When one visits MR’s office, they exit the elevator on the building’s 10th floor and are greeted by a black wall with the firm’s logo letters in an oversized, high-sheen, vinyl decal. Inside, there are more black walls—along with some that are white—blackened steel shelves that line the main walkway, workstations with black desks and […]
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LEARNING FROM GANDHI
When we think of Mahatma Gandhi, we often conjure images of the man draped in simple cotton, who led his nation to independence through sheer will and moral authority. I don’t imagine that many of us give much thought to who he was in his private life. I, for one, did not until just recently, […]
MR SPOTLIGHT: WILLIAM CLUKIES
An interesting fact about MR is that almost a third of the architects and designers currently on staff have been part of the team for nearly two decades. Having joined the firm in 1999, senior associate William Clukies has the longest tenure, with upwards of 60 projects on his resume. Known by his colleagues for […]
Billing for Interior Design Services
I was initially hired by MR in 2005 for what was supposed to be a short-term assignment assisting the firm with day-to-day financial operations. A few months in, I received an offer for a full-time position as CFO. With a preference for working with small companies and an interest in design, I gladly accepted. As […]
STONE IN ARCHITECTURE AND INTERIORS
A core principle of the mr design philosophy is the pursuit of beauty and honesty through the use of natural materials. the truth and endurance they possess IMBUE projects with a timeless quality that TRANSCENDS their moment in time. OF THE MANY MATERIALS we use for inspiration WHEN working on the DESIGN CONCEPT FOR a […]
visiting property before buying
OUR CLIENT WAS LOOKING AT A 10-ACRE PROPERTY IN DUTCHESS COUNTY WITH THE INTENTION OF BUILDING A GROUND-UP HOUSE. WE MADE NUMEROUS VISITS TO UNDERSTAND THE SITE AND HOW BEST WE COULD ORIENT THE STRUCTURE IN RELATION TO ITS SURROUNDINGS. IMAGES: MR ARCHITECTURE + DECOR. As architects, our journey with clients often begins before we […]
Architects’ + Designers’ Best of 2024
My inspirational WOW! for 2024 is a mosaic floor at the Naples Archeology Museum in Naples Italy which David and I visited in the fall. It was discovered at the “House of the Geometric Mosaics,“ created in the 1st century B.C. in Pompeii. This dazzling floor represents an underwater wonderland of Mediterranean Sea creatures. The center […]
Designing Our Annual Holiday Card
For almost as long as MR has been in existence, we have been designing a custom holiday card. As so much of the work we do from day to day reflects who we are as designers, it has felt natural to create something distinctive for our end-of-the-year wish to clients, vendors, consultants and friends. In […]
Manhattan Bachelor Pad
At the beginning of spring this year, a longtime client recommended us for a small decor project for a young finance professional looking to make some upgrades to his apartment. I was assigned as the project manager. Since first starting at MR five years ago, when I was hired as a junior interior designer, my […]
Studio Apartment Renovation
In the late 1990s, I embarked on a small but pivotal project along with two of my most treasured friends—James Corbett, a distinguished artist, and Jeff McKay, an advertising executive whom I have known for over 40 years. Jeff needed a new home. He was living and working out of the same space, and in […]