Hello friends! A little school yard introduction. My name is Michelle. I’m from Virginia. My favorite color is pink.
Oh you’re hooked and want to know more?
Ok, I originally hail from Northern Virginia and spent my youth following around my docent mother in some of the most beautiful historic colonial and revolutionary era homes, falling in love with architecture, textiles, formal spaces, and quirky customs.
I attended Colgate University, in historic Hamilton, NY where I lived and breathed 19th century architecture. Then, off to a semester in London and another semester in Florence, drinking, eating, and staring at gorgeous buildings appreciating how antiquity and modernity coexist harmoniously. A seed was planted. Beautiful spaces can combine elements and styles of different eras to build a complete and comfortable living space.
After graduating from Colgate, I moved to Manahattan and worked for Sotheby’s Auction House where I sat white- gloved and sifting through some of the world’s most incredible art, jewelry, furnishings and wine! My walk to work took me past quintessential brown-stones and gleaming Art Deco American treasures. After 3 years, I traded in my subway card for a Washington DC metro card. I moved to Dupont Circle and pursued a Master’s degree in history at American University and then secured a job with the Smithsonian as a research contractor at the American History Museum. I spent a lot of time staring at The First Ladies dresses.
The rest of my twenties were spent working by day and flip cup tournaments by night until I met my handsome husband and hung up my museum hat for the mil-spouse life that took us to several duty stations. A decade, 2 beautiful little ladies, and 2 crazy ass labradoodles later, and here I am back in a town my family loves and I’m leaning into my passion of interior design and home styling. For 2 years I worked as a property manager and consulted with real estate investors to design, furnish, and stage their short term rentals. I then pursued an education in Interior design and home staging from the New York Institute of Art and Design. I love design, architecture, textiles, art that makes you feel, finding hidden treasures, refinishing furniture, spaces that make you never want to leave, a well crafted cocktail, and great company.
I'm Michelle, your new design BFF.
Click the photos to learn about my life!
My Essentials
Fiona Meyer and Sloane Greer, my reason. My drive to make things beautiful and interesting. Fi is kind, empathetic, and a happy kid. I am a better person knowing her. Watch out for Sloane. She's hilarious, bold, feisty,and naturally draws your eye and ear to her. Successfully combining their essences into a space would be the culminating project of my career.
My Girls
My hotter half, Mike. Interests include driving me around places, introducing the girls to John Candy classics, LOTR, and lacrosse, tying knots and rogering all things that need to be fixed, and humoring me when I say, "you know what this room needs." He is kind, funny, and brave beyond measure. He is simply put the greatest human I have ever known.
My Husband
Meet our fur princesses, Sacky, the world's greatest dog ever. Period. Named after Sackets Harbor, NY and Hollycala "Holly," arguably the worst. She's just simply the worst ever. But, I love her to pieces. They are labradoodles so they are sweet, playful, and gentle, terrible at catching/playing fetch, don't like to get wet, and have a more high maintenance and expensive beauty parlor routine than I do.
The Pups
Architecture is arguably my first inspiration on any project. The lines, the colors, the details, the efforts made to incorporate a building into nature or keep it true to it's historical roots are my love language. Every interior design must speak and be true to the architecture of the house. Follow along on my social pages for some beautiful examples of architecture from my travels.
Architecture
Finally got to introduce the hubs to the most beautiful campus in America, Colgate University, and the years I spent there fostering my love for history, art, and architecture. Fun fact, a bunch of us were lucky enough to go there. My dad, Mike '68, my brother Mike '97, and my brother PJ, '99. Also fun fact, my dad and father-in-law are named Mike. My brother Mike married a Michelle and of course, my hubs is also a Mike. We like to keep things simple.
Colgate
"It has to be subtle, un-strident mix, and the key, of course, is getting the personality of both house and those living in it right."
-Nicky Haslam
"I always put in one controversial item. It makes people talk."
-Dorthy Draper
"The best rooms have something to say about the people who live in them."
-David Hicks
"Sunset is still my favorite color
and the rainbow is second
-Mattie Stepanek
"The greatest masterpieces were once only pigments on a palette."
-Henry S. Haskins
Learning never exhausts the mind."
-da Vinci
"Everyone needed an obsession."
-Abraham Verghese
She has a cocktail in her hand and confetti in her hair."
-Kate Spade
"The best way to keep children at home is to make the home atmosphere pleasant, and let air out of the tires."
-Dorthy Parker
