lighting. Symbols indicate the type and location of each fixture, corresponding to a legend that explains fixture types, codes, and specifications. Gridlines, ceiling heights, and alignment references are included to coordinate with architectural and electrical plans. The sheet is organized for clarity to assist with accurate ceiling installation and lighting placement.