Hi and welcome!

My name is Rutu Patel, and I am the creative force behind The Yellow Slide, an interior design studio based in the Greater Seattle Area. I took multiple detours in my career before finding my path to interior design, something I had always loved but only pursued on the side, as a hobby. My 16+ year career in info/tech/product has been glorious - having worked at large global corporations, mid-size companies, start-ups, as well as boutique agencies - I bring with me a depth and breadth of life experiences. Every job, project and company has taught me important lessons in teamwork, leadership and project excellence.

In 2021, I decided to ‘go big AND go home’ and enrolled in the Interior Design and Interior Architecture program at UC Berkeley Extension. I fully embraced the full-time student and part-time dog mom life. Going back to school at the peak of a well established career has been very humbling and inspiring. Now I have the technical knowledge and training to focus my creativity and really take this on!

My design style is a combination of contemporary and chic with pops of personality - I am very intentional about design but usually punctuate it with moments of surprise. I mix timeless with trendy, neutrals with patterns, simple with unconventional, and sentimental collectibles with store-bought luxury. I am a sucker for unique finds and spontaneous creativity to design something extremely personal and memorable for you.

In this phase of life, I am pursuing a path that purposefully combines my business and leadership proficiency with my passion for interior design. This design studio is a physical manifestation of my love for all things joyful and beautiful (and organized). With expertise in human centered design and behavioral sciences, I have a personalized approach to the design process.

When you work with The Yellow Slide, you become part of the family – we will have fun, bring amazing ideas to life and build something beautiful together. Let’s go design your own kind of beautiful!

My approach to work

  • We create compelling designs

    we will constantly push the envelope on creativity, question how we can be better and deliver something that totally impresses you, so you keep coming back for more

  • We are one team

    …that includes you. We will root for each other, be honest with each other and have each other’s back. We will always do the right thing, especially when things are not going as planned

  • We obsess over the little things

    We believe that the truth lies in the details, and we will check and double check every little thing to make sure we do not intentionally miss anything

  • We will be kind and mindful

    To the people we work with, to the resources we consume, to how much waste we create. We will pause, reflect, listen and be conscious of our actions and impact