Dixie Niichel graduated from the interior design program at Iowa State University and has been working in the design industry since 1985. She started in San Francisco working for Horton Lee's lighting design, specializing in commercial and residential lighting systems and custom light fixtures. She moved to Colorado to work for ADR, a prominent interior design firm in Denver. Dixie branched out on her own in 1996 and has completed the national NCIDQ qualification process and is a professional member of ASID.