That connection became especially clear during Laura’s recent trip to Hamilton, Missouri, where she joined the NW Missouri Chapter of Project Linus for a charity quilting retreat. She arrived with several quilts she had pieced and stitched herself—simple blocks, bold colors, clean lines. Sitting among makers who had come together for the same purpose, she was reminded how much quilting echoes the rhythms of design work. You measure. You cut. You adjust. You think about scale, proportion, and how each piece supports the next. It’s meditative, but it’s also deeply architectural.
Laura has always been someone who makes things. But quilting didn’t truly take hold until college, when a visit to the International Quilt Show in Houston in 2000 stopped her in her tracks. She remembers wandering through exhibits where quilts looked more like paintings—full of story, color, and craftsmanship. The old block patterns felt familiar too, almost like the trim details and millwork she admired in historic homes. It didn’t take long before admiration turned into sketching, planning, and then stitching her first quilt.
Quilt building is technical work—cutting dozens of small pieces, matching seams, pressing, aligning, and checking the geometry again and again. But to Laura, it’s the same kind of technical discipline she uses when she draws a detail or lays out a floor plan. Both require clarity. Both reward patience. And both ask you to imagine how someone will feel when they inhabit the finished piece.
In her architectural work at hpd, Laura is known for design that serves people first. She listens closely. She studies how families move, gather, rest, and live inside their homes. She shapes spaces that feel calm, safe, and welcoming. Those same instincts show up in her quilting—the thoughtful choices, the careful hands, the belief that small details create comfort.
Her quilts, like her buildings, are made with purpose. Donating them to Project Linus gives that purpose an even more direct impact. The organization provides handmade quilts to children who need comfort during uncertain or frightening moments—wrapping them in something warm, soft, and made just for them. For Laura, that mission feels like an extension of the work she does every day at hpd: designing things that support people through every stage of life, one thoughtful decision at a time.
To learn more about Project Linus, including chapters, volunteer opportunities, and ways to contribute, visit projectlinus.org. It’s a wonderful place to explore how handmade comfort can make a meaningful difference—and how you can get involved.
Laura Davis is a registered architect and interior designer in the state of Texas and Colorado, and a founding member of hpd architecture + interiors. Laura's extensive experience includes residential as well as commercial and retail projects. She also has a particular interest in restoration, holding a certificate in Historic Preservation. She is energized by the character of older homes and the stories of those who have lived there. Responding to the needs of the current owner, while also honoring the personality of the original home is a delicate process to be enjoyed.