Thirty Under 30: Cayleigh McCusker

By Donna Heiderstadt

Cayleigh McCusker was living in Hawaii and remotely attending grad school at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco, still uncertain what her next steps would be. After she moved back home to New Jersey in 2022 to figure things out, a friend introduced her to Sandy Aromando, founder of Somers Point, NJ-based Euro Line Designe, and an interview ensued. “I was still in school and had zero experience in the design industry, but Sandy took a chance on me,” Cayleigh says. “Truthfully, I wasn’t sure if kitchen and bath was where I wanted to be long-term, but Sandy helped me realize my love for the industry and I haven’t looked back since.”

Fast-forward 3.5 years and 29-year-old Cayleigh, who says the word that best describes her is “personable,” has made a mad dash up the ranks — from Design Assistant to CAD Designer to Designer, and this past summer, to Senior Designer — and she is excited to now have her own clients and accounts to manage. “Outside of client meetings and site visits, designing in CAD is where I spend most of my time,” she says about her responsibilities. “I do love to draft and design, but I think my favorite part of my job is the client interface. I love to interact with people, get to know them, their story, and try to tell that story in their home.”

As for that graduate degree, Cayleigh earned her Master’s in Interior Architecture & Design in spring 2023 while working full-time at ELD. Truly a go-getter, she also took over the company’s social media and marketing to build online engagement and aided in the development of a new ELD website launched in summer 2025. The NKBA also selected Cayleigh to attend its annual Women 2 Women leadership conference this past September.

Outside the office, Cayleigh is an active member of Partners in Design & Construction (PID&C), a locally founded group of South Jersey industry professionals who collaborate and give back to the local community — specifically through The ARC of Atlantic County, a nonprofit that supports the empowerment of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Reflecting on her design path, Cayleigh admits she spent many childhood hours entranced by The Sims. “I would play this for hours at a time, but never created families to play with,” she recalls. “I only built and designed houses — whole towns full of them.” These days, Cayleigh says she prefers a neutral, earth-toned palette. “I’m not afraid to incorporate color, but it’s a relationship I’m working on developing,” she explains. “I really gravitate toward a blend of traditional and modern elements making spaces feel laid-back, lived-in, and functional.”

Cayleigh, who swam competitively in college, is still athletics-focused and regularly works out and takes long walks. Her current fixation, however, is decorating the 1950s cape-style house that she and her fiancé, Kevin, completely renovated to make it their own and share with their German Shepherd, Rex. They are also planning their June 2026 wedding.

While Cayleigh counts Hawaii as a favorite destination — she lived on Oahu but especially loved Kauai — her future sights are set on Europe — notably Italy and Greece. “My sisters and I have always talked about traveling there together with our mom,” she says. “We have family ties to both areas so immersing ourselves in our culture, eating great food, and seeing some beautiful sights is up there on the list for me.”