Houzz Interview: Master of Modernist Minimalism

BPF: Do you think that decorating is just as difficult as interior design? How are the two different as far as challenges are concerned?

MH: I interpret interior design to be a bit more technical, similar to architecture. It involves more calculated details and drawings, like designing custom furnishings, a kitchen or an interior stairwell. Decorating is more about selecting and pulling things together like furnishings, fabrics and accessories. There is certainly an art to both! Good designers and decorators must have a sense for the same fundamental design principals...proportion and scale to name a few.

BPF: What's something many people don't know in regards to the benefits of hiring a designer versus doing their homes themselves?

MH: There's more to design than meets the eye, and a tremendous amount of work and knowledge goes into what we do! A good, experienced designer will be able to help you fullfil the vision that you have for your home, and will provide you and your builder with all of the necessary drawings and specifications to make it happen. Designers will always have more resources to find exactly what you are looking for, and if not, we can draw it up ourselves and have it custom made.

BPF: Most of your spaces are packed with eye candy; however, they're somewhat minimalistic. Do you consider yourself a man of minimalism?

MH: I would definitely say my roots are in minimalism. It was huge in the '90s when I first started studying design. I also found myself gravitating toward some of the design philosophies from the Bauhaus where Ludwig Mies van der Rohe adopted the motto "less is more." Yet, I am also a maximalist. I'm extremely selective about what goes into a space and always try to achieve maximum impact with what's there!

BPF: Sticks in a vase shoved in a corner infuriate me so much that I want to set the vase on fire. Give us three of your decorating or design pet peeves.

MH: I'm not a fan of knickknacks scattered throughout an interior. If you have a collection of any sort, it’s much better to display the pieces all together. From a distance it could even read as a single work of art.

BPF: Pet peeve number three?

MH: Too much color in a room can look like a circus. Try to keep a monochromatic palette using a maximum of three to four colors, and choose selectively.

BPF: With the average kitchen being 300-350 square feet, what would you say is a realistic middle-of-the-road budget and timeline for a full kitchen renovation?

MH: Everyone should know that kitchens tend to be the most expensive room in a home, and just like anything they can range in price. Someone could spend as little as $12,000 for an IKEA kitchen or upwards of $200,000 for a a kitchen by SCIC. The timeline depends on the scale of the project and can range from one to six months.

BPF: Most of your projects include architectural changes in regards to interiors. What are your rules for staying in a home throughout a renovation and installation versus moving out while it all gets done?

MH: Construction is almost always messy! I suggest waiting to move in or going on vacation until after all of it is done. But if you don't have a choice, make sure you have a good contractor who will take the necessary steps in keeping everything closed off from the construction site, so that all the dust does not get into the living areas.

BPF: How long should someone estimate a complete 200-square-foot bathroom renovation to take?

MH: It all depends on the builder and the complexity of the design. I've seen smaller bathrooms take as long as six months to finish because the mosaic tile had to be special ordered from Italy.

BPF: Overall, everything you do looks incredibly high-end. What's one thing people can do with old, hand-me-down furniture to make it instantly look like it came from a designer showroom without the huge price tag?

MH: Revamp! Try to find a way to give it an updated look. If it's a cabinet, refinish it in lacquer or change the hardware. Sofas and chairs can always be reupholstered in a fresh new fabric. Interior design is like fashion — you can mix luxurious pieces with inexpensive. Sort of like wearing Gucci shoes with worn jeans.

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