As someone who has personally navigated the experience of relocating to and then remodeling and furnishing a home in a foreign country, my role as your designer goes far beyond creating beautiful spaces.
I’m also here to help you understand the process, anticipate the cultural differences, and guide you through each step with clarity and patience.
There will inevitably be moments when the pace or approach here in Mexico feels unfamiliar—or even frustrating. You may find yourself tempted to “fix” or streamline things in a way that makes sense back home. I’ve been there too, and I’ve learned (often the hard way) that this difference isn’t a flaw—it’s simply a reflection of a different rhythm and set of values. Mexicans tend to prioritize relationships, craftsmanship, and the joy of the moment over efficiency and speed. And when you think about it, that’s likely part of what drew you here in the first place: the chance to slow down, step off the hamster wheel, and embrace a more relaxed, fulfilling way of life.
My goal is to help you create a home that reflects not only your personal style but also the spirit of this beautiful country you’ve chosen to call home. Adaptability, flexibility, and a good sense of humor will go a long way in making this experience not just smoother, but more rewarding. And I’ll be right there beside you—advocating for your vision, managing the details, and helping you navigate the inevitable bumps along the way with perspective and grace. Together, we’ll create something beautiful that feels deeply, authentically yours.
Your Cross-Cultural Design Partner,
Kristen Siefkin Loza Marquez
HERE ARE MY CORE BELIEFS
01
Design in Mexico requires more than good taste — it requires a guide who has lived the process firsthand.
02
The best spaces are built on trust, cultural fluency, and a team that speaks both your language and Mexico's.
03
Your home should reflect who you are and where you've chosen to be. That's the whole point.
About Kristen Siefkin Loza MarqUez
For nearly three decades, I’ve built a career around bringing creative visions to life.
My journey to design began in the communications department at Oregon’s legendary hotel and pub group, McMenamins, where I gained a deep appreciation for storytelling, historic preservation, and the magic of adding a touch of whimsy to everything I do. That foundation led me to a role as vice president at a bi-coastal marketing agency, where I crafted hundreds of successful campaigns for global consumer brands.
In 2012, my former husband and I opened Tabor Tavern, a cozy neighborhood restaurant in Portland, Oregon. Just three years later, we launched our second concept. That same year, I was honored by the Portland Business Journal as one of its “40 Under 40” — a recognition of top-performing professionals across industries.
Today, I live and work in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, where I channel my diverse background into residential and commercial interior design projects. My work has been featured in Apartment Therapy, Oregon Home Magazine, and 1859 Magazine.
A University of Oregon alum, I also hold a certificate from the Heritage School of Interior Design. I currently serve on the boards of Heritage, Daniel House Club, and Chown Hardware — the oldest family-owned architectural hardware, plumbing, and lighting company in North America.
About Poncho Loza Marquez
The man who makes it happen — part project manager, part problem-solver, full-time MacGyver.
Born in Mexico City and raised in Guadalajara, Poncho has lived all over Mexico — from San Miguel de Allende to the coast — but keeps finding his way back to Puerto Vallarta.
He brings a rare combination of backgrounds to IDA: design, construction, furniture fabrication, and building administration. As Kristen's husband, business partner and project manager, Poncho leads the team of subcontractors who turn every vision into reality — on time, within budget, and without losing their minds.
He loves nothing more than a good challenge, and there's rarely been a problem he can't solve. Kristen calls him the "Mexican MacGyver." His colleagues know him as the guy who also happens to have a killer sense of humor, wicked dance moves, and — on the really tough days — a wig collection that never fails to reset the room.
About SEBASTIAN GRANO
Sebastian believes every space has a story to tell — and it's his job to help it find one.
Born and raised in Puerto Vallarta, Sebastian grew up with a curious and imaginative mind — building, drawing, and dreaming up worlds from an early age. A childhood visit to Universal Studios Hollywood sparked a fascination with set design and storytelling, while a trip to Barcelona at seventeen introduced him to the work of Antoni Gaudí and ignited a passion for architecture.
He later studied in Guadalajara, where the collision of colonial architecture, Mexican modernism, and the enduring influence of Luis Barragán shaped his design philosophy: that spaces should tell stories and connect emotionally with the people who inhabit them.
Today, as IDA’s resident architect, Sebastian brings that sensibility to every project — blending creativity, craftsmanship, and a deep understanding of Mexican design tradition with a process that is always collaborative and deeply personal.
What Clients are saying
“I loved working with Kristen! We worked together virtually and I asked for her help in “bringing together” a couple of rooms that needed an update and a fresh set of eyes. I was amazed at how quickly and effectively she evaluated both rooms, took our lifestyle into account (aka young kids - function first!), and delivered shoppable mood boards for each room. Each of these rooms now have both the style and functionality I was seeking. This was all done via zoom and email over a couple weeks, and I was so impressed with the speed of the deliverables and Kristen’s ability to marry the reality of our lifestyle with our style inspiration. I’m looking forward to utilizing Kristen for future house projects!”
“The results are gorgeous. Every time I walk through my front door I feel a jolt of energy. When friends and family come over, they tell me ‘This is so you!’ which is the ultimate compliment, I think. I’m so grateful for Kristen and her natural talent!”
“Kristen has helped me on a few projects over the years and most recently in my new home. I love the flexibility she offers with various packages so that I can tailor to my needs in that moment. She uses her resources and style sensibilities to push me in a direction that sometimes I didn’t expect, but never disappoints. I love her ability to recognize a special or unique piece that I already own and incorporate in a way that shows she’s in touch with the essence of her clients. I can’t wait for the next project!”
“Kristen was a perfect fit! After an unsuccessful attempt to brighten up our family room with a new wall color of my choosing ( that paint really didn’t seem so yellow on the swatch!), we decided to seek professional assistance. The first inquiry was about as successful as my paint selection — looked good on paper, but not a good match in real life. In addition to wall color, the room needed new carpet and upgraded seating. Luckily, I read about another family’s experience working with Kristen to select a sofa, and decided it was worth another try. From the start, she demonstrated a clear understanding and commitment to our style, scope and budget. And, her enthusiasm and vision for the space helped us to trust and enjoy the process. With just a few changes, the space has become a favorite gathering place for friends and family. My only regret is that I waited so long to do it!”
“I am so happy with the support I received from Interior Design Alchemy. As I moved into my new home, I knew I needed help creating a cohesive space and making key decisions right away regarding space planning, how to use my existing furniture, and choosing paint colors. Kristen was a godsend! She quickly and efficiently guided me in making great choices, showing me things I hadn’t considered and making recommendations that allowed me to maximize my existing furniture and use it in a way that I love. My mind was blown and I am so grateful that she offers such an accessible way to get expert consultation and guidance using virtual technology. She was easy to communicate with, provided the deliverables as promised and followed up wanting to make sure things were working out and to answer any follow up questions. I highly recommend Kristen and Interior Design Alchemy. I love my space because of the recommendations she made - she is a total pro with awesome style and expertise!”
“I am so thrilled Interior Design Alchemy was recommended to me by a friend. Kristen has an amazing eye but also understands your individual design needs. She provides beautiful design for your specific lifestyle. Working with her online was super easy and she literally blew me away with some easy ideas I never would have thought of. I regularly refer back to her suggestions when adding furniture and lighting details at my own pace. In short, I am thrilled with my new space and highly recommend working with Kristen!”
“Kristen was a fabulous designer from start to finish. I could not recommend her more! I like to have a lot of input in the design and I can be very picky. Kristen was very accommodating and gave great advice. Her style is amazing and everything she picked out looks great, is comfortable, and gets a lot of complements. She knows all the best places to shop! We will be starting a new basement project and I have called on Kristen again and am looking forward to it.”
“Kristen has such an incredible and unique eye for design. She’s great at problem solving different design challenges and finding ways to improve, and even make you love, spaces that were previously very difficult. My husband and I also agree on very little. With her creativity, and an abundance of patience, she was able to bring both our visions together and completely transform our condo into something we couldn’t love more. And the fact that she’s so much fun to be around is icing on the cake!”
“Talk about a match made in heaven. I have a mid-century ranch that was crippled by a lack of consistent vision and focus. Kristen rocked it for me and my home looks amazing. I get so many compliments . . . I would work with her again in a heartbeat. Thank you, Interior Design Alchemy!!”
“Hiring Interior Design Alchemy is the best decision I’ve made in a long time. I do not really enjoy shopping, and I don’t have a natural gift for decorating and interior design. Thankfully, Kristen does! :) We had a flood in our basement the same week lockdowns started for COVID. It was a bit stressful with our six kids. Kristen completely transformed our house from one that was tired, and badly beaten up by our five sons and daughter. We are now the parents of teens and young adults, and it was time for our house to reflect that. Kristen is a joy to work with! She is incredibly hard working, oozing with talent, and just fun to spend time with. She navigates the challenges with grace and determination. She will solve your problems and prevent you from making costly mistakes. I am now completely in love with our house after 15 years!”
“Working with Kristen has been an absolute dream! We had never used an Interior Designer before and some hesitation when we began searching on whether it would be worth our time and money. It was 1000% worth it, I would absolutely go to Kristen again for ANY design needs. Throughout the entire process my wife and I had an amazing time going through the homework before our session and putting together ideas. During the virtual consultation, we were able to get through a ton of questions and ended the session feeling not only amazed by the expertise of Kristen working her design magic but also thoroughly surprised by all the wonderful ideas she shared with us. After the session, Kristen sent us her notes and shoppable mood boards that we could use to start our home transformation journey. We have been having so much fun going through the mood boards! They are the perfect balance of pieces we had in mind plus many amazing picks that were not on our radar, and a great balance of bold and classic. And now that my wife and I have a sense of where we are headed, we are feeling un-stuck and ready to start creating this vision one piece at a time. If you are looking for an expert to really help bring inspiration into your home, look no further than Kristen!”
“I’m so glad I met Kristen and had her help making my space a fun place to call home. Not only is she a warm-hearted, kind person but she made the process of decorating a difficult space fun and easy. As a result, I have a home where I enjoy spending time because it feels so inviting and serene. I don’t think there’s an interior designer with better creativity and problem solving skills than her! ”
“Kristen has changed the complete look and feel of my house in a way that feels so me. She has a way of finding pieces that I would never have thought of myself. I kept saying, ‘I would have never thought of that, but it works!’”
“Working with the Interior Design Alchemy team has been nothing short of fabulous! Specifically, we appreciated:She listened to what we wanted, and carried out our vision very well — and within our budget!
She’s very comfortable to work with, and very receptive to our feedback.
Excellent communication and project management, she always checked in with us and updated us on the status of our project.
Her design was well integrated into our current space.
She’s just all-around great people!
It is always a joy to meet with her, and she was very enthusiastic to work with us. We absolutely LOVE our new office space and a large part of it is because of Interior Design Alchemy! We highly recommend her.”
“Kristen is amazing! Absolutely amazing! She transformed our living room from a room that was just ‘meh’ to a room that I completely LOVE! She could not have been more spot on in truly getting the look/feel that I wanted. Every time I walk into my living room now, I smile, because I love it so much!”
“It was a joy working with Kristen. With a few questions and a look around, Kristen got a sense of our taste and our needs. In one consultation, she was able to communicate a new vision for our open space living/dining area. She followed up with resources and with encouragment. It was just what we needed to get started and we will definitely be consulting her again!”
“I cannot say thank you enough for all of your hard work on creating a beautiful, cohesive design for our home! I have been dreaming about this project forever but upon trying to execute it alone, I soon realized I was in way over my head.
Your artistry, knowledge, experience, professionalism and kindness are so appreciated! I can hardly wait for all of the pieces to arrive so we can create our new space! I will send you “after” pics when everything is in place.
”