OUR TEAM
CYNTHIA LAMBAKIS
Owner and Principal Designer
Master of Interior Architecture
Cynthia Lambakis brings a wealth of expertise, commitment, and integrity to her Pasadena-based interior design practice and the surrounding community. Throughout her distinguished career, she has held numerous leadership roles, including President of the American Society of Interior Designers (Pasadena Chapter), Interior Advisor for the 2018 Pasadena Showcase House for the Arts, and Instructor at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising (FIDM).
A dedicated member of both the ASID and the National Kitchen and Bath Association (NKBA), Cynthia is frequently selected by the Pasadena Showcase House for the Arts to design high-profile spaces, ranging from expansive open-floor-plan kitchens to bespoke master suites. Her work was recently celebrated in the commemorative book, 60 Years of Pasadena Showcase Design Houses (2025).
Cynthia’s technical foundation is rooted in a Master of Interior Architecture from Cal Poly Pomona, a Certificate of Interior Design from UCLA Extension, and a Bachelor of Arts in European Studies from San Diego State University. Before launching Lambakis Interior Design, she spent seven years as the co-founder of Ederra Design Studio, where she cultivated a passion for historical home restoration and mastered the complexities of project management. Today, her signature aesthetic and design insights are featured regularly in esteemed industry publications and on television. Beyond the studio, Cynthia enjoys traveling, attending cultural events, and volunteering for the Tournament of Roses.
VERONICA CRUZ
Draftsperson
Master of Interior Architecture
Veronica brings technical precision and creative insight to Lambakis Interior Design in her role as a draftsperson. Overseeing all drafting, floor plans, and elevations for the firm, she thrives on the challenge of conceptualizing and optimizing interior spaces to their fullest potential.
Her passion for design emerged in childhood, where she often treated floor plans like puzzles—sketching creative solutions for every room she encountered. Today, that innate spatial intuition is balanced by a rigorous academic foundation. Veronica earned her undergraduate degree in Design from Cal State Long Beach and holds a Master of Interior Architecture from the UCLA Extension/Cal Poly Pomona joint program. This background has fine-tuned the technical acumen and refined sense of balance she applies to every project.
Outside the studio, Veronica finds inspiration in architecture and design journals—ideally over a morning coffee—and finds her greatest joy in supporting her son and daughter through their own milestones.
SAMANTHA DRISCOLL
Draftsperson and Associate Designer
Associate’s Degree in Interior Design
Samantha (Sammi) serves as a Draftsperson and Associate Designer at Lambakis Interior Design, bringing over four years of experience working alongside Cynthia. Her passion for the industry was forged early on, inspired by childhood visits to construction sites with her father. Growing up with blueprints on the kitchen table sparked a lifelong fascination with architectural drafting and the rewarding process of seeing beautiful interiors come to life.
A graduate of Chaffey College with an Associate’s degree in Interior Design, Sammi excels in AutoCAD and technical space planning. She possesses a natural affinity for the unconventional and an eye for vibrant, ornate details that bring a unique character to every project.
Her distinctive style is often informed by her love for discovery; in her free time, she frequents thrift stores and antique shops, drawing fashion and decorative inspiration from the "out of the ordinary."
Our Collective Expertise
At Lambakis Interior Design, we believe that exceptional design is a balance of technical precision and creative storytelling. Based in the heart of Pasadena, our firm is dedicated to transforming residential spaces through a lens of integrity, historical appreciation, and meticulous attention to detail.
Led by Cynthia Lambakis, our team combines decades of project management experience with advanced architectural drafting and a passion for bespoke interiors. Whether we are restoring a historical treasure or conceptualizing a modern open-floor-plan kitchen, we work collaboratively to ensure every elevation and every finish reflects our clients’ unique lifestyles and our firm’s signature aesthetic.