Shop Talk | In Depth with Elle | Kole Interiors Partner Website

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ADMIT IT, YOU HAVE AN INQUIRING MIND, AND YOU WANT TO KNOW ABOUT THE TEAM DESIGNING YOUR DREAM HOME. WE UNDERSTAND THE INCLINATION. SO WE DECIDED TO BRING YOU SHOP TALK CONVERSATIONS WITH LOCAL FLATHEAD VALLEY PROFESSIONALS.

ELLE | KOLE INTERIORS

ELLIE SANDLER & NIHCOLE PETERSEN
PRINCIPAL DESIGNERS & OWNERS

Elle | Kole Interiors is a full-service interior design firm serving the greater Flathead Valley and northwest Montana. They recently expanded and now offer a beautiful fine furnishings showroom called Doma by Elle | Kole Interiors located in the heart of downtown Kalispell. As interior designers and business partners, creative duo Ellie Sandler and Nihcole Petersen’s goal is to design spaces around functionality that also create sanctuary, refresh your soul, and provide aesthetic appeal.

We offer full service interior design, lighting design–with direct access to a wide variety of high quality and top tier lighting vendors, space planning, interior renderings and all aspects of services needed to create the full realization of residential, commercial and multi-family projects. We actively work to guide each step of the process for clients as they navigate the many decisions needed to bring a project to life. Asking the practical questions, bringing creative and comfortable solutions to layouts and design all while bringing cohesive vision based on the client’s desires is our specialty.

Nihcole first began as a lighting designer, which is where she dedicated the first part of her career. Through this, she has embodied the appreciation of design and finding balance between beauty and function in all of the spaces she designs. Nihcole has rounded out her professional career through working with and for other design firms and custom builders.

Ellie grew up as the daughter of a furniture designer. She was constantly in her father’s shop surrounded by the beauty of finely crafted pieces. In her teens, Ellie apprenticed as a floral designer and later grew into the wedding designer/planner business. She then went on to a job in graphic design. With all of this design background, she always knew her true focus would be in the interior design field.

With gratitude for our amazing clients and professional network that we have the honor of working with, the natural next step was to bring all the pieces of the home design process together in one tastefully curated showroom. We opened Doma in January of 2025 after moving into a larger location. At Doma, we have everything from fine furnishings, home décor, and lighting to home wares, jewelry, and specialty gifts.

We are inspired to deliver what a client wants.
Nihcole: I look at function and flow of a space first. I pay special attention to how to integrate technology in a home but in a way that isn’t obvious or ostentatious and strive to create a space for each client that feels holistic, cohesive, and elevated, and that exceeds their expectations.
Ellie: I look at the way clients live and dwell in their homes, asking what brings them comfort. Then I seek to create the feeling that every space flows and nothing stands out or is lost all at the same time a perfect harmony in functionality and design. I do this by paying attention to the contours and shapes, the flow of nature and integrating those elements into clients’ homes that feel seamless and bring peace.
Danae: We are influenced by global architecture and a desire to truly “nail it” and find the perfect fit for a client.

We opened Doma in January of 2025 after moving into a larger location. At Doma, we have everything from fine furnishings, home décor, and lighting to home wares, jewelry, and specialty gifts.

– ELLE | KOLE INTERIORS

We work hard to be a cohesive part of the build team. During the design phase, we work to translate every fixed finish into detailed specifications. Key in that process is making sure we ask “all the questions” when starting down the design road with clients. Ideally, we like to make sure we have hit the mark in the first rounds of design so that we can offer the most streamlined time-lines for the contractors and tradespeople. Our aim is to collaborate with builders, architects, and homeowners in a seamless way, especially at key phases of the build process in order decrease the number of revisions, change requests, and costly miscommunications. Success for us in this arena means: ecstatic clients, happy builders, and architects whose design for the client is realized.

The final reveal moments and the trust that clients give us in order help to them execute the completed vision for their home or business. The relationships that are created from that experience are some of the most beautiful realizations of the entire project. Design is such a personal process and the honor of getting to be on the “inside” of that with the client is one we truly cherish and do not take lightly. The end result is a gift to both them and us!

Nihcole: Ellie and I met at the gym while both working in design for other businesses. We stayed connected for a few years and started meeting once a month for dinner as we both took on side projects. One specific side project was comprised of two owners. One owner had contacted her and one had contacted me. At dinner we realized we were both sharing info about the same client. We approached the client about working together on the fast-paced timeline they had wanted to achieve. Internally it was our ‘tester’ to see how we would work together. Two weeks in we knew we worked well together and formed our business together. We haven’t looked back since.

Ellie: I would be a floral designer. I love creativity, the natural colors and textures, and the beautiful aspect of plants and flowers. Floral design is always purposeful and tends to highlight important, beautiful, thoughtful moments of our human experience.
Nihcole: I would dive into owning a botanical atrium and grown plants from all over the world. I am absolutely fascinated by science and grew up with a total hippie for a mom. From that upbringing I would grow plants that I could create medicine from and heal people with. Fun note: in that atrium I would love to breed butterflies and some cool bugs too.

Ellie: I love fail videos on YouTube.
Nihcole: Silly texts my husband sends me throughout the day.

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