Business Profile

Hazzat Inayat Khan said "Some people look for a beautiful place, others make a place beautiful."  Designs by Donna is an interior design firm providing all facets of interior design services.  From color selection to lighting, furnishings to window treatments, and space planning to a full redesign/remodel, no project is too big or too small for Donna Richter.  What is most importanct to her is listning to her clients and creating a design they will love and that works within their budget.  Whether a small transformation of paint color, a complete remodel, or something in between, happy smiling clilents at the end of the project is always her goal.

Donna came by her creativity and love of design naturally.  Her father was a finish carpenter who built and crafted their family home by himself in the foothills near Boulder.  He was a master at creating quality on a very limited budget,  and in a way that was scalable to fit their needs.  He also understood,  and imbued in Donna, the significance of textures, lines, and finishes, and how to accent and blend them for maximum effect.  Her Mother, crafty and artsy in her own right, also contributed to  the visual appeal of their family home through decorative touches, including hand-crafted quilts.  From custom built walnut cabinets to stained glass windows, artfully furnished rooms, and the detailed intruicacy of tiny, pattered stitches, it was the lilttle touches of quality and creatitity that formed Donna's enthusiasm and passion for design.

Earlier in her adult life, Donna worked in design at Coors Ceramics, and also doing quality control for medical device manufacturing.  Both positions required and extremely high attention to detail which only served to reinforce the lessons of her childhood, and provide a solid foundation  for her to start her own designs firm in 2008.  As a Todd Creek community resident, Donna finds many of her local clients, especially those in the Heritage Todd Creek neighborhood, see themselves in their "last home."  Helping these clients personalize their spaces, whether visualy and/or functionally to better facilitate aging the place in an environment that brings them peace and serenity is a blessing for Donna, and on that she genuinely enjoys. 

As an interior designer, Donna sometimes finds herself in the position of working with clients who have suffered a personal tragedy such as the loss of their home to  fine, or perhaps someone facing a serious health challenge like cancer.  In these situations, knowing they are trust in her to design and create a new "sense of home" for them is what brings meaning to her work.  Donna feels privileged o be able to not only bring some sense of order back to their space, but also to help restore some semblance of peace and serenity to their lives.

By Amanda Griffin