We are excited to feature Anne Michaelsen for the September edition of our Designer Series. Anne has been in the design industry for over 30 years and we had the pleasure of speaking with her about her career. Anne Michaelsen Design is based in Southern California but designs homes all over the country. When designing in different locations, Anne embraces the environment and architecture throughout her design process. “I like my homes to relate to where they are” Anne mentions during our conversation. To hear more about Anne’s career and design methods, continue reading.
House of Morrison: How did you get started?
Anne: “Looking back, I was always drawing houses and restaurants. Even rearranging my parent’s furniture - much to their dismay. I got my undergraduate degree in art history. I was about to get my master’s in art history but at the last minute, I decided to take this class at UCLA on the history of the decorative arts. It turned out that that class was the introduction class for UCLA’s interiors and Environmental design program. That lead me into that program and after a couple years, I got my first job. I’ve had my own company for over 30 years now. It’s grown from doing friends’ redecoration projects to ground-up construction and complete remodels.”
Photography: Ryan Garvin
House of Morrison: Tell us about Anne Michaelsen Design and what services you offer.
Anne: “Our specialty is major remodels and new construction where we can be involved from the beginning. Sometimes even before the architect and contractor are selected. Overall, I really work to bring the client’s vision to life and collaborate with the team of professionals to do so.
My role is often the job coordinate all the design professionals to bring a unified design to life. I spend more time with the client than anyone else, from the beginning to the end. Long after the architect is gone, I am still there. Long before the landscaper is hired, I was there. So I am sort of that unified thread to bring a cohesive design perspective into fruition.”
Photography: Ryan Garvin
House of Morrison: How would you describe your personal style?
Anne: “My personal style is a contemporary outlook but based on classical expertise. Respecting what came before us but being well aware of modern and contemporary outlooks, products, and lifestyles and not forgetting a person’s family history, hobbies, travel, etc. I think it’s really important that my client’s homes don’t look like me, but look like them and that they have great taste.”
Anne: “I was lucky enough to grow up in a home filled with the masters of American Expressionism so I love that era. Therefore, I love the art being made today. I appreciate it when a client has an art collection or lets me help them develop a collection. Fine art, no matter what it is is so much better to me.”
House of Morrison: Where do you find inspiration?
Anne: “I find inspiration everywhere. I always tell people when they ask me how to get into interior design to get an undergraduate degree in something but also go to museums and travel. I find inspiration in nature and the color palettes of nature. I like my homes to relate to where they are. I always look for the color palette by looking at what’s around the home to start developing the interiors. Our design process starts with inspiration from the architecture and the environment. We start pulling from there.”
House of Morrison: What design trend are you loving right now?
Anne: “We really try not to be too trendy. We try to be of the moment but not in a way that I would use the word “trend.” What I do love now is that there is an increased interest in design and that’s always good. 20 years ago, you couldn’t sell a contemporary home in Newport Beach if you tried. Now, there is a bigger breath of style which is great.”
Rendering that showcases the Lilac Swivel Chair and Round Thalia Ottoman for an upcoming project in Laguna Beach.
House of Morrison: What do you look for in furniture pieces?
Anne: “We always look for, quality construction, clean lines, and something interesting. We often do custom upholstery so always source the fabric so we know it’s going to last and be beautiful at the same time. We use a lot of indoor/outdoor fabrics in interior design now. Even the high-end custom sofas, we look for quality, luxurious fabrics so that people don’t have to worry. That’s a fabulous advancement. I think it’s important that a room isn’t all interesting pieces, but there are highlights of interesting pieces. They’re beautiful but they’re not competing with each other.”
House of Morrison: Is there a House of Morrison piece that resonates with you?
Anne: “We’ve used the Brooks Console a few times. It works well because you can use it in an urban environment, rustic environment, or coastal environment. Being able to change the leather and the wood finishes really change its look so it’s been very popular with our clients.”
Photography: Ryan Garvin
House of Morrison: How does designing remotely differ from designing locally?
Anne: “Designing remotely is different because I am not there on a weekly basis like I would be on a construction site down the road. However, the overall process does stay the same. Having a relationship with the contractor is great so we can facetime along the way. I do consult all throughout the construction process to make sure that the design vision is being realized. No matter how good the plans are there are just always things that can’t be drawn or need changes and I like to be involved in those. It’s really not that much different. I don’t think there is a huge advantage to hiring a local designer in this market. The majority of major resources are in places like Los Angeles and New York so things are coming from here anyways. In Hawaii, there is very little that is produced there. So we can send everything out in a container to Hawaii. I try to go to remote projects around 2-3 times.”
Photography: Ryan Garvin
House of Morrison: Are there different trends/styles you notice change depending on the location of the project?
Anne: “I have projects in Denver, Aspen, Northern California, and Seattle. I think most regions have their own vernacular that is appropriate for the region. My core principles don’t change but the implementation of those changes is based on geography and architecture. We hope that the geography relates to the architecture and we relate to both!”
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