At Alair Homes Kirkland, we believe luxury is not just something you see. It is something you feel. It lives in the details, the lighting, the texture of a fabric, the way a room holds you at the end of a long day.
That is exactly why we created the Women of Influence Event.
We filled the room with incredible women from across our industry and partnered with Nordstrom Bellevue to explore how luxury is being expressed right now through fashion, beauty, scent, lighting, and design. The truth is trends always show up in fashion first. The color palettes. The sheens. The silhouettes. The mood. What walks the runway today often becomes what shapes our homes tomorrow.
And at Alair Homes Kirkland, we like to stay ahead of that curve.
Understanding where style is going allows us to bring that same intentionality and sophistication into every space we create. From cabinetry finishes to layered lighting, from personal retreats to gathering spaces, it is all connected. Makeup, clothing, décor. They speak the same language when you know how to listen.
But beyond the insights and inspiration, the evening was something more meaningful. It was a chance to pamper and celebrate some of our favorite women in the community. A night of learning and elevating; and honoring the voices that shape how we live, design, and show up as our best selves.
Mariah Hebenthal, Designer Account Executive at Sherwin-Williams in Bellevue, WA
From the moment Mariah began speaking, it was clear why she is considered one of the rising voices in residential design. Recently named to NKBA’s Thirty Under 30 Class of 2026, Mariah represents a new generation of design leadership, one that understands both the emotional and technical power of color.
Her story with paint started early. As a child, she confidently reimagined her own bedroom, evolving from a Tinkerbell theme into a more refined vision using Sherwin-Williams SW6558 Plummy, SW6154 Nacre, and SW7022 Alpaca in a bold hexagon accent wall. It was more than a childhood project. It was the beginning of a lifelong relationship with color as identity. That room still exists today, a quiet reminder that design has always been part of who she is.
Since 2019, Mariah has served the Greater Seattle and Alaska regions as a Designer Account Executive, where she is widely regarded as a trusted expert in luxury color palettes and advanced paint solutions. She brings both artistry and precision to her work. In her market, she is known for her ability to translate emerging trends into deeply personal, mood-driven environments. She is also affectionately known among colleagues as the “tech guru,” equally confident leading CEU courses as she is orchestrating large-scale industry events like the Seattle Sherwin-Williams Colormix 2026 launch.
Beyond her professional achievements, Mariah is deeply invested in the design community. Her leadership within the local NKBA chapter, including four consecutive years serving as Entrant Chair for the Puget Sound Design Competition, has helped elevate the chapter to national recognition.
We were incredibly grateful to have Mariah on our Women of Influence panel. Her passion for color, her technical expertise, and her ability to articulate how luxury today is rooted in personal expression made her perspective both inspiring and actionable. She reminded us that paint is never just paint. It is mood. It is confidence. It is the foundation of how a space feels.
Shannon Beauclair, Founder of Beauclair Photography
Shannon Beauclair was an extraordinary voice on our Women of Influence panel. As an international award-winning portrait photographer and accredited Fellow with The Portrait Masters, Shannon brings both artistry and emotional depth to everything she creates. Born and raised on the Eastside of Seattle in Bellevue and a Kirkland resident for more than 30 years, she is deeply rooted in the very community she photographs.
Shannon specializes in fine art portraiture, beauty, editorial, corporate headshots, and personal branding photography. Her work has been featured in photography magazines, Kirkland Lifestyle, Florists Review Magazine, and even on the cover of Seattle Bride Magazine. She has photographed public influencers, professional models, dancers, and countless families who simply want heirloom-quality images that preserve their milestones.
But what makes Shannon’s work so powerful is not just the recognition. It is the intention behind it.
As a recent cancer survivor, Shannon shared how her perspective has shifted to fully appreciating each day and each story she documents. For her, portraits are not just images. They are legacy. They are a record of who you are in this exact moment. They are a gift for future generations.
During the panel, Shannon spoke about the importance of showing up as your best self and how personal identity, color, styling, and intentional lighting communicate confidence and authenticity. In a world where first impressions often happen online, she reminded us that a thoughtfully crafted image can elevate a brand, a business, or an individual in seconds.
We were so grateful for Shannon’s presence and insight. She brought warmth, vulnerability, and expertise to the conversation, reminding us that luxury is not only about the space you inhabit. It is also about how you choose to be seen within it.
Melissa Mitchell, Lead Shades and Lighting System Designer and Marketing Manager at Wipliance
Melissa Mitchell brought a dynamic and forward-thinking perspective to our Women of Influence panel. As Lead Shades and Lighting System Designer and Marketing Manager at Wipliance, she stands at the intersection of technology, design, and human experience. Her work proves that lighting is never just functional. It is emotional, architectural, and deeply personal.
Recently named one of CE Pro’s “40 Women to Watch” for 2025, Melissa was nominated by her peers and selected as one of the women driving the future of the smart home industry. The recognition is well deserved. Her leadership in lighting and shading design continues to elevate how homeowners experience their spaces, from subtle daylight control to fully integrated circadian lighting systems that support wellness and productivity.
Based in Kirkland, Melissa brings both technical precision and creative vision to every project. Her background in system design, combined with her marketing expertise, allows her to communicate complex smart home solutions in a way that feels accessible and inspiring. She understands that the most powerful technology is the kind you do not notice. It simply works, enhancing mood, highlighting texture, and shifting seamlessly throughout the day.
Her impact is also reflected in Wipliance’s recent industry recognition. The company earned a Lutron Excellence Award for the Spire Residences project, a testament to the elevated level of lighting integration they deliver. Seeing Melissa featured in that story underscores her role in shaping how luxury lighting is executed at the highest level.
On our panel, Melissa spoke about how lighting influences how we think, feel, and interact within a space. Warm light can calm us. Cooler tones can energize us. Dynamic systems can support our natural rhythms and improve overall well-being. She reminded us that luxury today is not just about aesthetics. It is about how a space performs for your life.
We were incredibly grateful for Melissa’s insight. She helped us see that the future of luxury living is intelligent, intuitive, and beautifully lit.
Jolene Messmer, Mortgage Loan Officer at Movement Mortgage
Jolene Messmer brought energy, clarity, and real-world perspective to our Women of Influence panel. Often referred to as the “Speedy Gonzales of mortgages,” Jolene has built her reputation on fast, strategic service and a deep commitment to helping clients build lasting wealth through homeownership.
With more than two decades in the mortgage industry, Jolene’s experience spans everything from first-time homebuyer programs to jumbo, conventional, and FHA loans. Her career includes leadership roles at Caliber Home Loans and Bank of America Home Loans before making a bold move in 2022 to join Movement Mortgage. That decision was intentional. It aligned with her personal mission to create more homeowners and expand access to financial opportunity.
At Movement Mortgage, Jolene operates within a model that prioritizes people over profits. From six-hour upfront underwriting approvals to seven-day loan processes, the focus is on efficiency without sacrificing integrity. Even more meaningful, 40 percent of the company’s profits are directed toward building schools and supporting communities locally and globally. That combination of speed, heart, and purpose mirrors the way Jolene approaches her work.
During the panel, Jolene spoke about the emotional and visual cues that help buyers fall in love with a home. Luxury today is not only about finishes and square footage. It is about lifestyle alignment, long-term value, and feeling confident in the investment. She also shared insight into what high-end buyers are expecting right now and how thoughtful financing strategies can help bring those dreams to life.
We were grateful to have Jolene’s voice in the conversation. She reminded us that behind every beautifully designed home is a financial strategy that makes it possible. True luxury includes peace of mind, and Jolene helps her clients achieve exactly that.
Sarah Walker, Principal Designer and Founder of Nuance Interior Design
Sarah Walker brought depth, precision, and global perspective to our Women of Influence panel. As the founder and principal designer of Nuance Interior Design, Sarah approaches luxury with both artistic sensitivity and operational intelligence. Her work proves that beautiful spaces are only as powerful as the systems that support them.
Born and raised in Dubai, Sarah developed an early understanding of how scale, light, and materiality shape the human experience. She studied interior design with a business emphasis, along with art and construction management, giving her fluency in both creative vision and structural execution. That dual perspective has become one of her greatest strengths.
Before founding Nuance, Sarah spent seven years at Nordstrom corporate, leading the design of more than 140 retail stores, restaurants, and spa environments across the United States. That experience refined her ability to create environments that are visually compelling yet meticulously documented and highly functional. Large teams relied on her clarity, standards, and detailed planning to execute complex projects seamlessly.
Today, she brings that same rigor to ultra-luxury residences and large-scale compounds. Her homes are wellness-centered, designed to support rest, focus, multigenerational living, and long-term resilience. Her work has been featured in Architectural Digest, Luxe Interiors + Design, Forbes, The Seattle Times, and Homes & Gardens, and she is widely respected by architects and builders for her fully front-loaded interiors and documentation strategy, which helps prevent costly construction and operational issues down the road.
During the panel, Sarah spoke about how personal style and interior architecture must work together. True luxury is not just about selecting beautiful finishes. It is about creating a cohesive environment that reflects how you live, what you value, and how you want to feel every day.
We were honored to have Sarah share her insight. She reminded us that intentional design is not indulgent. It is strategic, enduring, and deeply personal.
Courteney Lyn a Trade Representative at Pella Windows & Doors of the Pacific Northwest
Courteney Lynn brought heart, experience, and a refreshing perspective to our Women of Influence panel. As a Trade Sales Consultant with Pella PNW, she works closely with builders and general contractors, helping translate architectural vision into beautifully executed windows and doors that define how a home looks and feels from both the inside and out.
Before stepping into the building industry, Courteney built a 20-year career in beauty aesthetics. She opened businesses, managed a spa in the Caribbean, trained physicians on laser technologies, and served in executive sales roles. In July of 2024, she made a bold and intentional shift into the world of luxury home building, joining Pella with a clear sense of purpose. For her, it was not a departure from aesthetics. It was an evolution of it.
Courteney believes luxury lives in that weightless moment where quality, authenticity, and service align. At Pella, she helps bring to life not only the homeowner’s interior vision but also the exterior presence of the home. Windows and doors are not simply functional elements. They frame light, create connection to the outdoors, and become part of the first impression a home makes on the world.
Her ability to build meaningful partnerships in the luxury space is rooted in her background. She understands that whether in beauty or building, the experience matters just as much as the product. Genuine relationships, thoughtful guidance, and attention to detail are what create lasting value.
We were so grateful to have Courteney share her journey and insight. She reminded us that aesthetics are not confined to one industry. They evolve, expand, and ultimately shape the environments where life unfolds.
As the evening unfolded at Overlake Country Club, the energy in the room was undeniable. This Women of Influence gathering was a full sensory experience.
From the interactive lighting display presented by Wipliance in partnership with Lutron Electronics, to beauty and fragrance experiences curated by Nordstrom, every detail reinforced the theme that luxury is layered. It lives in light, in scent, in texture, and in the intentional choices that shape how we move through a space.
We were honored to host this event alongside incredible partners including Pinstripe Wines, BUILD Magazine, Bellevue Lifestyle, Nuance Interior Design, J.McLaughlin, Movement Mortgage, Pella Windows & Doors of the Pacific Northwest, Sherwin-Williams, and Beauclair Photography. Guests enjoyed champagne, light bites, a step and repeat photography moment, and even hand-blown ornaments gifted from Seattle Glassblowing Studio as a keepsake from the night.
What made this Women of Influence event so meaningful was not just the expertise on stage, but the shared understanding that luxury is evolving. It is no longer defined solely by price point or prestige. It is defined by emotional fluency. By how a space supports wellness. By how lighting shifts with your day. By how color expresses identity. By how windows frame the world outside. By how scent and style help you show up as your most confident self.
It was also an incredible opportunity for women of influence from so many different industries to genuinely connect. Designers, builders, lighting specialists, beauty executives, mortgage leaders, media partners, and entrepreneurs all in one room, sharing ideas and building relationships that extend far beyond a single evening. There was collaboration happening between conversations, laughter between introductions, and a true sense of community. It was only possible because the right people gathered with purpose.
At Alair Homes Kirkland, we are truly grateful that we had the opportunity to bring such extraordinary women together. Hosting this Women of Influence event was more than producing a beautiful evening. It was about creating space for leadership, inspiration, and meaningful connection.
And this is only the beginning.
