Three Local Interior Designers Transform the Same Space with Unique Makeovers

The challenge:
Create a space around one simple item, a Monaco natural wood arm chair. Interior designers Sarah Olsen, Jenni Hoeffel and Marsha Anderson accepted our challenge, creating three unique spaces in the same corner of our photo studio.

The Chair:
Crafted from solid oak and cane with a nature-inspired finish, linen seat cushion and gently curving back, the Monaco side chair offers a casual sophistication. Manufactured by Bungalow 5; available at Merriment, Interior Impressions and SHASHA Interiors $637.

Sarah Olsen
Merriment

Sarah Olsen has owned a full-service design studio since 1993; in 2014, she opened Merriment’s retail boutique in Tamarack Hills, with the design studio inside.

What I Enjoy Most About My Profession: “The collaboration with my colleagues and our clientele is one of my favorite sources of enjoyment in the creative process of designing. It’s where the fun and moments of magic happen.”

The Space: The space Olsen and her team created is inspired by upscale Bohemian with a polished flair, blending organic elements of nature with modern styled furnishings. “The color palette is intensified with citron and fuchsia, and glamorous lucite and velvets are soothed with the limed wood chairs and antiqued area rug.”

Get the Look: Items in this room available at Merriment.

PICTURED:
Quatrain Hayworth chest $799
Monaco chair $637
Varnished photograph
artwork $425
Sonora table lamp $290
Zahara rug $925
Chattingham Beet drapery fabric $138 per yard
Mesa stripe wall covering $80 per roll
Lucite ottoman with citron velvet top $475
Iced mink throw $329
Citron velvet kidney pillow $159
Cherron picture frame $69
Tall lava vase $86
Short lava vase $71
Pickup Sticks gold tray $89
Fiona the Fox resides at Merriment.

Jenni Hoeffel
Interior Impressions

With her mother owning an interior design business in Ohio, Jenni Hoeffel literally grew up in the business. “This is my second adventure after raising four kids and going back to school,” she says. Hoeffel joined Interior Impressions in February 2017.

A Tip for Readers Working with an Interior Designer: “I tell clients to start with a piece that they love, i.e. a piece of art, and then an interior designer can help you pull it all together in any style—modern, rustic, etc.—as we have the resources to do that.”

The Space: Hoeffel focused on the natural, organic feel of the chair and threw in a modern element with the crisp white chest. “Don’t be afraid to add an element of surprise,” Hoeffel says. “We chose the modern white lacquered chest to add some inter est to the mostly neutral natural space. This helps to take the space from what could be a little boring to more exciting.”

Get the Look: Items in this room available at Interior Impressions.

PICTURED:
Golden Raindrops artwork $597
Monaco chair $637
Mambo cylinder lamp $156
Ceres rug $503
White lacquer console $1,437
Aviva Stanoff pillow $175
Large harlequin bone box $93
Small navy bone box $60
Saccharina shell ball $27
Picture frame $45
Navy coral with acrylic base $30
Five-volume Steve Jobs quote books $150
Small collection books $80
Gold wishbone paperweight $30
Gold horse $37
Manarola glass bowl $95
Large mercury glass candle holder $94
Small mercury glass candle holder $56
Moss ball $40
Wood beaded chandelier $240
Flower pouf/stool $240
Gold iron table with mercury glass top $420
Blue planter $32
White votive holder $30
Custom drapery panels

Marsha Anderson
SHASHA Interiors

Interior designer Marsha Anderson, who started her Woodbury business SHASHA Interiors in 2007, is celebrating her 10th year.

What I Enjoy Most About My Profession: “The most satisfying for me is how appreciative homeowners react when the space is done and they love it. A lot of people need help and want to hire an expert. My tagline is: ‘Your style, only better’ so I really focus on their own tastes.”

The Space: “The chair is not very big, so I pictured it in an entryway or foyer. The goal for me was to make it welcoming and comfortable,” Anderson says. To complement the chair’s unique white-washed wood frame, she found the side table with the same wood finish. “The metal sunshine wall hanging pairs with the metal rod and finial, and the ocean blue-colored rug and pillow bring a feeling of calm to the space.”

Get the Look: Items in this room available from SHASHA Interiors.  

Pictured:
Metal sun sculpture $160
Monaco chair $637
Side table $600
Rug $54
Pillow $49
Floor lamp $250
Candlesticks with candles $89
Metal and glass candle holder $110
Frame $29
Planter $40
Drapes $80
Metal rod and finials $180