M. Design Interiors Inc. is based in southern California and from the looks of their portfolio this design firm works with clients that have a much larger budget than most of us. Their work has a touch of old Hollywood that I just love, everything feels very glamorous.

This room could easily be duplicated on a budget.
Find a large mirror with an outstanding frame, paint the walls pure white
(BM Decorator's White is my favorite), and add a table from
West Elm and a few IKEA or CB2 chairs and viola!

Some readers tell me that they don't find expensive homes and high-priced sofas that inspiring but after giving this much more thought recently, I decided that I needed to open magazines like Elle Decor a little more often and allow myself to become inspired. Who cares if I can't afford anything I see, at least I am enjoying the finished results of work that was mostly executed by a talented designer or stylist. Regardless of the price tag, it takes a great design team to pull together the right look for a home regardless of the budget because at the end of the day, the client needs to be happy. And remember, a wealthy client can often come with extremely high demands, an impossible schedule, very strong opinions -- all these things can push the designer to their absolute limits. Some clients constantly change their mind on big ticket items, sending back tile, appliances, even furniture (or purchase it without the consent of the designer). Many insist on getting the most for the least amount of money regardless of how much wealth they have. I was chatting with an Interior Designer over in Brooklyn Heights recently who confessed that her wealthy clients weren't always that kind to her. Some would "fix" the numbers, they'd try to cheat her, some even outright lied to her stating something was delivered defective when they in fact damaged it themselves. I think design shows on television aren't always that honest in their approach to the design profession and how it really works. It's not all fun and games and "Oh My God!" reveals.

I adore this color palette in a home.

So the next time I see a room that drips with crystal chandeliers and boasts $10,000 headboards, I'm going to think about the team behind the magic and the work involved and just sit back and enjoy the results a little more. Although some just look at the "after" photos in a designer's portfolio and disregard the work because it's, "easy to decorate for the rich" as someone once told me, I'd like to applaud all the designers out there who know better. To pull together rooms like the ones you see here may not take an Act of God, but it does take genuine talent, tact, professionalism, dedication, extreme patience, and a lot of passion because at the end of the day, if you don't love what you do your work will show it.

And for those wondering, not all wealthy homeowners are hard to work with! Some are generous, wonderful saints that go above and beyond to meet the needs of the designer and spoil us rotten. I'm simply pointing out that design is difficult whether for clients that are on a tight budget or for the wealthy - in the end, it takes TALENT to pull off a beautiful space!

(images from m. design interiors)