For 10 years, Atlanta designer Michael C. Morris worked for himself. Now the Georgia native is applying his fresh yet functional designs to new home construction as director of interior design for Monte Hewett Homes.
Background: I was born and raised in Woodstock. From a young age, I gravitated toward anything creative. As I got older, I spent countless hours rearranging, repainting and redecorating my childhood bedroom with each passing design trend. In high school, I realized that interior design was my passion, but I didn't pursue it. Instead, I attended Reinhardt University and took a career detour into real estate. After a few years of working as a night and weekend designer — and feeling unfulfilled — I left my day job in the corporate real estate world and launched my own design company.
My company: I started M. Crisler Designs in 2005 in Atlanta. I initially worked on residential interiors and some select commercial and restaurant spaces. For the past eight years, I have focused on residential renovations and more recently, new construction design. In 2013, I began working with Atlanta-based Monte Hewett Homes as director of interior design.
As seen in — or on: Designer of the 2015 Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles Serenbe Show House with Monte Hewett Homes, CNN's "Project Home," A&E's "Flip this House" and HGTV's "Designed to Sell."
First design job: A bedroom makeover for a coworker's 10-year-old daughter.
Quick way to transform a room: Paint. Paintable hard surfaces like walls and ceilings cover the majority of the square footage in a room. A few gallons of paint can add new life to a stale design.
Tricks I swear by: Start with a solid foundation. Pick classic, core furniture pieces, such as a Barcelona chair or Chesterfield sofa silhouette, that stand the test of time. This approach allows you to easily change your more transitional or on-trend design elements with ease.
Design pet peeve(s): Underutilizing scale and proportion. There are times when a design calls for disproportion. One way to create emphasis in a space is to introduce oversized items in a way that is disproportionate for the space. For example, a large chandelier in a small dining room can create a dramatic and sophisticated focal point.
Current design obsession(s): Layers. There is an art to layering in a room without creating clutter, literally and visually. I am a fan of layers of monochromatic color, texture and pattern. A neutral, monochromatic core design is timeless and can stand on its own. On the flip side, it can also create the perfect backdrop for more dramatic furniture pieces, artwork and lighting.
Over-rated design look: Gray, gray and more gray. Everything is good — in moderation.
New (or re-emerging) looks you like: A focus on timeless design elements: black and white color palettes; metallic accents; geometric patterns; and nods to clean-lined, mid-century modern design.
… and looks you are over: In construction design: The over-the-range microwaves. In interior design: Arabesque and chevron patterns.
Biggest design mistake I have made: For one of my first clients, I suggested satin paint for all of the plaster walls in their '40s bungalow in Ansley Park. The subtle sheen of satin paint highlighted every character flaw in plaster.
Biggest (or common) design mistake homeowners make: Taking a current design trend and applying it to every room in the home.
Favorite:
- Blogs or websites: Design*Sponge; Houzz; Dwell; and Retro Renovation
- Magazines: Elle Décor; Dwell; Atlanta Homes & Lifestyle(s); and Wallpaper
- Instagram: @KellyWearstler; @jonathanadler; and @mrorlandosoria
- Interiors on TV or movies: As a kid, I was infatuated with Ricky Schroder's bedroom on "Silver Spoons." The race car bed, arcade video games and miniature train that he could ride from room to room through the house seemed like every kid's dream.
- Place(s) for great (and unexpected) finds: Praha in Chicago and Cure Thrift Shop in New York.
Latest projects: My latest new construction designs can be seen in the Monte Hewett Homes communities. Avalon, Serenbe and St. Andrews in Buckhead are among my favorites.
Find Michael C. Morris at:
· Website: mcrislerdesigns.com and mhhomes.com
· Facebook/houzz: M. Crisler Designs
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