Turning Ideas into Art: The Design Journey of Christina Alvarez
“I had this vision… and no idea if it would work. But I just went for it.”
— Christina Alvarez
At 38, Christina Alvarez is living proof that creativity, courage, and a willingness to learn can lead to something truly extraordinary. A proud military spouse, Christina spent over a decade moving from coast to coast—Florida, San Diego, Virginia Beach, and back to San Diego—while supporting her husband’s 12-year Navy service. Through the challenges of relocation and numerous moves she started to realize her love for design.
What began as a practical necessity, renovating and moving into the homes they purchased along the way, turned into a passion for design and craftsmanship. Christina took on everything from knocking down walls and laying tile to building custom kitchen cabinets.
“I did hire contractors for the big stuff—plumbing, electrical, windows—basically anything that felt a little too risky or required more know-how than I could teach myself safely.”
Through all of those projects, there was one specific endeavor that may have changed the trajectory of her future design projects: transforming the kitchen of their San Diego home using custom-glazed porcelain tile. Christina had her heart set on a muted teal encaustic look—but every option she found was either off-color or way beyond budget.
She found tiles that were close to what she envisioned, but none were quite perfect. The tile pictured here was the closest match, but something still didn’t feel right. That’s when she decided she had to take the designing of the tile into her own hands if she wanted her vision to come to life.
“I brought the tile to a local pottery shop and shared my idea: what if I painted the tiles with custom pottery glaze and had them fired? They were totally on board.”
From there, Christina traced her design onto each tile by hand using pottery glaze. “They turned out beautifully—better than I imagined. And the folks at the shop told me it was the heaviest load they’d ever put through their kiln!”
The result was exactly what Christina had hoped for—a custom tile design that brought her vision to life. The unique glazing and hand-painted details transformed the space, giving the kitchen a one-of-a-kind character. What began as a challenge became a personal element of her home and a testament to her creativity and originality.
“I was beyond grateful that they were willing to support me on such a unique, outside-the-box project, it’s one of the most satisfying design moments I’ve had.”
Now, Christina is a thriving student working towards her bachelor’s degree in interior design at DI. We look forward to watching her career evolve, just like her design projects have.
Turning Ideas into Art: The Design Journey of Christina Alvarez
“I had this vision… and no idea if it would work. But I just went for it.”
— Christina Alvarez
At 38, Christina Alvarez is living proof that creativity, courage, and a willingness to learn can lead to something truly extraordinary. A proud military spouse, Christina spent over a decade moving from coast to coast—Florida, San Diego, Virginia Beach, and back to San Diego—while supporting her husband’s 12-year Navy service. Through the challenges of relocation and numerous moves she started to realize her love for design.
What began as a practical necessity, renovating and moving into the homes they purchased along the way, turned into a passion for design and craftsmanship. Christina took on everything from knocking down walls and laying tile to building custom kitchen cabinets.
“I did hire contractors for the big stuff—plumbing, electrical, windows—basically anything that felt a little too risky or required more know-how than I could teach myself safely.”
Through all of those projects, there was one specific endeavor that may have changed the trajectory of her future design projects: transforming the kitchen of their San Diego home using custom-glazed porcelain tile. Christina had her heart set on a muted teal encaustic look—but every option she found was either off-color or way beyond budget.
She found tiles that were close to what she envisioned, but none were quite perfect. The tile pictured here was the closest match, but something still didn’t feel right. That’s when she decided she had to take the designing of the tile into her own hands if she wanted her vision to come to life.
“I brought the tile to a local pottery shop and shared my idea: what if I painted the tiles with custom pottery glaze and had them fired? They were totally on board.”
From there, Christina traced her design onto each tile by hand using pottery glaze. “They turned out beautifully—better than I imagined. And the folks at the shop told me it was the heaviest load they’d ever put through their kiln!”
The result was exactly what Christina had hoped for—a custom tile design that brought her vision to life. The unique glazing and hand-painted details transformed the space, giving the kitchen a one-of-a-kind character. What began as a challenge became a personal element of her home and a testament to her creativity and originality.
“I was beyond grateful that they were willing to support me on such a unique, outside-the-box project, it’s one of the most satisfying design moments I’ve had.”
Now, Christina is a thriving student working towards her bachelor’s degree in interior design at DI. We look forward to watching her career evolve, just like her design projects have.