Our Core Team
Sarah K. Arkins, Owner, Savannah Kitchen Design
As the owner of Savannah Kitchen Design, I welcome you to explore and connect with us. Below, you will learn more about our core team and our design process. I value your time and business, and look forward to getting to know you better too.
With over three decades of design experience and a career that spans teaching at top institutions like SCAD, the University of Wisconsin, and USC, and then working with some of the world’s largest companies like Microsoft and Deloitte, I’ve dedicated my life to the art and impact of thoughtful design. Recognized internationally for my work in Design Thinking, I’ve had the privilege of speaking about how intentional design can transform everyday life.
Though I’ve built and led several successful ventures, it was my lifelong love of home, interior design, entertaining and cooking that eventually drew me to kitchen design. It’s a space where all the elements I care about—craft, creativity, functionality, and the rhythm of daily life—come together in a way that’s both personal and practical with a great impact.
Inspired by the stories people tell through their homes, I approach every project with the belief that design should elevate daily life, crafting a life well-lived. My greatest passion is helping people enjoy life more fully by creating spaces that are not only beautiful, but meaningful and lasting.
Creating spaces where people can Gather & Dwell.
A woman-owned business with over 25 years of experience in the design and construction fields, we offer a seamless and stress-free process from inspiration to installation.
Nuor Alsekooty, Kitchen & Bath Designer
I’m an architecture student at SCAD and an interior designer specializing in Kitchen and Bath design! With a love for interiors and the stories they tell and over a decade of experience in design, I’ve had the chance to blend structure with creativity, bringing both precision and personality to the spaces I help shape. My background in architecture allows me to approach each project with intention, balancing spatial logic with beauty and comfort.
Whether it’s designing a new kitchen, refreshing a well-loved space, or rethinking a layout to better serve a family’s everyday rhythm, I always begin by listening. I believe the best designs come from real conversations, understanding how people live, what they value, and what makes them feel at home. My goal is to create spaces that feel timeless, purposeful, and genuinely lived in.
Here in Savannah, I spend my time between school, design work, home renovations, and quiet moments with my fiancé. We’re often sketching ideas, tackling house projects, or just enjoying life’s simple rhythms of cooking, walking, dreaming up what’s next.
For me, design isn’t just about how space looks. It’s about how it feels, how it supports your life, reflects your story, and grows with you. I’d love to help you create a home that feels like it’s always been yours.
Daniel Aguirre Riofrio, Kitchen & Bath Designer
As a SCAD alum with a B.F.A. in Industrial Design, and a concentration in User Experience Research and Design, I’ve spent the past four years building on that foundation as a designer. During my period at SCAD, I also learned Marketing & Branding, Graphic Design, and Interior Design. SCAD gave me a massive experience when it comes to the design world and gave me a different definition of what design means.
“Design is making the ordinary, extraordinary” – Prof. Neville Songwe, Jr.
I approach every kitchen as a puzzle where aesthetics meets engineering. My goal at Savannah Kitchen Design is to create spaces that aren’t just beautiful to look at but are intuitively functional for the people who use them every day. I believe a great kitchen is the heart of the home.
Whether I’m drafting a kitchen, or I am outside going around downtown, I always find something that inspires me for every project that I work on. When I’m not on my desk, you can usually find me exploring new spaces and museums. Architecture and interior design lives around savannah in many different ways bringing that coastal feeling.
Elena Dixon, Finance Operations Lead
As a Certified Chartered Accountant (ACCA, UK), I bring global finance perspective shaped by leadership roles across consulting and multi-entity organizations. My work has focused on building strong financial foundations that support growth, clarity, and long-term sustainability. Experienced in Mergers and Acquisitions, I enjoy bringing order to complexity and creating systems that allow creativity and business to thrive together. My background includes serving as Interim CFO and Finance Director. I have led for-profit organizations through transitions, built finance functions from the ground up, and created structures that allow teams to operate with confidence and efficiency.
At Savannah Kitchen Design, I oversee financial aspects of the business, projects profitability, and the systems that support our work. I collaborate closely with the team to align pricing, processes, and decisions with both our design vision and the client experience.
I am particularly drawn to Savannah Kitchen Design environment, where thoughtful design and disciplined execution come together – because behind every beautiful space created by Savannah Kitchen Design is well-run business that makes it possible. Outside of work, I enjoy creative pursuits and am currently learning acoustic guitar.
