Press & Reviews
Women in Business - Sherwood
Nicole Karnes has a knack for turning inspiration into beautiful spaces, sometimes sparked by design, music, or even a random object she spots wherever she goes. As the founder and lead designer ofLemontine Design, Nicole brings creativity, empathy, and what she calls her "lemon twists" to every project she takes on. Raised in West Linn, Nicole has lived in Washington,
California, Florida, and even Croatia.
She majored in psychology, minored in business, and later specialized in linguistics and taught English as a second language before eventually launching her interior design firm in 2015. Along the way, she was also a dedicated stay-at-home mom - her most rewarding role to date - and now proudly juggles motherhood, business ownership, and, for the time being, helping her twin daughters plan their upcoming weddings, both in the same year! Nicole is president of the Portland chapter of the Interior Design Society and a passionate volunteer with Royal Family Kids Camp, where she leads the beloved "Princess Day" for foster children each summer. She lives with her husband, Nathan, a homebuilder in the local area.
Oregon Home Magazine
Nicole Karnes’ Portland design firm was aptly named by her four daughters to represent her love of both lemons and design. Turning lemons into lemonade has a lot of different meanings for Lemontine Design, but the end result is always something beautiful.
​
“Lemons are fun, refreshing with a twist and yellow, which is my favorite color,” Karnes explains. The vibrant sweet-and-sour citrus represents the versatility of her design style, which brings with it a purpose to freshen every space of a client’s home into one that truly makes them happy. Like lemons, Karnes’ interior design style both brightens and adds flavor.
DJC Oregon: Pearl District gains another polished gem
Lemontine Design of Portland drew up the new floor plan and look of the facility, with lead designer Nicole Karnes selecting a polished industrial look and white walls.
​
“We really wanted to make this space a blank palette with basic colors so people can come in and design their own event and make it the space they want,” Carr said. “This makes every event unique instead of it being the same all the time.”
​
A well-lit green room will allow clients to prepare in peace, while a large industrial kitchen will allow preparation of up to 300 plated meals for events that will normally be prepared at Artemis Foods’ eastside facility near OMSI.
Testimonials
"Nicole transformed our home into something truly remarkable. After meeting her, I told my husband I wanted to be her friend—she’s that warm and genuine. Nicole really listened and took the time to get to know us. She seamlessly blended my whimsical, colorful style with my husband’s polished and modern preferences, creating spaces that feel perfectly balanced. She brought our vision to life in ways we couldn't have imagined, making the entire process effortless and fun. Nicole hit it out of the park, and every room in our home now feels like it truly represents us as a family."
~ Terri W., Portland, OR
"I was completely overwhelmed after storm damage left us needing a full remodel of our master bath and closet. I wanted a luxurious spa-like transformation, but had analysis paralysis and couldn’t have done it on my own. Nicole stepped in and took charge, advocating for us with contractors and even guiding us through the complexities of working with insurance.
She naturally assumed a leadership role with everyone involved, and was always professional and calm. My husband and I felt like we could tell her anything—she always listened and truly heard us. Her design ideas are incredible and the result is beyond anything we imagined. Every day I walk into these spaces, and I’m still obsessed!"
~ Kelly L., Portland
"There’s nothing I would change about the transformation Nicole delivered. This was a massive project—a total rehaul down to the studs—and she handled every aspect with creativity and expertise. Nicole has an incredible ability to take your vibe and turn it into a space you’ll love, blending fresh ideas with practical solutions. Even when we faced unexpected challenges with contractors, she pivoted seamlessly and kept everything on track. Everyone who walks into my space is amazed by it, and I’m always recommending her to friends!"
~ Torey M., Portland
"Nicole is a dream to work with! She can take the most ordinary space and make it extraordinary. On top of her design skills, her vision is incredible. She was great at communication and organization, which helped keep us on schedule. Niocle helped me create my dream home in such a fun and non-stressful way. We are so excited to enjoy our new space! "
~ Amy A., Portland
"We were very satisfied with the entire process. Communication was fantastic, I always knew what was going on and where we were in the process. We knew what you needed from us and I knew I could reach out if I needed anything from you. We thought your ideas were creative and you thought of a number of things that we hadn’t considered. You presented us with ideas that made us really think about our space and how we wanted to best use it. We liked many of the items you sourced for us. We felt like we definitely got our money’s worth working with you. You are fair and very thorough and we appreciated all your work on our project. I’m sure you put in way more time that you billed for. The billing process is very easy and clearly laid out. It all worked great!"
~ Amy H., Portland
"Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. "
~ Name L.