From a very young age, Kristan Cunningham had an astute eye for design. She received a scholarship to study interior design at the University of Charleston in her home state of West Virginia. After college, she headed west to Los Angeles to enter the "glamorous world of design". She kicked off her career landing a job at one of L.A.'s premiere furniture showrooms, climbing the ranks from sales associate to buyer, where she quickly earned a reputation for her furniture designs. In 2001, Kristan became a resident designer for a renowned kitchen design firm in L.A.'s hip and trendy Design District.