Our Story

Matthew and Julie Collins founded Uptic Studios in 2010 with a simple vision: To create a design firm focused on the human experience. Today, Uptic has grown into a full-service architecture and interior design firm staffed with over twenty architects, interior designers, project managers, and creatives.

Specializing in custom residential, hospitality, commercial and restaurant design, our studio is known for its personalized and collaborative design approach. At [us], we treat the clients and the communities we serve as an extension of our family. Our mission is to provide exceptional design complemented by an unparalleled client experience.

This is [us].

How It Started

Uptic (n): A rise or improvement. A change for the better, boost, upswing, upward movement.

Fittingly named during the 2008 recession, Matthew and Julie chose the name Uptic to inspire growth and optimism in a time when many small businesses were losing hope.

Today, growth and optimism remain driving themes at Uptic Studios. We currently employ a team of over 20 employees, and have been recognized regionally and nationally by top-tier publications including: The Spokesman-Review, Dwell Magazine, Contemporist, Mountain Living, Home Adore, and the Spokane chapter of AIA. We also continually expand our design footprint with projects across Washington, Oregon, Montana, and Idaho.

Expanding Into INTERIOR DESIGN

Led by Julie Collins, the Interiors team at Uptic specializes in residential, commercial, and hospitality projects.

While Uptic Studios has always offered interior design services, beginning in 2018 we made the conscious decision to create a department focused exclusively on interior spaces. Our talented team has been carefully chosen for their ability to create beautiful spaces that resonate with our clients and speaks to the region we call home.

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Uptic Goes West

In early 2022, Uptic Studios expanded west by opening a second studio in Bellingham. Nestled on the coast of the North Cascades, Bellingham has always held a special resonance with the Collins family. It is where Matthew learned sailing as a boy. As parents, it is where Matthew and Julie have vacationed every summer with their children.

The new studio in Bellingham is a natural fit our firm’s outdoor-inspired ethos and culture.

Design Inspired By The Human experience

The relationship between design and human experience is intricately intertwined.

The way you navigate your daily life, the way your environment affects your mental and physical wellbeing, the way color and light moves you—we consider all of these factors when designing a space for our clients.

For us, the best design is inspired by continuous investigation. We are dedicated to the belief that everything we design needs to begin with you.

Our Team

At Uptic we are passionate creatives who value innovation, teamwork, integrity and grit. Each team member has been hand-picked for their unparalleled talent, dedication to their craft, ingenuity, creative probelm-solving ability and enthusiasm for design.

Matthew COLLINS AIA + Julie Collins

Founders and principals of Uptic Studios

Principal and owner of Uptic Studios, Matthew has amassed experience in a diverse range of design fields from product & nautical design to interior environment & building design. Matthew founded Uptic Studios in 2010 with a goal of fostering a collaborative design and architectural services studio. Matthew’s passion for design has led to work in design aesthetics, material fabrication and needs-based project planning, management and development. Through these endeavors Matthew constantly strives to integrate a holistic, user-centered approach to each project that enables the delivery of quality design of exceptional value. Matthew received his Bachelor of Science in Architecture from Washington State University before continuing his graduate studies at the Savannah College of Art and Design, during which he focused on ethnographic design and storytelling to develop successful design criteria. Matthew is active in the community, having served on boards for the City of Spokane Design Review and Spokane Arts Commission. He is a registered Architect in Washington, Montana, Oregon and Idaho, and is a member of the American Institute of Architects.

As Interior Design Principal and co-owner of Uptic Studios, Julie has an exceptional design portfolio and leads the Interiors efforts of our studio on many of our residential, commercial and hospitality projects. Prior to her role as Lead Principal Interior Designer at Uptic Studios, Julie developed a strong eye for space and composition during her many years as a publications photographer and set designer in Savannah, Georgia. She has a dedicated passion for creating beautiful spaces that resonate with the user and speaks to the region that she calls home.

Together - Matthew and Julie Collins have built an incredible team of over 20 architects, designers, project managers, client coordinators and supports staff. Collectively - our team makes up [us]. Not only an abbreviation for Uptic Studios, but also a term that each of our studio members enacts in their daily work.

Charlie Wolff

COO

Charlie oversees operations and the administrative team here at Uptic. Charlie received his MBA from Willamette University in Salem, OR. His background in Commercial Real Estate and the Start-up community gives our firm a competitive advantage in sales, marketing, human resources and investment strategy. Charlie has a passion for sustainable design and development. Charlie helps stream-line our operations to allow more time for project creativity!

He is “not a designer” but thinks like a developer; plans like it’s our money, and wants to over deliver.