Leaving her home state of Alaska for sunnier climes, Carrie graduated with a degree in Sociology and Communications from the University of Arizona in 1999. After working for an architectural firm in London, she took a position at an Alaskan engineering company. Surrounded by the aesthetic endeavors of the firm, paired with the influence of her builder father, her love of design flourished. She carried her talent and enthusiasm to Chicago, where she enrolled in the Harrington College of Design, and joined Nate Berkus Associates staff after a successful summer internship with the firm.