CO-FOUNDER
Bachelor Fine Arts (BFA) Interior Architecture, California College of the Arts
BA Communications, UCLA
Gretchen co-founded Medium Plenty with her husband Ian Read, and leads the Interior Architecture/Design Department. Prior to establishing MP, Gretchen worked for over seven years at the acclaimed San Francisco firm, Jensen Architects, as the sole interior designer on staff. While there, she practiced integrating interiors with architecture, beyond simply choosing furniture, finishes and equipment. At Medium Plenty, Gretchen now practices design with profound thoughtfulness that goes well below the surface to a reach a more resonant, personal aesthetic.
Gretchen is inspired by nature, the senses and direct experience. She is unwavering in her belief that “things can be better – there is good out there in the world to claim, in the immediate forms of kindness, connection, communication and beauty.” Gretchen is an especially intuitive designer whose devotion is to her clients’ feelings and ideas. She then translates these into a unique and comfortable personal space, through collaborative and conscientious use of materials perfectly suited to her clients.
In her spare time, Gretchen wonders what “spare time” means. And then she finds herself snowboarding with Ian, baking and making art with their daughter, taking family excursions from rustic locales (with pooch Nori) to fancier ones (Nori-free), enjoying meals with friends, and refreshing her creativity through long, meandering walks.
My favorite medium is…my Materiality Toolbox. For me, the best part of designing is making a space come alive through materials. People experience meaning through their senses, and materials are what make our surroundings enriching and deep. Materiality is what resonates with people in daily life – texture, color, pattern, light, and so much more.