By Donna Heiderstadt

What do ballroom dancing, tiny-house living, and an obsession with cabinets have in common? They are all part of what makes Bethany Broussard tick. As Lead Designer and Cabinet Specialist at Portland, Oregon-based Crystal Remodeling, Bethany has put the skills she acquired while earning her Associates degree in Interior Design at age 28 to productive use, with three kitchen and five bathroom remodels and one living room renovation — totaling $750,000 — in her first year as the company’s first designer.

“When I started school, I never thought cabinetry would be able to get me feeling as passionate as it does, but now I realize cabinetry plays a large and important role in any design project. Now I’m the person hunched over inspecting cabinets anywhere I go — I can’t help but check out a unique cabinet when I see one!”

Bethany, who recently turned 30, was compelled to pursue kitchen and bath design by her own foray into tiny-house living. “I had a little project of my own and I became so inspired by the freedom to design a space,” she explains. “Something as simple as being able to pick out a paint color made me excited — and still makes me feel the same way today.”

She also credits ballroom dance, which she dedicated a lot of time to, for bringing out her natural drive. “Partner dancing is a mixture of creativity and analytical thinking, with a lot of repetition to achieve a beautiful end result,” she explains. “Being a designer has allowed me to exercise those same qualities.”

While her design style leans contemporary/modern, Bethany also appreciates ‘70s bohemian, Victorian, and eclectic styles. “I always want to create a comforting feeling by using materials that feel warm and textures that create a sense of calm,” she says. “I gravitate toward dark-stained woods, bronze and gold tones, and unique fixtures that speak to a Wabi Sabi, or one-of-a-kind, look.” The one word that best describes her, she says, is “sincere” and one of the most memorable moments of her nascent career happened when another designer told her, “It’s not a bathroom, it’s a ROOM!” after seeing her first project. “This compliment will continue to make me smile,” Bethany admits.

In her spare time, she also finds joy in dance, calling it a form of collective meditation — “Find me if you want to learn how to do the ‘Footloose’ line dance,” she says — as well as yoga, hiking, camping, skiing, and baking. Bethany just visited Venice for the first time, an experience she calls “amazing,” and future must-do’s includes seeing the Northern Lights, dancing the tango in Buenos Aires, and going sky-diving, “as terrifying as that might be!”