Maisonologie – The face behind the brand and how it all started

Welcome to our first blog post and thank you for taking the time to visit our website. At Maisonologie, it’s more than just interior design, it’s a lifestyle and it’s something I’ve been living my entire life.

Growing up in the Windsor/ Detroit area, I was surrounded by so many inspirations that sparked my love for design. I was a part of a generation where it wasn’t technology focused, we played outside all the time and looked to our environment for inspiration and creativity. What I loved most about our neighborhood were the family-owned mom-and-pop shops. We lived on the same street as the famous Blaks Bakery and on our way to school, we’d always pop in for a chocolate éclair (this bakery was so good even Jerry Seinfeld made mention of their famous marble rye bread that he loved so much when performing at the casino nearby).

 

 

When we were inside watching television, “I Dream of Genie” was one of my favorite shows to watch. The bottle prompted my love and interest in color, nature, shape and everything design related, including how I viewed the environment that surrounded me. The arching designs of the bottle were like the classic architectural arches used in houses built in the 1900s. My childhood home had similar arches which I still love to this day. Cartoons and comics like “The Pink Panther”, “The Smurfs” and “Garfield” influenced my love for colors which motivated me to begin drawing using various pops of hues (my favorite colors from my Laurentian Colored Pencil set were Poppy Red, Orchid Purple, and Peacock Blue).

By the age of eight, I was beginning to come up with design concepts for our home. I had the idea to convert our detached garage into a loft that I could live in. It never happened, probably because my parents thought I was crazy (lol). The positive draw from this was that I had an innate sense of urban planning from a young age and quickly learned how to make proper use of space. I was also obsessed with alleys and wanted to design them as such so they could be used as a "back-of-the-house" extension, where families gathered to chat with other neighbors or drink coffee together, etc.  Also, from an aesthetics perspective, my instinctive design style was bohemian in nature, similar to the brands you all know and love today - House of Hackney, Designers Guild and Anthropologie.

 

 

There was no gap or separation between the outdoors and indoors. For me in particular, I was more aware of the environment that surrounded me. I paid attention to the sun’s position and the color changes throughout the day and seasons. Also, growing up in this particular neighborhood gave me the appreciation for different cultures. While these homes lacked curb appeal, the beauty of the design was reflected within their homes. Growing up in a culturally diverse urban setting ultimately shaped my design persona along with my connection to nature and this is where Maisonologie was born.

 

 

I built Maisonologie for creative-minded individuals who want to express and indulge themselves and not follow the masses. Maisonologie was also created to fill a void because of the dissatisfaction with design-related shopping options (or lack thereof). For example, furniture selection, home goods, accessories, etc.

It’s my goal and passion to design every client's space to their uniqueness, so it draws out and expresses their innate sense of style. Additionally, Maisonologie was founded to unlock and recreate all the elements of living and bring them together into one amazing place…your home. It's also an extension of who I am and what I love to do….to design a lifestyle for you. Just like Anthropology is the study of cultures and societies, Maisonologie is the study of design and all the elements from around the world brought into your home to enjoy.