A Love of Math Steers Design Path

Designer Whitney Nelson’s aim is to deliver “over the moon” delight to her clients.

Though she may have grown up in Massachusetts, Whitney Nelson has long had her sights set on the Granite State — after all, she could see it from the backyard of her childhood home.

As a designer at Granite State Cabinetry, Nelson has brought to life captivating kitchens, work she has embraced since making a complete career change after her son was born. Recently honored at the 2025 New Hampshire Home Design Awards, Nelson sat down with New Hampshire Home to talk about her design tricks, where she finds inspiration, and her past life as a math teacher.

How did you get your start in design?

I was a high school math teacher for seven years. When I was pregnant with my son, I took a year off and decided that it was time to make a career change. I had studied design right after my undergrad, and so here I am, 13 years later. I’ve been designing kitchens and bathrooms and all sorts of other rooms that involve cabinetry.

Why cabinetry?

One of my favorite parts of art was perspective drawings — those straight, rigid lines. With cabinetry design, there’s a lot of math involved, so I was able to take my love of math and love for design and color and think about spaces as a whole.

Who are your artistic influences?

Wood beams and a pastoral mural anchor this kitchen to its location in historic Amherst Village.

Frank Lloyd Wright — we have some of his work right here in our state. Taking all those lines into consideration and the size of his design, I would love to pick his brain. How do you start? Where do you start? The scale of it is so different, whereas with a kitchen you’re usually within four walls and a smaller scale. Frank Lloyd Wright is one that I always gravitate toward — the natural, organic, the outdoors, and making things comfortable and not fussy.

What’s your first design memory?

I think back to my mom yelling at me as a kid, calling, “What are you doing up there?” I would always be moving my bedroom furniture around or painting my walls a different color. I like change and figuring out the best use of a space. How does this fit here? Does this work better?

The transitional elements in this kitchen make this a timeless and elegant design.

In high school, what I really wanted to do with art and my love for math and science was design theme parks. When you walk through Disney World, you notice the roller coasters and all the design details to create the theme, down to the dinosaur claws on the path that you’re walking to get to the roller coaster.

How present is your math brain as a designer?

Everything that we do heavily relies on numbers and measurements. Sometimes I might have to do a little geometry, but I’m not doing any crazy math. That eye helps to get the design right, down to where a picture of a certain size needs to be hung on the wall. Attention to weight and proportion brings the whole design together.

What’s the biggest mistake you see homeowners make?

Not trusting us. Trust is a huge component of a working relationship. In any kitchen design, we’re trying to solve a problem. My goal is for them to be over the moon when it is all said and done, but there’s a lot of trust that goes into it, because they’re nervous and relying on us to give them what they think they’re looking for.

Adding archways in the wall between the kitchen and the mudroom creates a “wow” moment.

Do you have a design secret weapon?

I don’t know if I’d call it teleporting, but I literally feel like I can take a design that is conceptual and picture myself walking around in the space. Everybody works differently in their spaces, so I think it’s important to be able to imagine yourself inside it. How would I work in this space? Are they working the same way as me? If they’re not, I’m asking a lot of questions along the way.

Best impulse buy for a home?

A built-in coffee maker. It’s quite expensive, but I love a good cup of coffee, an espresso or a latte. What’s better than to just roll out of bed, press a button and have it be exactly how I want it?

What’s New Hampshire’s best-kept secret?

We are quintessential New England for the most part, but we have such varying terrain in our state. We could be at the Seacoast with a classic New England vibe or go toward Concord or Manchester for something more metropolitan. Then you have the mountains and the Lakes Region.

Where do you turn for inspiration?

Restaurants — the size of the space, the cozy and intimate feel, and seeing all the materials they use. I also love clothes; I always say, dress for the part you want. I love being forward thinking, innovative, classic but a bit edgy sometimes. I think that is my motto with my designs as well.