DEGREE: B.A. in studio arts
JOB TITLE: Partner at Poesis Design
FAVORITE TRINITY MEMORY: The highlight for me was my senior thesis installation. I remember the peanut butter and banana sandwiches I served to my guests and the excitement of seeing people’s reactions to the work. My senior installation investigated the juxtaposition between romantic and conceptual art.

REPORTER: How did you get from Trinity to
being the co-owner of a design business?
PROFFITT: I started at Trinity in the engineering
program, but my interests evolved into fine
arts. Professor Michael FitzGerald of the Fine
Arts Department was a particularly formative
person in my Trinity education. After Trinity, I
completed a post-graduate degree in architecture at Virginia Tech (where I met my husband). I am glad to have a liberal arts education. Broad experiences dictate the breadth and depth of your work. Ultimately, my broad experiences at Trinity inform what I do now.

REPORTER: Can you tell us a little about Poesis Design?
PROFFITT: My husband and business partner, Robert Bristow, and I work, live, and learn all within our self-designed campus: a modern yet contextual glass-walled farmhouse. Our home and headquarters is located in Lakeville, CT, a stone’s throw from the Hotchkiss School. We create interiors, furniture, and buildings. We chose the name Poesis because it means “to make.” It’s all about approaching design in an interdisciplinary way. We want all elements of our
work to align.

REPORTER: What is it like working with your significant other?
PROFFITT: We are married in many ways—we feed off each other, but we maintain our own identities as designers. Our main goal is to grasp what the client is about, and use this as the building blocks for a successful project. We always aim to give the clients far more than they ever expected, and we try to embody the idea of doing what you love first, and being rewarded second. We are lucky to have been recognized by major publications like The New York Times, Architectural Digest, NPR, and Vogue.

REPORTER: What do you feel has been your greatest accomplishment with Poesis?
PROFFITT: We strive for a real authenticity that stems from our hands-on connection to materials and processes. This strategy informs our work, leaves our clients with a project that suits their needs, and leaves a positive mark on the built environment. We’ve been fortunate to have great opportunities and clients that appreciate this authenticity.

REPORTER: Where would you like to see Poesis go in the future?
PROFFITT: I would like to see us design hotels. Hotel design encompasses all of what I love about design: the experiential as well as the physical nature of design. It is also a great venue for experimentation. Our talents are perfectly suited for that type of work, and I would love to see us do more on a global scale.