referrals

“Michala has a rare combination of creativity, focus and attention to detail, thoroughness, professionalism, resourcefulness and a willingness to see a project through to completion on time and on budget. I have worked with Michala on several projects over the last several years, and will continue to work with her and would not hesitate to recommend her. She is a joy to work with.”

J. Dachis (New York NY & Austin TX)

“Everything about working with Michala Monroe from M Monroe Design was flawless. I have moved apartments a number of times in the last 20 years and without a doubt working with M Monroe Design was the best experience I have had during a renovation. Michala is extremely professional, has impeccable taste and the unique ability to stay focused and calm even during the most stressful moments. She had a wonderful relationship with the contractor we chose and most importantly she finished my project on time which is almost unheard of! It was a complete joy working with M Monroe Design!”

David F. (New York NY)

“Working with Michala was EVERYTHING I was looking for in an interior designer!! She was organized, efficient, creative and always provided the best visuals and options for each project. I have worked with other designers previously and she exceeded my expectations and helped me accomplish every design goal I had!”

Melissa D. (Brooklyn NY)

“From our first meeting with Michala I knew that working with her would be a great experience. And after living in our house for over a year now I can honestly say I would not change a thing!! I was very hesitant to hire a designer/decorator because I was worried that our vision would get lost. But she really listened to what we wanted and needed and helped us create it. I love the fact that our house does not look “done” it has a very authentic, homey feel to it but still looks great! We also had very specific needs i.e. Kosher kitchen, kids bedrooms that would grow with them…. and Michala really helped us create a space that not only looks great but functions perfectly. We were so thrilled with our house that we retained Michala to design/ manage various other commercial projects. Her vision, professionalism, and attention to detail makes her a pleasure to work with. I would not hesitate to recommend her services and hope to collaborate with her on future projects.”

Gitty R. (Brooklyn NY)

“I have worked with Michala on the Kettle&Cord retail project and honestly, having read the reviews on her website, I can attest that all of it is true and there is so much more left unsaid. I have come to know Michala as a friend, as someone I can rely on, someone who will always have my back. During this project, I was going through a very high risk pregnancy and at times couldn’t travel or work. Michala not only got her job done, she got parts of mine done as well. She did the drawings, layout, design, project management, and ordered all the fixtures and furniture. The place is a true work of art. Michala has a rare combination of no-nonsense focus and creativity. She is one of a kind!”

Susan K. (Brooklyn NY)

“Following a friend’s enthusiastic recommendation, we hired Michala to serve as project manager and designer for a kitchen gut renovation and improvements to the bathrooms and floors in the brownstone apartment we’d just purchased. But, after seeing how Michala adds value — from steering us to the perfect lighting for over our kitchen island to maximizing cabinet space, and all in a way to match our transitional sense of style and budget concerns — we were believers. We started asking Michala for more and more advice, and she has gone on to come up with the perfect paint colors for our home, sourced amazing things for our children’s rooms that have made them feel magical and special, devised beautiful lighting, helped us to design a wonderful master closet and the list goes on. Michala’s organization skills are amazing, and her attention to detail and ability to execute is impressive. She follows through — type A personalities need not be concerned! She has saved us a tremendous amount of time, which as working parents to 2 small children we greatly appreciate. We are deeply grateful for Michala’s help in making our house a home.”

Monique D. (New York NY)

“Michala designed and coordinated our lighting project which we desperately needed to do. A tall building was built after we moved in and reduced the natural light in our apartment. She was sensitive to our budget and patient during our moments of indecision while giving good advice. Michala is professional, organized, and dependable.  She has a great sense of style while being collaborative with the client during the process. We would recommend her as a designer and would work with her again on a future project!”

Jane L. (New York NY)

“When we tell people that we renovated our entire kitchen remotely while we were out of the country, they express surprise and sometimes incredulity. When they see the results (MCM Kitchen), they are impressed. We are quick to credit Michala for the success of the project, although we needed to see the place in person to be sure it functioned as beautifully as it looked online. Now that we have been home for several days, we are over the moon with the kitchen that Michala designed for us. Thanks to Michala’s vision, attention to detail and project management, we have our dream kitchen. We found Michala on Thumbtack, and after meeting her twice in person, we sensed she had the experience and personal qualities needed to guide us through the design and renovation process even though we would be communicating online in different time zones. Still, the decision to go ahead felt like a risk. As it turned out, Michala made the process easy and fun. She truly has a unique combination of talents:  the ability to listen, to filter and synthesize options and preferences, to gently but firmly make recommendations that keep a project on schedule and budget, to solve unexpected problems and to create a thing of beauty. She’s a star and we cannot recommend her highly enough.”

Christina & Chris (Brooklyn NY)

“After purchasing our pied-à-terre in Manhattan, we were very fortunate to be directed to Michala Monroe to help us with our remodeling project. Not only were we impressed with her design work, but also we were thrilled to retain her as our project manager. Because our primary residence is in Texas, Michala and her staff meticulously managed every aspect of our project from start to finish interfacing with our contractors on a daily basis. Michala was also so insightful with our overall contemporary mid-century approach. Due to Michala’s extreme professionalism, attention to detail and intelligent design, we could not have been more pleased with the final outcome. We are enjoying the Upper East Side and our fabulous home in New York thanks to Michala.”

Looser (New York NY & Houston TX)

“I had the pleasure of collaborating with M Monroe Design on a New York City apartment project in 2008. Her working process – from visioning and idea generation through execution and finish – is efficient, effective, thoughtful, professional, and produces exceptional, high-quality results. To this day I am thrilled with the home that she brought to life for me. I would recommend M Monroe Design without hesitation to anyone looking to complete an interior design project, large or small.”

Pound (New York NY)

“When I first decided to completely renovate the very outdated kitchen in my Union Square apartment, I did not know where to start. I bought magazines, researched on the web and asked friends. I was referred to Michala by a coworker and while still figuring out if I could manage the project on my own figured that I would meet and hear her thoughts. Needless to say, I knew as soon as we met that she understood my vision and respected my budget — two very important things when making home improvements! Michala made me actually enjoy the process and I was able to be as much or little involved as I wanted. She made it easy to make decisions by narrowing down my options to a manageable size and then came to me (even to my office!) when it was convenient for me. She also updated me on the budget after every milestone and was able to leverage her connections to get me great deals. I otherwise would have gone crazy and way over budget juggling all the details that Michala managed for me. People that saw my kitchen before and after cannot believe the transformation and I owe it all to Michala!”

Ryan (New York NY)

“I can not say enough about Michala. I have been recommending her to my friends and will continue to use her services in the future. She was able to take an empty and very small space, two personalities with very different tastes, and create a beautifully designed apartment that we both love. She understood that we didn’t know much about interior design and helped us every step of the way. She not only found pieces we would never have found on our own, but also suggested items that we wouldn’t have ever thought of. Michala created a cohesive look from living room to bedroom and all within the budget she quoted! We could not have done this without her!”

Bhaduri/Lawlor (New York NY)

“We didn’t really like our small NYC kitchen, and we had a problem: one cook who prized a kitchen with access and efficiency above all and the other cook who cared for these along with the aesthetics of a space that felt calm, attractive, and enjoyable. To complicate matters, we wanted to have the job done, a gut renovation, while we were away during the summer. Enter: Michala of M Monroe Design.

A few years ago we had seen a kitchen Michala had done, and it lingered in our minds. These friends had also had the work done from afar. Shortly before we left for the summer, we contacted Michala. She met us, looked at our space, talked with us and seemed to “get” us. We met once more before we headed off. She brought samples, to which it was easy to say, “yes, that and that and that.”

We kept in touch over the summer while plans and sketches began to take shape. We wanted to maintain the room’s brightness while creating a space in which it would be a joy to cook. By the end of the project, we were thrilled and can’t imagine a more beautiful and efficient space. Michala was a joy to work with and helped to steer the project’s ups and downs as the kitchen came to life. Thank you, Michala, we love our kitchen and we are forever grateful!”

Copland (New York NY)

“Michala is a joy to be around and her tremendous energy transends into her work in a many ways. She has a wonderful creative sense and is very personable and charming when working with clients over the most intimate details of their homes and personal effects. Also, she is very budget conscious and has a tremendous work ethic – two key elements to any business, but particuarly to budget minded home owners. She also has a great rolodex of vendors and a solid network to ensure you get great results. She comes highly recommended.”

Nolan, Corcoran Real Estate (New York NY)

“We hired Michala to convert our home office into a nursery. Challenged with a small space, and not knowing the baby’s gender, we didn’t have much to start with. After our initial meeting, Michala quickly understood our aesthetic, took our feedback, and always came back with solutions. She was very mindful of our budget, and kept us updated. I love that she’s creative, but also practical. She repurposed existing pieces seamlessly, and respected that not everything always needed a major overhaul. I value and trust her opinion whole-heartedly. Michala made what could have been a stressful process, into an enjoyable one. She alleviated headaches by accepting deliveries, coordinating with vendors/stores, purchasing and returning items if needed, and offering up organization solutions. We loved her so much that after our son was born, we had her design and create a cohesive look for the rest of our apartment. Throughout the process, she listened, offering her expertise, while being thoughtful about our lifestyle. Our bedroom was transformed from the darkest, most boring room in the apartment, to my favorite part of our home. She took a few ideas I had in my head, and brought them to life in a way I never imagined. She challenged us, and gave us the confidence to take risks we never would have taken (or known how to do elegantly). We have gotten so many compliments on this room! Best of all, Michala is a sincerely sweet, incredibly likable person. She’s considerate and unobtrusive when needed, but also an easy person to spend time with. Everyone I’ve introduced her to raves about her professionalism, and exquisite taste. She will be our designer as long as she will have us. I want to move just so we can design a new space together!”

Klatzko (New York NY)

“Michala worked on two projects for us: interior design of our brownstone and the interior design of an apartment for AirBnB. Michala was professional, organized, cost-conscious, flexible and extremely reliable. I’d recommend her services whole-heartedly!”

Cindy B. (New York NY)