Sisters Leslie Martin and Kimberly Meardon know their way around family friendly designs as liveable as they are chic. How do they crush it with their firm over at M+M Interior Design? Call me biased, but those Chicago roots mean Midwest magic is likely in play. We understand and honor timeless design and sensibilities up in here! Also, we may be slightly more influenced by nature’s seasons outside than fashion seasons trending on New York catwalks or Rodeo Drive. High style? Appreciation for art and architecture? Yep. But excess fuss and pretense? Nah.

Photography: Heather Talbert
Design Crushin’: M+M Interior Design
So much poetry and music singing in their work which you can discover HERE.













Leslie Martin’s La Jolla Home
We explored Leslie Martin’s gorgeous beach cottage in THIS, and I was inspired to create a mood capturing some of that Hamptons meets California chic:


Leslie’s kitchen is not necessarily what you would expect in a beach cottage. Look at this timeless European-influenced beauty!

Thank goodness she shared the name of the paint color for her cabinets since my FB followers were dying to know it!
Stone Backsplash & Microwave Controversies
Followers also had plenty to say about the practicality of living with a stone backsplash, and I can’t say I understand what the fuss is about. How are people actually cooking and living in their kitchens?

Because not everyone is tossing marinara around or messily frying chicken regularly. There are easy hacks for protecting the stone, not the least of which is simply placing a protective board at the back of the range as necessary.

I suppose it is tricky for some people to imagine that design is a personal, mindful pursuit that starts with how you want to live in the space. For a home cook who does a lot of deep frying or bubbling over sauces? Maybe not this design.

The placement of the microwave was also highly triggering for a few. hahahaha. Not strange at all for me since it is at a range’s oven level and where my own microwave is placed. For some reason, seeing a microwave at this level in a kitchen island never creates a stir.

Peace to you right where you are.
-michele
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