When curating or commissioning any piece of art, I note the energy of the piece, matching the correct art with the function of the space. Case in point: A flamboyant and oversized wall canvas would do well in a family room or game room. A serene, undersized sculpture or figurine is appropriate for adult spaces that elicit solitude, such as a home office, bedroom, or in-home spa.

Environmentally friendly design for interiors means more than just using low voc materials and sustainably harvested raw products. If you can live longer with the same furnishings, that means less materials going into the landfills and less replacement furnishings needing to be produced from raw materials.

Designing residential interiors often involves mediation skills. I find myself mediating between clients and builders, vendors and clients, and quite often between couples whose tastes vary widely. Everyone should have a say in how their home is going to look and feel. It is possible to create designs that meet everyone's expectations. The key is having all interested parties involved in the decision making from the beginning.

Since I work on a lot of family vacation homes, the usual name of the game is "practical" but in every project I try to add in some more luxury textiles because they definitely elevate a room by adding in either color, a unique pattern or just a beautiful tactile touch. 

Think about the difference between those pieces of furniture you know you'll have forever, versus the furniture you bought in a hurry because you needed a temporary fix. Great design and high quality construction and materials makes the difference between heirloom furniture and quick fix furniture. The most cherished pieces of furniture I have are the ones that I acquired over time and found uses for them no matter where I lived.

People ask me all the time what style I design in and it's not really something I want to answer with a one category word or phrase. I design using elements I like and feel they go well together, but are necessarily from one singular genre or era. Using items you love and are drawn to usually ends up with a well rounded collection of furnishings that work well together.

Interior Designer Molly McGinness loves to infuse colors and patterns into the high end vacation homes for her clients on Cape Cod. Color and patterns are essential elements to layer into custom interior design.

I design a lot of vacation homes, usually second or third homes intended to host family and friends. Just about all of my clients have a general plan of who gets which bedroom… there’s always a primary bedroom, then there’s the “oh my daughter wants that room, my favorite sister will probably always use this room, the grandparents get that room on the first floor,” etc.. In all cases I assume any of the bedrooms may at some point need to double up as a guest room. I always keep this in mind when I am designing the rooms and selecting furniture.