Meet Michelle Lynne Interiors Group
The designers of ML Interiors Group are all about SMART – STYLISH – FUN spaces. We caught up with the fabulous President & Principal Designer, Michelle Lynne, to chat about the evolution of design, Michelle’s new online Masterclass and a true 1980’s icon… The Smart House!
GET TO KNOW THE TEAM
TSG Dallas: Tell us a little bit about your background… What lead you start ML Interiors Group?
Michelle Lynne: Wow – I’m on my 3rd career! I was working in Corporate America as an Area Director for a recruiting firm here in Dallas when it was sold to a larger entity. I knew this was going to bring changes that would require more work from me and my team and less personal service to clients, so I asked God “what next?” and found myself starting this new company in my spare time. This was also the same year I got married and bought a house with my new husband, so there wasn’t a lot of time! I slowly stair-stepped out of management as the company grew and was able to leave Corporate America behind in 2010 and I haven’t looked back.
This is what inspired me to finally create the Designed for the Creative Mind™ Masterclass, an online course that teaches the business of running an interior design business. Did you know that even if you go to school for interior design, the curriculum doesn’t include how to create or work within a budget!? Much less how to price your services? Or how to run a project successfully? I was shocked. Of course, I didn’t go to school for design, but thought for sure there was material out there that would guide somebody along the business route. Boy, was I wrong! So now that I have a wickedly talented team of designers who provide me with the time to create, I have crafted this course so I can teach interior designers and decorators the proven practices, effective processes and profitable systems to run their business – So that they have more time to design!
TSG: You and your team are well known and highly praised for your sophisticated yet warm and inviting interiors. Have there been any specific places, people or moments of inspiration that helped you to develop your design aesthetic?
ML: At one point, when it was just me and one other designer, I thought about creating a “niche aesthetic.” But really, our clients are our inspiration! We love learning more about them personally, how they live, how they WANT to live, what their inspirations are… And then translating those dreams into reality. Each of my team members has their own personal style, but as designers they are chameleons and take on the style of the client for the duration of the project. All of our designs are highly functional though. If it’s pretty but isn’t comfortable or durable, it is not a successful solution. Essentially like a pair of shoes – They may be pretty, but if they are not comfortable you don’t enjoy them… Right?
TSG: All of your projects are stunning, but is there one in particular that stands out in your mind?
ML: Okay, this is like asking which child is your favorite! There is no way to choose just one, because each project has unique characteristics, fun stories within them, personalities that have developed over the duration of the project, clients we befriend and individual beauty that grows deeper every day.
TSG: Are there any interior design trends that you think are here to stay?
ML: I believe that the “lightening of the backgrounds of our lives” is here to stay, and what I mean by that is that our spaces have less clutter… The lines of the furniture and the architectural details are cleaner… and the color palettes are softer than in years past. Even when bold colors are introduced, they are an accent rather than the focus. There are more details and texture as opposed to clutter or collections. Our lives are so inundated with activity, social media, electronics and so forth that a soothing place to begin and end your day is a trend that I hope stays around for a long, long time.
TSG: Do you have a favorite trend?
ML: My personal style is a very, very neutral palette. I have slowly taken all of the color out of my house. We have just bought a new house and I cannot wait to get my hands on it to really continue developing our style of neutrals. This new house has a very clean and contemporary interior and a stunning backyard creek view. It’s actually a 1980′s icon! It was the first “Smart House” and was featured in magazines, newspaper articles and commercials because it was so ahead of its time. A scene from Robocop was filmed inside, and let me tell you… nothing has been updated since the 1980′s! I’m really looking forward to honoring the origins of the home while also updating and mixing the natural, organic outdoor beauty with the crisp white interiors.
TSG: When you aren’t designing beautiful interiors, do you have any favorite spots that you frequent in the Dallas area?
ML: Okay, you’re getting me here! I’m a natural homebody. If you’re familiar with the Myers-Briggs personality test, I’m an INTJ (Introversion + Intuition + Thinking + Judging). So staying home with my husband, cooking, entertaining friends at our house… Those are my favorite ways to spend time. We recently adopted a newborn (now almost two years old, wow how time flies!), so we are exploring new places in Dallas that we may not have visited before.
