Cole, co-founder and president of Cole Martinez Curtis and Associates, has been a principal of the firm since its founding in 1967.

In 1992, she was the only designer in the U.S. to receive the honor of professional membership by invitation from the International Interior Design Association. She is also a member of the International Society of Hospitality Consultants.

Cole studied art history, languages, and design at UCLA; the Academy of Fine Arts, Rome; and Chouinard Institute. She is a California Certified Interior Designer and founding member of the CCIDC Association. She has taught in the environmental design department at UCLA and was the only interior designer to sit on the board of UCLA’s Department of Architecture and Urban Planning. Cole wrote the book California Interiors, a popular reference on contemporary California design.