Our Story | Designer Kitchens Colorado Springs

Krissy Shinstine

Owner | Principal Designer

Krissy Shinstine became the proud owner of Designer Kitchens in 2023 after four years serving as the company’s Senior Designer. A 2012 graduate of Indiana University with a Bachelor of Science in Interior Design, Krissy brings a thoughtful blend of creativity, technical expertise, and industry knowledge to every project. Her experience as a licensed Colorado real estate agent further enhances her understanding of home value, functionality, and timeless design.

Krissy’s personal aesthetic embraces minimalism while celebrating historic character and eclectic accents. With a particular passion for historic homes, she loves breathing new life into spaces of the past, preserving their unique charm while introducing modern functionality, warmth, and personality. Her approach balances timeless design with the individual character of each home and the people who live in it.

Amber Mielke, ckbd, ckbr

Senior Designer | Office Director

With over 20 years of experience in the design industry, Amber brings a wealth of knowledge and a distinctive creative perspective to every project. Her diverse background spans hospitality and furniture design, with a more recent focus on kitchen and bath remodeling. Holding professional certifications through both the National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA) and the National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI), she remains committed to continually refining her craft and expanding her expertise.

Amber’s personal aesthetic is an artful blend of Art Deco glamour and Mid-Century Modern influence. Drawn to bold character, timeless silhouettes, and unexpected details, her own home reflects this eclectic sensibility. A thoughtfully curated mix where classic elegance and modern charm coexist effortlessly.

Lanel Welsby

Design Support

After a successful 20-year career as a professional computer programmer, Lanel Welsby decided to follow her lifelong passion for interior design. Embracing a new chapter in retirement, she pursued her education at Pikes Peak State College in Colorado Springs, graduating in May 2025.

Lanel is a proud, active member of the National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA) and remains committed to continuing education and professional growth within the kitchen and bath industry. For the past year and a half, she has been a valued member of the Designer Kitchens team, supporting both clients and fellow designers with her technical expertise, attention to detail, and enthusiasm for thoughtful design.

Colton Shinstine

Project Manager

With a construction background dating back to 2007, Colton brings extensive experience in both residential and commercial construction, from flooring and framing to drywall and beyond. Prior to joining Designer Kitchens, he served as a commercial construction foreman in the Colorado Springs area beginning in 2016, developing expertise in project coordination, management, and problem-solving.

As Project Manager, Colton handles the essential behind-the-scenes details, from scheduling and deliveries to warranty coordination, ensuring projects run as smoothly as possible. His hands-on knowledge and attention to detail make him an invaluable part of the Designer Kitchens team.

Outside of work, Colton enjoys fishing, racing, and supporting Krissy in their shared passion for the continued success of Designer Kitchens.

Client Reviews

4.6

Based on 52 reviews

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Long overdue from December 2024 We needed three matching cabinets for our bathrooms in a new build, in the exact Superior Cabinets color and door style to match our existing kitchen. I reached out through Superior's contact page, where they informed a local vendor of my request and Krissy reached out to me via email. From her first email on August 12, 2024, she was responsive, thorough, and honest. She answered every question about sizing, pricing, and options, walked me through where every dollar of the quote went, and even priced out a lower cost alternative line so I could compare before committing. She also made sure my military discount was applied without me having to push for it. She went above and beyond by coming out to the house to size the three cabinets herself, which took all the guesswork out of the order. When I mentioned my partner didn't want open shelving, she made sure we got fully enclosed cabinets with full doors instead. The order was placed September 30 and delivered right on schedule November 4, 2024, exactly in the target window she promised back in early October. She even sent Colton from her office to be there during delivery to inspect the cabinets with me, which gave me real peace of mind after a bad experience with another freight delivery. When a small mixup came up with the doors and touch-up kit, Krissy owned it immediately, no excuses. Replacement doors were ordered right away and arrived the week of December 9. She then coordinated the installation with her installer, Steve, who completed the work on January 18, 2025, and the finished result looks fantastic. Communication throughout was outstanding. She confirmed every date, followed up without being asked, and even let me know when she'd be out of office over the holidays so I was never left wondering. A year and a half later we loved these cabinets, and now my tenants enjoy them, 100%. Companies that do right by their customers like this deserve the recognition. Highly recommend Krissy and Designer Kitchens!

Robert B

I'd like to thank you for assisting with the upgrade to my kitchen. The project cost less than I expected, was less disruptive than I anticipated, and was completed rather quickly. I was impressed with everyone you had work on my project. They were all clearly skilled professionals and their work was flawless. Most importantly, I love the look and utility of my kitchen!

Bradley Wilson

Super helpful! Krissy helped me transform my kitchen by the simple move of a door. It was amazing what we could do once that was done. She was helpful but not pushy with suggestions and very patient. I would work with Krissy again in a heartbeat!

Dena Fuller

It was a pleasure working with Krissy. She is smart, responsive, and honest. She quickly determined our preferences and developed a design notable for symmetry and precision. The kitchen, once cramped and chaotic, now is spacious and beautiful. She worked well with our contractor; he mentioned that he had not worked with a designer as orderly. Because of their expertise and organization, our kitchen reno was completed expeditiously.

Robin McCann

The heart of our home has always been our kitchen. In February 2025, we were searching for a kitchen designer and stumbled into Designer Kitchens one afternoon while searching for countertops. We were unsure of the details in what we wanted and had no idea how to start the process. Krissy was abundantly helpful and knowledgeable in her skill. She set up her first appointment with us, to do measurements in our home, and the rest is history. We explained to her the foundation of what we were looking for in the heart of our home, and she was able to offer well-thought-out ideas to build onto our vision. Krissy was also super respectful of my ideas and allowed my own creativity to shine throughout the project. There were a lot of design areas I wanted to handle on my own, and Krissy was supportive and would always let me know to reach out if I wanted any help. Krissy's knowledge in design helped us to design a fabulous kitchen. Although Designer Kitchens has a plethora of cabinet samples onsite, we fell in love with the walnut cabinet display, they are well worth the price tag. Krissy helped us get things ordered and set for renovation, she even had a contractor she recommended to us, who happened to do a fabulous job. Designer Kitchens was the whole package for us; at times they went above and beyond the call by checking in with us and they even stopped in to make a delivery for us. Absolutely wonderful team, patient, kind, and brilliant in design.

Nita Quiñones

We recently moved into a 'new' house for us. The kitchen island had a dark stone fascade from a remodel completed few years back. We wanted to update the island to have the same cabinetry finish for a more consistent look. Fortunately, we were able to locate the Designer Kitchens paperwork among the documents provided by the sellers. Our concerns were that the paneling and trim would 1) be unavailable and 2) that the job would be so small there would be little interest by Designer Kitchens to be of assistance. We were pleased to not only have the items available, but also to receive exceptional service. On quite short notice, the Designer Kitchens team exceeded expectations. We will be using them on our next upcoming project. Thank you Krissy and team!

Carolyn W

My spouse and I walked in to Designer Kitchens to start off our kitchen remodel journey, and we were not disappointed! We went through the full process with Krissy. We went in not really knowing exactly what we wanted but had some idea and talked it over with her. Next we set up an in home appointment for measurements and also sent in some photos of kitchens we liked. About a week later we re met up with Krissy and she had a 3D mock up of what she was thinking for our kitchen. Not only did she include features that we didn't realize that we liked, she also did a great job tweaking what we didn't. We went through a ton of options on the kitchen such where to save money/ cost in order to splurge on other aspects (slightly cheaper cabinets to cover the cost of a counter top upgrade). We were able to take a ton of samples home (including some that Krissy ordered for us) in order to see what colors looked good in our house with our lighting vs just in the show room. This was super helpful, the cabinet color we thought we loved we ended up not liking once we had the sample home. Krissy also connected us with a great contractor that she has worked with and trust, and he did a great job. When hiccups came up (our house is 70+ years old so it was bound to happen) Krissy helped pivot and come up with new beautiful ideas. Krissy is super responsive whenever we had questions or concerns. Working with Krissy at Designer Kitchens was a wonderful experience and I would 10/10 do it again.

Heather Seif

We had a great experience working with Krissy and Kristen on our new cabinets! They were very responsive and worked with us throughout the design and installation phases, and we couldn't be happier with the final results. Love the cabinet design, material and colors, and especially love the special "pullouts" for spices, pantry and stand mixer!

Liz Simonton