Today we’d like to introduce you to Chrissy Petersen.
Hi Chrissy, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
Growing up, I was always drawn to both creativity and problem-solving. I loved to draw as a child and naturally enjoyed and was good at math, so architecture quickly became the perfect combination of the two for me. At the same time, entrepreneurship was always in my blood. My dad ran his own business, and watching him build something from the ground up gave me an appreciation for hard work, independence, and the idea of creating something of your own. Even at a young age, I knew I eventually wanted to own my own business too.
I attended Louisiana Tech University, where I played collegiate softball while earning both my Bachelor of Science in Architectural Studies and Master of Architecture degrees. Balancing athletics and architecture school taught me discipline, resilience, and time management. These skills that have continued to shape both my career and my approach to running a business.
After graduating, I moved to Dallas and started my career in commercial architecture at Demattei Wong Architects. While I appreciated the technical experience and scale of commercial projects, I quickly realized I was more passionate about the personal side of architecture. I wanted to design homes that directly impact the way people live and experience everyday life.
That realization eventually brought me back to Austin, where I joined Ryan Street Architects. Over the next six years, I became a licensed architect and truly discovered my passion for luxury custom homes. During that time, I developed my design philosophy around timeless design, thoughtful functionality, and creating homes that feel deeply personal to each client and family. I am so thankful to everyone at RSA that shaped me into the detail oriented Architect that I am today.
When life and my husband brought me back to North Texas, I stepped into a leadership role running the design department for a startup firm before ultimately deciding it was time to take a chance on myself. In the summer of 2022, I officially launched CShort Designs full-time.
Today, Russell and I live in Little Elm with our two dogs, Maverick and Lucy. Outside of running my boutique architecture firm, I love staying active, traveling, and finding inspiration through new places, experiences, and design perspectives along the way.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
No, ask any entrepreneur if it has been smooth. It’s been filled with all kinds of challenges. The architecture part of the business comes easy. Figuring out how to market my business and do all of the business things was another story. I always say that I enjoy working “in” the business because that comes natural, but working “on” the business is hard. I’ve had to push myself out of my comfort zone a lot. Networking events I dread because I’m not the outgoing person who can walk up and start a conversation, but those events are what have shaped my business into what it is today. I’ve made connections and built relationships with people across the industry to keep projects coming in.
There weren’t always projects either. There were weeks when I first started that I would question if I was made for this. And then the phone rings and we’re good for a bit, but it ebbed and flowed like that for a while. I had to keep pushing, keep putting myself out there.
I dealt with a lot of imposter syndrome too when I first started. It didn’t feel real to be running my own business and growing a successful firm, but here we are and I’m so proud that I fought to get here. And I truly feel like it’s just the beginning.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I’m the founder and principal architect of CShort Designs, where I specialize in high-end custom residential design. My work primarily focuses on creating homes that are not only beautiful, but highly functional and deeply personal to the families living in them. I love the challenge of taking a client’s lifestyle, vision, and priorities and translating that into a home that feels timeless, intentional, and uniquely theirs.
I’m probably best known for designing custom homes that balance elevated aesthetics with real-life livability. I believe great design should feel effortless, every detail has a purpose and the home flows naturally both visually and functionally. My style tends to lean warm, timeless, and refined rather than overly trendy, and I always want the architecture to feel authentic to the client and the setting. Style it always driven by the client though. At the end of the day, it’s their home and we make it what they want it to be.
What I’m most proud of is building my own firm from the ground up and creating a business that allows for a very hands-on, collaborative client experience. Seeing clients genuinely excited and emotionally connected to the homes we create together is by far the most rewarding part of what I do.
I think what sets me apart is the balance between creativity and technical problem-solving, along with the personal investment I bring to every project. Because I’ve worked in both commercial and residential architecture, I approach design with both a strong technical foundation and an understanding of how important the emotional side of a home is. I also pride myself on being approachable and collaborative throughout the process. Building a custom home can feel overwhelming, and I strive to make it an exciting and enjoyable experience while still delivering a highly thoughtful and detail-driven design. At the end of the day, I’ll do whatever it takes to make sure my clients are taken care of throughout the entire design process and through construction.
What does success mean to you?
To me, success is when a client not only loves the home we create together, but genuinely enjoys the process of getting there. The greatest compliment I can receive is when clients trust me enough to refer me to their friends, family, and colleagues after the experience we shared together.
Pricing:
- every project is unique so I every proposal is different
Contact Info:
- Website: https://cshortdesigns.com/
- Instagram: @cshort.designs
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CShortDesigns
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/cshort-designs
