[ building character ]

Ethos is the Fundamental Spirit of Community

Let’s end the idea that we can build rows of boxes on the cheap and call them neighborhoods. Without a second thought to how those who live there will actually live.
Ethos shapes the entire scene. We take a wide-angle view on community. That’s why we see through the full dynamics of designing, building, developing, and representing a place.

Collectively, Ethos creates standout spaces for people to simply exist better. We reflect on the total environment—even the cultural impact of our work—down to the ongoing ripple effects in everyday lives.

As a women-led, vertically-integrated agency from Idaho, Ethos is natural outlier. Yet we’ve become a nationally-recognized thought leader. We bring expansive new vision to the design+build, development, and real estate space.

ETHOS_team_005
Originally formed by Sarah Cunningham as Desiderata Interiors in 2010, and rebranded to Ethos in 2014, our guiding forces have never wavered. With roots in neighborhood activism, we believe community matters. Our environment matters. How you live matters.
[ CREATIVE CHAOS + METHODICAL ORDER ]

Meet the Minds Behind Ethos

Sarah Cunningham

[ Founder & CEO ]

Erin Sorensen

[ VP OF ENGINEERING & CONSTRUCTION ]

Chris Athas

[ Fine Woodworker ]

Brian Andersen

[ Site Superintendent ]

Anna-Marie Vargas

[ Architectural Designer ]

Nia Church

[ Principal Designer ]
Champion_Barron

Champion Barron

[ Jobsite Wizard ]

Beth Brookhouse

[ Executive Assistant & Transaction Coordinator ]
[ TEAM BIOS ]

Learn More About Us

Founder and CEO of Ethos Design+Remodel since 2010. She is a Boise native, active mother, and a savvy advocate for sustainable practices in the home and community. 

As a developer and realtor, Sarah uses her gift for listening & communicating to create a unique and personalized experience for of her projects. Her eye for design, solution-orientation and leadership skills, and dedication to our local community are valuable insights she brings to help her real estate clients in their real estate endeavors.

With a background in engineering, Erin oversees construction, design, and development at Ethos. 

Erin has helped to build 93 living units in the states of Idaho, Colorado, Virginia, and California. Erin brings extensive experience in designing, permitting, and installing factory-built modular residential and commercial structures, both those built by Ethos and other manufacturers.

She’s passionate about Passive House building, as well as the growing interest in installing factory-built accessory dwelling units (ADUs) to meet the changing needs of Treasure Valley families.

Brian is our Site Superintendent here at Ethos. A seasoned construction professional who brings years of industry knowledge to the Ethos team, Brian is passionate about delivering quality, environmentally-conscious and cutting edge construction services.

Brian’s approach to managing a construction site is to communicate clearly and often with our clients so they feel confident about the work that is happening and understand the why and the how behind a project. Brian prides himself on staying on schedule and keeping clients aware if something changes.

Our senior designer with more than three decades of experience, Nia brings a deep passion for art and beauty. She believes a well-designed home should deliver the experience of “the art of living well” and that homes should express the identities of those who live there.

An important member of our team, Beth manages the back office behind-the-scenes and keeps us all organized. She serves in a variety of roles to both colleagues and clients, throughout Boise’s design and real estate market.

Our in-house fine woodworker, Chris comes to us with many years of Hollywood set-building experience. The required attention to detail he gained from this gives him the ability to craft period pieces dating back from the last 500 years to date. Chris shines in residential remodels for historic homes. 

One of our in-house designers, Anna-Marie works with clients to see their vision to reality – from concept to Certificate of Occupancy. She walks you through the design and permit process, all the way through to your finished project. 

With a background in Industrial Design, Anna-Marie provides Ethos with project management and coordination, web development, marketing, and jurisdictional permitting.

Champion is our Jobsite Wizard. He is detail-oriented and makes sure that everyone in the field has what they need to be successful. Apprenticing to be a Finish Carpenter, Champion takes care of everything on a jobsite.

He’s also great at fitting in tight crawlspaces to vacuum out the spiders for you. Just saying. 

Our dynamic duo, these two cover a wide range of skills in almost every area of construction.  Well-versed in sustainable building techniques, including but not limited to framing and carpentry, basic electrical and plumbing, insulation, sheetrock, painting, tile, flooring, fence-building, decking, installing doors and windows, installing cabinetry and appliances and lighting, building/installing custom shelving, and repair work in all of these areas.

They are well-versed in green building techniques and familiar with the range of non-toxic materials available for most jobs.

2022 NARI Awards
Join our dynamic group dynamics.

We design, build, develop, sell—and oversee everything in between. Want to join our mission / vision on whatever level? SEND IN YOUR RESUME»