Julie Tiknis found the perfect balance between the use of her right and left brains within the study of furniture design. Educated at Minneapolis College of Art + Design, Julie honed her skills in woodworking and metalwork toward creating functional objects, primarily furniture. "My fine art professors didn’t seem to like when I created things that had a function, as if utility was below art. I just liked the process of making stuff, and I liked the idea of being able to use the objects I made." Making furniture in wood and metal in school and professionally was hugely important in informing her design sensibility. She cites a better understanding of structure, furniture making processes and how materials go together as byproducts of her furniture making background. In 2001 Julie began working for Lee Weitzman Furniture as the primary draftsperson. Today she and Lee collaborate on most designs, sort of like the "Lennon and McCartney" of LWF. Lee often comes up with the concepts, Julie gives them scale using 2D and 3D computer programs, and together they tweak and finalize the design. Julie is also very involved in project management, customer service, showroom support, sales and marketing.