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Design Bar: Collaborate. Customize. Repeat. b y M a r y K a t h r y n Wo o d s
S omeone once said, “Competition makes us faster, collaboration makes us better.” Melissa Skowlund describes her latest business concept, Design Bar, as “a place to collaborate on beautiful spaces.” Located next door to Skowlund’s retail store, Summer House Lifestyle, Design Bar is dedicated to providing services, including room layout, paint consultations, drapery/pillow consulta- tions, custom fabric design, wallpaper design consultations, kitchen and bath consultations, and home interior design services; as well as complete project management. Skowlund has been working with clients to create “simply beautiful spaces” in their homes since 2011. When Skowlund’s family moved to Florida, she opened Summer House Lifestyle, a retail space and continued her interior design services. It wasn’t long before Skowlund realized she needed more than the retail space to meet clients’ needs. “I needed a space
familiar with it, so offering Farrow & Ball paint “brings an elevated paint option to 30-A,” Skowlund indicates. While Skowlund is all about collaboration and customization, building relationships with her clients is her priority when taking on a design project. “Relationships and how people use their space is important to me,” she says. “I like to work hand-in-hand with clients to create the space they dream of.” Skowlund’s first client on 30-A was the Lavin family. She designed their first home in WaterColor and is currently helping with lighting and tile plans for their magnificent gulf- front home in Seacrest Beach. Like the Lavin family, many of Skowlund’s projects are from repeat clients. “Probably what I am most proud of is that people have come back for multiple projects,” Skowlund says. She often helps clients with their beach houses and then goes on to help them renovate their primary homes, wherever they may be.
to spread out and work with the textures and materials I incorporate into the homes I work on, as well as a place for customers, clients, and other designers to come play with my ‘toys’,” Skowlund says. “I wanted to create this really beautiful space that was also a workplace for collaboration.” Skowlund’s passion for collaboration, customization, and customer relationships was the inspiration behind Design Bar. “I’m a huge collaborator,” Skowlund says. “I collaborated with Cindy McCarley Designs to draw the design of my bath vanity and cabinets in the Design Bar. I want other designers to feel like they can come use the space and collaborate if they want or just use our wallpapers, fabrics, and now Farrow & Ball paint.” Skowlund enjoys bouncing ideas off other designers and dreaming up elevated design concepts. “I think we all bring something to the table,” she says. “Everybody looks at something differently, and I like to hear other people’s perspectives and be open to their ideas.” Clients can make appointments to look at “toys”, discuss their projects with the Design Bar team, and determine the support and materials they need to accomplish their design vision. Skowlund’s goal is for clients to feel like
Farrow & Ball Paints
Melissa Skowlund at work in the Design Bar
While not all clients have the same looks and preferences, Skowlund relishes the challenge of incorporating a client’s style, favored elements, and treasured antiques into a design. “I get to incorporate what they know and love with what I know and love,” she explains. “It’s another collaboration!” Design Bar is equipped with a talented team and the resources clients need to collaborate, customize, and repeat. Design Bar was the missing piece to Skowlund’s other two businesses — Summer House Lifestyle and Melissa Skowlund Interiors. Now, all three concepts can work together seamlessly to create spaces that are simply beautiful. Design Bar is located at 57 Uptown Grayton Circle in Grayton Beach, FL. For more information, visit www. melissaskowlundinteriors.com/designbar or call (850) 231-0133.
they can come in for an hour without having to hire the Design Bar team for the entire project. In addition to the collaboration
opportunities, Skowlund emphasizes her excitement for Design Bar’s customization capabilities. “I’m all about customization,” she says. “Design Bar will offer custom fabrics, paint colors, wallpapers, and more that are different than anything else.” Skowlund is especially proud that Design Bar will be the only colorist of Farrow & Ball paint in the 30-A area. “I am absolutely smitten with their paint colors and the way the paint looks on walls and cabinets,” Skowlund shares. “They make the most exquisite paints that have beautiful light reflections and depth, which really make it special and exactly what is needed in certain applications.” Many architects, designers and even some clients are
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