Like me, Michaela was born and raised in the beautiful San Francisco bay area. How lucky we are to live in a place that is so diverse and inspiring! After discovering her blog and falling in love with her aesthetic and approach, I reached out to see if she would be willing to answer a few questions for my blog and she very kindly accepted! Yay! Since she is now living in Michigan, she agreed to a virtual interview. Take a peek:
When did your passion for interiors begin?
I've always loved decorating, being creative, and crafting things for my room or house (or my parent's house!) It wasn't until freshman year of high school when I realized I could ACTUALLY do this for a living and go to school to become a designer. The passion for interiors and homes has always been there, though. I used to draw floor plans on scratch paper and then come home and build the floor plans out of block all across my bedroom floor!
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What was your experience like at Seattle Pacific University and FIDM?
SPU was very intense,
because it was a 4 year University. We learned the technical side of things--
CAD, which materials should go where, how to hand draft, and I know way more
about light bulbs than I care to know ;) At SPU I was given strict guidelines
and rubrics for projects (which I actually prefer). FIDM was much more
creatively inclined. We were never given guidelines for projects and we were
told to think out of the box. Here I learned a lot about Photoshop, Illustrator
and visual tools to help create an experience for my clients. I'm so thankful I
was able to attend both colleges, because they gave me a vastly different set
of tools in my design tool box.
I decided to start my own business, because I just knew I could do it. I loved the idea of being my own boss and being able to do what I wanted for clients, making my vision, and theirs, come to life in their home.
What are some of the biggest lessons you've learned as you develop your business?
I don't know everything and it's okay to ask for help from other trusted designers in the business! A few other lessons I've learned in the short time of owning my own business would be measure twice and hang once, the business side of things takes twice as long as the design part, and there is nothing more rewarding than a happy client who loves the finished space.
How would you define your style?
I get excited over any design style, but I describes my personal style as an eclectic mix of old and new. I adore vintage finds combined with modern touches, shabby chic and distressed pieces, items that have been collected and have special meaning, classic black and white stripes, feminine chandeliers, rustic farmhouse hutches, and a smartly upholstered sofa. Geometric and floral fabrics, when combined in a room correctly, make me giddy. Neutral spaces with the infusion of small doses of color is my favorite color palette.
What is your favorite part of a home to design/decorate? Why?
Probably a living or family room, because that is where life happens. Moments and memories are created in those rooms where great conversation takes place. If I can be apart of that special part of a family, I feel so honored.
How do you set yourself apart from other designers?
I try to do this on my blog by really putting myself out there and letting my potential clients fall in love and connect with me on a personal level, and then with my design style. I hope to create a certain level of trust by writing my blog each day, so that when the time comes to be hired by a loyal reader, they already feel like they know me and can trust me with the design of their home. I would also hope to be set apart from other designers by crushing that "stuck up" stigma the design community so often has. I want to be approachable and kind, just as I would want to be treated by another person providing luxury services to me.
What has been one of your biggest design challenges so far and what was your solution?
Oh goodness! My biggest challenge was probably my house I lived in my junior year of college. When I walked in and saw the place, tears filled my eyes. It was a nightmare of dust, holes in the wall, the worst, most cold tile floor ever (and I lived in Seattle, so I was already cold!) and NO closet. Yes, you read that correctly. This girl survived without a closet. Well, I actually went and bought a free-standing closet, but you get the idea. After some deep cleaning, paint and decor, it turned out to be the cutest room in the house!
Who inspires you? Why?
My grandma has always inspired me. She's an interior designer, so from a young age, I would listen to her design stories and sometimes go on jobs with her. She's a wonderful, kind-hearted and talented lady. Her ability to talk to people, listen to their concerns and give them a solution tailor-made for their home and lifestyle totally inspires me. I want to do that, because without the ability to listen to people and be kind, you cannot give clients a better, more aesthetically pleasing or functional space. A number of other designers inspire me design-wise, too! A few favorites are Mary McDonald, Caitlin Flemming, SarahRichardson, Emily Henderson, Cristin Priest, and Rachel Ashwell.
What is your advice to new designers just starting out?
Get an internship with someone in the business and start a blog! Those are the two most important things. You need to learn from someone else, (if even just a shadowing experience) and get your name out on the internet. Blog about your own home, projects and client work. You are marketing to your readers without them even knowing!
Michaela,
Thank you so much for taking the time to share a bit about yourself with me and all my IMC readers, looking forward to what's next!
If you'd like to get in contact with Michaela for her design services, please visit here.
Thanks so much for sharing! It was so fun to think about these answers :)
ReplyDeleteThank YOU! It was a pleasure interviewing you and reading your responses. Such an inspiration!
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