Our founder, Cherstin Toney, began her journey working for Debra Toney’s award-winning Denver company, Debra Toney Residential Design, as a production assistant in 2005. Cherstin literally became a part of the family after marrying Debra’s son. She continued to climb the ranks as lead designer and Chief Creative Director with Three Week Kitchens. Cherstin holds a BA in Business and Professional Communication from the University of Wisconsin La Crosse, as well as a BFA in Interior Design from the Art Institute of Colorado. Her experience in the design-build industry, along with her raw natural talent, helps bring a fresh and timeless perspective to her work. Cherstin started Gather & Spruce January 2019 to carry on Three Week Kitchens’ mission to make homes in our wonderful city of Denver even more beautiful.

Travis Toney

Travis Toney, Co-owner of Gather & Spruce, is a licensed General Contractor in the City of Denver, with over fifteen years of experience in the construction industry.  A hardworking man of few words, Travis takes a creative and innovative approach to finding custom solutions to unconventional spaces. Travis prides himself on the quality of his craftmanship, as well as his ability to keep projects running smoothly on budget with a polished and clean workspace and finished project. 

Kory Kremer

Kory Kremer, Project Manager with Gather & Spruce, started his career in construction 25 years ago in Minnesota, remodeling homes with his father. With experience building custom log homes in Northern Minnesota and commercial construction experience remodeling all of the Hardees fast food chain locations in the State of Colorado, Kory appreciates the challenges and problem-solving that come with a high-quality design/build construction project. Prior to joining the team at Gather & Spruce, Kory worked for Home Depot managing 19 crews. Also performed cabinet installation and remodeled kitchens in Minnesota as a self-employed contractor.  Kory is a skilled communicator and artfully manages the unpredictable nature of construction ending with a timely high-quality finished project.

Karen DeFrates

Karen is the Senior Kitchen & Bath Designer at Gather & Spruce. She is a Colorado Native and grew up in Southwest Denver.  She had a hands-on grandfather who was a shop teacher and a skilled carpenter, and he taught all his grandkids their way around the workshop.  With a degree in Graphic Art from the Colorado Institute of Art, Karen started her career in kitchen design working for a small, family-owned remodel company. She has worked in all sides of the kitchen design and build industry, which gives her a unique perspective on projects and an understanding of the process, giving her the ability to be a bridge between the design team and the team in the field. Karen truly enjoys the complexity, creativity, and detail that kitchen and bath design requires. 

Leah Atkins

Leah, Production Assistant at Gather & Spruce, joined the team in November 2019. Leah has 20 years of experience in the building industry, since starting in her teens. She has been working in the design industry for 10 years in various aspects of design. She has a Bachelor’s Degree of Interior Design from the Art Institute of Colorado. Leah combines knowledge and experience across a myriad of design platforms with her expertise in logistics and communication to coordinate us with our many vendors and trades to ensure we deliver our promise to clients and fulfill our mission as a firm of carrying out each project seamlessly, from the beginning of the design process to completion date of construction. 

Matthew Jackson

Matthew Jackson, a native to Colorado, is a Carpenter with Gather and Spruce.  He began his construction career framing homes over 20 years ago. After running crews and eventually contracting his own framing jobs, he entered the finish side of carpentry, fabricating and installing custom cabinetry and built ins. His construction experience has led to his passion for remodeling homes. As a detail-oriented individual, quality and job satisfaction are his number one priority.

Kaitlin Hiestand

Originally from the Chicago suburbs, Kaitlin, Lead Designer at Gather & Spruce, grew up in Oak Park, Illinois where she learned to love the character and timelessness of older homes. She graduated from Illinois State University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Interior & Environmental Design and has worked on growing her experience in kitchen and bath construction ever since. Kaitlin’s passion lies in the ability to create thoughtful and functional spaces reflecting classic elements, and believes in a layered, organic approach to design. She works closely with clients to understand their vision, and to help bring their ideas to life.