Today we’d like to introduce you to Leanne Michael.
Leanne, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I’ve ways been a designer!
As a child, I remember building structures for my Barbies from my collection of record album covers and accessorizing those spaces with trinkets and objects from around the house! So creating a career for myself in Design was inevitable. I began my journey in the home furnishings industry as a national sales manager after a ten-year management tenure with Estée Lauder Corporation. Then later opened Bella Fiore Fine European Florals and Interiors; a specialty floral retail boutique located in Rancho Santa Fe, San Diego. However, the boutique wasn’t your typical floral design retail environment. I curated a sensory driven environment that was well layered in collections of European antiques, curiosities, accessories, custom lighting, fine art and signature scented candles surrounded by a parade of individual clear vases full of fresh cut flowers for sale. Clients would stop in and say, “Oh my gosh Leanne, can you make my house look like this!?!”
Even though I was awarded Best Floral Designer in San Diego year after year, and I loved operating a retail shop, truly interior design was always what made my heart sing…. Since then I have been designing homes, custom kitchens and gardens that exude character influenced by my obsessive love affair with timeless Olde California, Spanish, Moroccan and European Country and Coastal design. I feel incredibly blessed to be awarded with designing beautiful and comfortable spaces my clients are proud of and find themselves continually wanting to linger in.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Getting clients to embrace color!
For the past several years or so we have all been inundated with grey, grey and more GREY!
The right tone of Grey done well is one thing, however, I find that most grey rooms are just so blah and depressing. We need color in our lives! It’s proven that color and scents positively influence our psyche in every way. I say, don’t be afraid to add calming or juicy vibrant colors … live a little and enjoy!
We’d love to hear more about your business.
As a lifestyle designer, I am sought after to design homes and gardens that tell the story of the homeowners. It’s important to me to listen to what my clients are interested in and how they want to portray their life interests.
Sometimes that can be an assisting with the historical character preservation of a home and sometimes that can be new or existing builder-grade construction that is screaming for an architectural remodel, custom kitchen and furnishing upgrade. Trendy “here today gone tomorrow” themes have never been my thing, I much rather indulge in taking the best features from past centuries of design and adding new life and uniqueness for the lifestyle of today’s homeowners. I achieve this by relentlessly treasure roving for one-of-a-kind items through my most favorite antique dealers, collectors and consignment shops locally and abroad. I am also very happy to offer custom design services for most everything else which I bring to fruition through my relationships with artisans from all areas of the world. Doing so gives my clients something uniquely curated just for them.
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
I would certainly like to travel more and experience all the amazing cultures that influence my designs.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.leannemichael.com
- Phone: 858 761 6287
- Email: lmluxelifestyle@gmail.com
Image Credit:
Gail Owens
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