Ever wondered how an economics major ends up weaving magic in the world of interior design? That's precisely the path Melanie Garner of Milton Design Studio embarked on, and she's here to share her captivating story with us. We go behind the scenes with Melanie to discover her transition from marketing to the hands-on experience of building and renovating homes that sparked her love for design. Launching her own studio in 2022, Melanie dives into the thrilling journey of going solo and the success her business has enjoyed since, with an exclusive look at her recent projects and the unique challenges and triumphs of entrepreneurship.
Melanie doesn't just tell us her story; she arms us with insider knowledge on tackling our own home projects. She lays out the essential questions a top-notch designer will ask to customize their services to your lifestyle, how to set realistic timelines that defy HGTV myths, and the importance of having candid conversations about budgets. If you're on the brink of choosing a designer, Melanie's pro tips on what to inquire about their process are gold. Join us for a riveting conversation that demystifies the world of interior design and sends you packing with practical advice for your next home revamp.
Ever wondered how an economics major ends up weaving magic in the world of interior design? That's precisely the path Melanie Garner of Milton Design Studio embarked on, and she's here to share her captivating story with us. We go behind the scenes with Melanie to discover her transition from marketing to the hands-on experience of building and renovating homes that sparked her love for design. Launching her own studio in 2022, Melanie dives into the thrilling journey of going solo and the success her business has enjoyed since, with an exclusive look at her recent projects and the unique challenges and triumphs of entrepreneurship.
Melanie doesn't just tell us her story; she arms us with insider knowledge on tackling our own home projects. She lays out the essential questions a top-notch designer will ask to customize their services to your lifestyle, how to set realistic timelines that defy HGTV myths, and the importance of having candid conversations about budgets. If you're on the brink of choosing a designer, Melanie's pro tips on what to inquire about their process are gold. Join us for a riveting conversation that demystifies the world of interior design and sends you packing with practical advice for your next home revamp.
Speaker 1:
This is the Good Neighbor podcast, the place where local businesses and neighbors come together. Here's your host, Stacey Polar.
Speaker 2:
Hey there everyone. I'm excited to be talking with Melanie Garner from the Milton Design Studio. Welcome, melanie, good morning, thank you. We're excited to hear about your business today. Why don't you start off by telling us a little bit about the Milton Design Studio and how you got into interior design?
Speaker 3:
Okay. I came about it in kind of an unusual way. I grew up up north, I went to college, I've got a business degree in economics and once I came down here to Georgia, I started off working in accounting. I had an opportunity to move into marketing and did that for years. I was a director of marketing for a technology company. Throughout all this, I met my now husband, got married, we started a family and along the way, we built two homes, we renovated a third, and that really did it for me. I love the whole process and I was hooked. I had an opportunity to be a partner at a design firm here in Milton for about five years and then, in the fall of 2022, I went solo and I started Milton Design Studio and it's been outstanding. 2023 was incredibly busy and I worked on some beautiful projects with thoughtful and kind clients who needed help, and I really was off and running. 2024 is kind of kicking off in the same vein and I'm really excited for the new year.
Speaker 2:
Awesome, Awesome. You know, when a client is approaching a designer about a new project. What are some of the things that you know they should expect the designer to ask them?
Speaker 3:
Excellent. Okay, when you are working with a designer and kicking off a project, for sure, there are three things the designer is going to ask you. The first one is going to be tell me about you and tell me about your project. I ask this because I need to know is it new construction, is it a renovation, is it a refresh? And I also want to know what kind of problems can I solve for you? What do you love about where you are now? What doesn't work for you? These kinds of questions help me figure out more about your family how do you live, do you have kids, do you have pets and determine what is the best route to go for your project.
Speaker 3:
The second thing that I'm going to ask is about your timeline. Tell me about your timeline because I want to help you set a realistic expectation about how long things take right. The real world is not like HDTV, where everything is done really quickly. And in order to be able to assess how long does a project really take getting any partners involved, if there is construction, getting on people's calendars, getting on my calendar All of that needs to be mapped out. So we really need to know your timeline. And the third question that I'm going to ask is about budget, and do you have a budget or do you need help putting one together?
Speaker 3:
This can be tricky because people can be uncomfortable talking about money. They might feel like it's a judgment or they worry oh no, now she's going to spend every penny of it and it's not either of those things. It's an effort to really help set a realistic expectation of what things cost. These are things that I work on every day, but you might only renovate or build or buy new furniture once every five or ten years, and so it helps to be able to understand what things really cost.
Speaker 3:
And a good real of thumb for clients if you're furnishing is go to a place online that you like the style, a place you might like to shop, and you can build a cart. Let's say you want a family room or a master bedroom or an office space. If you put things in a cart let's say you need a sectional or a sofa and a rug and some end tables and a coffee table and lamps you start building that cart and you really see it gives you an idea and maybe a baseline. Okay, this is kind of the ballpark that I'm looking at. So those are three solid things you can expect to hear a designer to ask you about when you're first starting your dialogue about your project.
Speaker 2:
Awesome, awesome. And what should a client ask a designer when they're talking about launching a project?
Speaker 3:
That's a great question.
Speaker 3:
I think it's important that the client is kind of interviewing the designer as well. And the things you're going to want to know. Number one what is your process? You want to know how everything works. Mine starts with a discovery call, where I'm going to have a phone conversation and I will ask those three questions and that way we start to get to know each other and I get that information. Based on that, if we decide to move forward, we're going to have a consultation.
Speaker 3:
I'm going to come meet with you in person and walk the space and ask a lot of questions. I want to hear what you think about it. I'm going to take a lot of notes. We're going to talk about what works for you, what doesn't work. I might take some measurements. I'll take a lot of pictures. Based on all of this, I'll be able to build a scope of work, which is a document that's going to basically summarize everything we talked about and all the deliverables.
Speaker 3:
After that, we'll move into the design development phase, which is really crucial because we're going to talk about space planning, how things fit in your space. We'll source just the right pieces. I'm going to be selecting fabrics and based on the information about your family or your pets, we'll learn about your day-to-day life. What fabric do you need? Making sure the size and the scale of the things that we're picking fit in your space, they're correct for the room, that they're comfortable, they fit your body properly. If you're really tall or you're really short, these are things a designer can help you with. Then, if there are any trades involved like you need tile or there's construction then I'll be working with them to be able to build a quote so that I can be really respectful of your budget. These are all the fine details that happen here and it's really easy to get them wrong or to let them fall through the cracks, because it's the secret sauce of why you want a designer and how they can help you to elevate your project and add all the unique features that are really personalized just for you, just for your family.
Speaker 3:
Next will be the implementation phase, and dust is really flying here. Construction might be happening, renovations, furnishings are being ordered, so there's a lot of work that's going on behind the scenes and every day in the space. The last one is really the funds portion, because it's delivery and install. Now you're really getting the full service, the white glove, delivery, the luxury experience, your peace of mind is happening because it's all being done your furniture is being brought in and delivered, arts going on the walls, rugs are being laid, furniture is being placed exactly where it should be, window treatments are being hung, so it's like the icing on the cake, and then we do beautiful photos to be able to capture it, and so those are kind of the phases of the project.
Speaker 3:
The second thing you should ask your designer about are the fees. How does it work? These can vary from project to project and all designers are different. It could be flat fee, it could be hourly or it could be a combination of that. So that's important for you to find out. And the third thing you should ask about portfolio. You want to see pictures of their work, and I am always happy to let potential clients speak with a previous client and talk to a client about how was the experience, what did you think, how did it go. And those are three really important things that I think that you should be asking on the front end to help you make a choice of whether it's a good fit for you.
Speaker 2:
Awesome, awesome. That makes a lot of sense. Can you talk to us about what you love about design, like what your passion is and what really kind of fuels you every day to do the best work you can do?
Speaker 3:
Absolutely. I think my favorite thing about design is how relational it is. You really get to know your clients. Design projects can take a while. It can be in there for months. You could be there for a year and so you really get to know them. You get to know their family and that's probably my favorite part they're such a sense of trust and client.
Speaker 3:
You can feel a little vulnerable letting somebody into your home and how you live, especially the before and after. That's why we're here and sometimes people are shy about showing their space, but I love being able to see the transformation and it truly can bring a sense of joy to the client in how they live and how the sense of peace that they can get. It's really satisfying to be able to look around your home and feel like it's you and that it works for you. The flow is there, it's cohesive throughout. So I really love seeing all of ideas, all the planning that we've done, and then these individual pieces come together as a whole and watch the clients get excited about that. That's really my favorite part, great.
Speaker 2:
Why don't you tell us where people can find you?
Speaker 3:
Well, you can find me. You can reach out via email, melanie, at miltandesignstudiocom is a great way. You can see me on Instagram, see pictures of my work. The Instagram handle is at the Milton Design Studio Website is under development now. That's one of the things that was on the list in 2020. 2023 that was below client projects and I just couldn't get to it. So that is launching in this first quarter. That's gonna be in miltandesignstudiocom. Or you can reach out for a good old fashioned phone call and reach me at 678-592-7481.
Speaker 2:
Awesome. Well, thank you so much for joining us today, Melanie.
Speaker 3:
Thank you so much for having me. I appreciate it.
Speaker 2:
Yeah.
Speaker 1:
Thank you for listening to the Good Neighbor podcast Milton and more. To nominate your favorite local businesses to be featured on the show, go to GNPMiltoncom. That's GNPMiltoncom, or call 470-664-4930.