Meet Cristi Martel
Cristi brings clarity, composure, and steady judgment to every project she works on. Her design sensibility is thoughtful and restrained, grounded in how people move through a space and what they actually need from it.
She studied art and psychology in Missouri, a combination that shaped how she thinks about environments long before she formally entered interior design. That foundation led her to Ringling, where she earned her interior design degree and found the throughline she’d been circling all along: creative decisions informed by human behavior, not just aesthetics.
Cristi’s early work with builders and designers sharpened her understanding of process and collaboration. While working with a custom builder, she crossed paths with Mark Dalton on a shared client project. What stood out wasn’t just alignment on design, but alignment in approach. The interaction was direct, unpretentious, and productive, which set the tone for what came next.
At the time, Cristi was balancing a traditional work schedule with raising young children and feeling the tension that came with it. She made a conscious decision to pursue work that allowed for both professional rigor and personal presence. Joining Chic on the Cheap gave her the structure, trust, and flexibility to do exactly that.
Her Approach
Cristi values professionalism, but never at the expense of warmth. She believes clients relax when they feel understood, and better design follows.
Her background in psychology informs how she listens, anticipates needs, and navigates the emotional side of home projects with steadiness and care.
Cristi thrives in environments where trust, clarity, and mutual respect guide the work, allowing design decisions to unfold with confidence instead of urgency.
More Than Just Design
Born and raised in Kansas City, Missouri, she knows what it means to have a sense of home before she ever picked up a floor plan.
As a kid she wanted to be a dancer and an artist, and though she ultimately channeled that into interiors, that combination shows up in how she thinks about rhythm, movement, and space.
Once competed in bodybuilding. Fourteen weeks of strict diet and twice-daily workouts, an experience she names as one of the hardest things she’s done.
Believes family dinners should still be a thing. No screens and real conversation, a value she carries into how she designs gatherings and shared spaces.
Oddly enough, one of her favorite chores is grocery shopping, browsing aisles with curiosity, even if the meal never quite comes together.
In Studio: Cristi & Mark
Design isn’t theory, it’s lived, felt, and practiced. Here, Cristi joins Mark for a conversation about what drives her work, how she connects with clients, and why the smallest details often tell the biggest story.
Her Recent Work
From an elegant living space in Lakewood Ranch to a beachside retreat on Siesta Key, Cristi’s work reflects a steady, considered approach to residential design. Her projects balance clarity and livability, with decisions made early and carried through to completion. The result is spaces that feel cohesive, intentional, and well resolved.
Begin the Collaboration
Want to build a home that doesn’t look like everyone else’s? That feels intentional, curated, and uniquely yours? Cristi starts with a conversation, then designs for a lifetime.