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Amy Bernstein, Boston MA

By on June 1, 2016 in Testimonial

I lived in my apartment for 18 years, wishing that it was decorated differently. I wanted to move my kitchen to the other side of my apartment, reduce the size, as well as moving and downsizing my laundry room and second bathroom. If you’ve ever lived in an apartment building with vertical plumbing and sprinklers, you know that any architect or contractor would just say; “IMPOSSIBLE!”

Melissa had done a few things for me in my 15th, 16th and 17th years in this apartment. New window treatments, new carpeting, a beautiful wall unit that she designed, and new dining room chairs. I wanted contemporary (my apartment bordered on that but not quite!) so with a few new things, it was looking better.

I was going to retire from my job in 2008 and be at home during the week as well as the weekends, so in 2007 Melissa and I began discussing what to do and how to start making my apartment my dream contemporary home. The wall unit (the entire wall: 20 feet!) could stay, as it included a built in desk, drawers, cabinets and an entertainment system, but the rest of the apartment had to go.

Melissa went above and beyond what I believe most designers do with their clients. She helped me interview contractors, she found an architect, and she designed another wall unit. We picked a porcelain floor for most of the apartment other than the bedroom and she designed the layout. All of the contractors thought it was crazy and impossible to move the plumbing in a high rise building but she (after studying the building floor plans) convinced the contractor we chose that it could be done. She found an architect to draw up the final plans after she had designed the space. She also worked Patiently and nicely with the contractor who had very different ideas on how to get it done.  Melissa was amazingly positive the entire time and really helped keep the energy of the job moving forward happily. She got along beautifully with all the subs and always made sure they knew exactly how things were supposed to look, plumbing, electrical, tile and painting. If there were any glitches, she was great at problem solving with the whole team.

She also helped me furnish this new space (I got rid of my 20 year old stuff) so the result is really my dream; a contemporary, minimalist apartment that feels like me. I spend a lot of time at home now that I retired, and I love my home! It’s exactly what I wanted.

I’ve seen some other projects that Melissa’s been involved in and “contemporary” isn’t her only talent. She can design in any style.  Melissa’s ability to read her clients, listen and figure out what they want is extraordinary. She doesn’t force her style on her client, you work together, to define, refine and develop a look and style that  I could never have gotten to on my own and yet is all Me.

Amy Bernstein

Boston, MA

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Valerie and Steve Buller

By on June 1, 2016 in Testimonial

My husband and I had the distinct pleasure of working with Melissa Gulley during a recent project to build our new home.  Melissa was an integral and indispensable partner to us during the construction and design process and we credit her with creating a home we cherish. She has a keen eye for detail and the innate ability to bring her clients’ needs, taste and personal style to life.  As with many construction projects, timing and costs can be fluid, however Melissa is extremely organized and very cognizant of construction timelines and personal budgets.  She knows how to work and communicate effectively with contractors and sub-contractors alike and was almost singlehandedly responsible for making sure our home was move in ready when we needed it to be.  We couldn’t have asked for a better person to work with!!

Valerie and Steve Buller – Wellesley MA

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John and Sandi Roth, Wellesley MA

By on June 1, 2016 in Testimonial

“My wife and I have done 3 major projects with Melissa over the past 10 years; a major remodel, a complete restoration of an antique house, and the construction of a new home. We think Melissa’s real talent was being able to tease out from us our wants, likes and dislikes, and translate those fragments of ideas into a unifying vision for the project. She also has the ability to add a holistic perspective, which is rare as most designers stop at the interior, and she added as much or more value in designing the major elements of the house; the kitchen, the bathrooms, the trim, moldings as she did in the color schemes and interior furnishings. She is also very versatile as each project was very different stylistically, but each flowed together consistently, and as our tastes changed and evolved over time, she was there to help us find what we were looking for. All of our projects were a huge success and we would never attempt another one, of any size, without her. “

John and Sandi Roth- Wellesley

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Jennifer and Bob, Newton MA

By on June 1, 2016 in Testimonial

Of the hundreds of decisions we made in our home renovations, the best one was to work with Melissa. She helped us avoid major mistakes and opened our minds to choices we had never considered. Melissa tuned in to our lifestyle and to the era and décor of our house, steering us to choices that are unique to us and our house. She is the ideal decorator: calm, cheerful, responsive, efficient, combining practicality with great taste. She held our hands as we nervously chose a stain for our hardwood floors that turned out to be lustrous and beautiful. Where we were stymied about cabinetry, counters, hardware, lighting and tile, Melissa narrowed our choices and made it easy. Her vast experience enabled her to recommend solutions we never could have imagined. Melissa was sensitive about how much we could stretch our imaginations before being overwhelmed; she knew when to introduce ideas and when to back off. Also, she helped us deal with our contractor successfully when there were differences of opinion. We would work with her again in a heartbeat – it’s such fun! And, our home is so much more beautiful and comfortable because of her help.

Jennifer & Bob

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