After moving furniture over from the old house, the space had a hodgepodge look to it. So for the second summer in the home, I wanted a well-furnished place that my family and friends could enjoy. I found the first designer through Google – and it turned out to be a painful experience. I walked out 30 minutes into their presentation because they did the exact opposite of what I asked for. Basically they wanted to build a showpiece for themselves with very expensive items. After paying for their time, I decided to do the decorating myself. On the way home from meeting with them, I happened into the Casabella shop, and found high quality pieces that I liked right off the bat (artwork, ottoman, coffee table), and at very reasonable prices. I met Michele, who in a very polite and un-pushy way said she could help in any way I needed. The more we talked about the project, the more excited she became, so I thought to myself she’s the one who should be decorating my home.
She helped with all the furnishing, paint scheme, trim work, and light fixtures, picking pieces that fit with my lifestyle and were easy to maintain. She had great ideas that I never would have thought of.
For example, instead of suggesting a new couch and loveseat for my family room— which were both in great shape—she suggested reupholstering them. She has a store full of furniture that I liked, and I would have bought them new. That’s when I realized she was really working with me not for herself.
I work in construction so I can say this from experience that typically interior designers and construction/ install crews don’t have a good reputation with each other. With Michele it was the opposite. Because she’s gracious and treated everyone with respect, her crew thought the world of her and went above and beyond.
When the project was over, I hosted a party. There were quite a few women who wept when they saw how beautiful the place was. They were overjoyed for me. Some of my friends were upset because they didn’t hire her before they decorated their own places! I hired Michele again in the spring of 2015 after purchasing a 2-bedroom condo in Boston’s intercontinental. She did a phenomenal job again – it looks like a showroom—and she only had a 2-month window. Needless to say, I’ve referred her to a dozen people and can’t say enough good things about her.”