The Firm's Interior Detailing Department
Unifies A Home's Architecture With Its Design.

Here, Moldings, Classical Columns And An Arched Niche Set The Stage For A Traditional Living Area.

BALANCE. It's essential in interior design. When properly executed, it's what allows, say, a bold, modem canvas to look smart, even befitting, hanging above an 18th-century French chest. It's also often a key ingredient in a successful business partnership, for example that of Marc Thee and Michael Abbott, founders and co-chief executive officers of Marc-Michaels Interior Design, Inc.

Thee, like the canvas, commands attention. He's gregarious, creative, and at home on center stage. As the lead designer, he oversees the firm's projects and, with so many assignments, his talent lies in taking a broad-brush view of jobs. Abbott, like the chest, is unassuming. He's reserved, intelligent, and though he has fantastic tastes, he's a money guy, serving as the company's chief financial officer. Thee and Abbott complement one another, and their yin and yang has made the design firm not only one of the top in Central Florida but a nationally recognized industry leader as well.

Today the company is among the largest design firms in the country, but Thee and Abbott started out with a little studio/furniture store in Winter Park. "From the studio, [Thee] was able to design a few homes here and there, a bedroom, a dining room, a living room," says Mark Tremblay, Marc-Michaels' chief operating officer. "Then he designed one or two model homes, and that's when we really started to flourish." Now the company has a two-pronged mission: One, working with residential clients, which consists primarily of private homes but can include the occasional yacht or plane. And two, working on commercial projects, which include club houses for developments, condominium common areas and their booming model merchandising business.

From a tiny studio to a full-fledged firm with more than 70 employees, Marc-Michaels continues to make Winter Park its home base. (There is an additional office in Boca Raton, and though it doesn't have its own full-time staff, someone is usually there working with the company's South Florida clientele.) The headquarters stands out even among the city's many charming buildings. Espaliered plantings adorn the bottom third of the ochre-colored exterior, and a lovely courtyard leads to the palm-tree flanked entrance.

Inside, the mise-en-scbne for the firm's creative pursuits is a designer's dream. Offices open to an expansive source library. Sample books line the walls, and small plastic containers holding fabric swatches in every color fill the shelves. In the center of the room, staff designers spread out notes and project boards on large tables. The two-story treasure troveis just one thing that sets Marc-Michaels apart. Says Tremblay, "We're fortunate that we have such a vast source library where we can find so many unique things that maybe a smaller design firm wouldn't see."

There are six residential designers on staff, each with two or three assistants, and they handle all of the company's private client work. This typically consists of houses that are 10,000 square feet plus and includes turnkey residences (where the client wants everything - from furniture to silverware - done for them) and projects with more hands-on clients. An additional 10 designers, along with assistants, focus on model merchandising. They work with builders in new developments to create a look that will attract potential home buyers. "In a large office, our unique giffing, I think, is our designers play off of one another. You're not getting just one person looking at your project; you get several viewpoints. And each designer has their own favorite fabrics or furniture lines that they bring to the table. By yourself, there's so much material out there it's hard to see everything."

Behind this collaborative spirit is also the fact that the staff is salaried. "It's not a competition here," adds Tremblay. "With a commission-structured staff, everyone is swarming around because they are looking for the best projects. We don't believe in that."

While each Marc-Michaels project is unique, there are hallmarks to the company's work. Thee describes their interiors as having a "barefoot elegance" about them. Every room - even in the most luxurious of homes - feels inviting.

"We aren't the type of firm that's going to create something super contemporary where it feels kind of cold and un welcoming," says Tremblay. "And we're not creating a museum-quality space where you feel like you have to have a suit on in order to be there. There is warmth throughout and you should feel like you can kick your shoes off and relax. Translates to a Florida house, a house in New York, or a flat in London."

To achieve this barefoot elegance, designers use an interesting mix of furniture, creating a tension between very clean, high-style pieces and fine antiques. Color palettes, including golds and creams, and warm lighting contribute to the comfortable vibe.

Whether a project is an urban dwelling with sleek-lined, contemporary pieces or a European-styled manse dripping with gilt accessories, a Marc-Michaels project can also be recognized by its architectural highlights. The company boasts an entire department dedicated to interior detailings, such as moldings, intricate ceiling and flooring plans, custom built-ins and drywall manipulations. "We aren't certified architects," notes Tremblay, "so we can't do anything structural, but we design those elements in-house and either have vendors who will secure those elements for the builder or provide the design work to the builder who can farm it out to subcontractors."

A house isn't approached as an empty hull awaiting a coat of paint and trimmings. It's the fusion of architecture and interior design that makes a project sing. "The interior architecture should mimic the style of the house, and the scale of those details is very important," says Tremblay. An example: "When dealing with houses with 24-foot ceilings in the living room, the base and crown moldings have to be substantial so they don't feel like toothpicks numbing around the room. If the rhythm of architecture flows through the entire house, the home will stand the test of time."

What's remained a strength over time for Marc-Michaels is the model merchandising side of the business. They had early success linking up with major players in the building industry, thanks, in part, to bringing on Andrea Hurt as president. A model is a builder's best marketing tool, and they'll want to sell 10 to 20 homes off of one model in a development. Marc-Michaels' designers are hired to create a home that will connect with buyers. They do this by creating characters that fit the prospective client profile for the development. Are they move-up families? Couples looking for a second home? Maybe retirees needing space for grandchildren and guests? All of these factors are taken into consideration to create memory points for consumers.

There was a slight downturn in the model merchandising business a few years ago, says Tremblay, when developments were selling out so quickly there wasn't a need to showcase. Now, however, the market's turned again and this area of the business is expanding. As land in South Florida becomes more expensive, the housing industry shifts north to places like Ocala, where the company has fairly recently started doing models. The firm works on models ranging in price from $200,000 to $3 million and has expanded to territories outside of Florida as planned communities become more and more popular. "Now we're in New York, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia," says Tremblay. "It's amazing how this concept has really translated throughout the United States."

Marc-Michaels' work has translated equally well on the pages of many publications. They've appeared in Florida Design, House Beautiful, Robb Report and, most noticeably, Architectural Digest, who's listed the firm multiple times on their annual AD 100 list of top architects and designers. While this honor resonates with clients and may lead to a few new jobs, Tremblay says that their involvement with the National Association of Home Builders and the Southeastern Builders Conference, and their subsequent awards programs, brings the bulk of new work.

After more than 20 years in the business, Marc-Michaels' design philosophy has changed very little. "I think that overall our interiors are cleaning up a bit. They aren't so heavy, ornate and fussy," says Tremblay. "We're pulling back some of that detailing and bringing in fresher color tones." But their "barefoot elegance" principal continues to guide them on current projects, such as a 30,000-square-foot home in the Cayman Islands, a 3,500-square-foot New York flat, and a project in Toronto, where the owner decided she wanted a Florida-looking house in Canada.

At Marc-Michaels, the quality of design transcends individual styles, passing trends and even regionalism. And because of all these things, well, the company's future doesn't hang in the balance; rather it thrives on the balance. This is a firm with staying power.

Marc-Michaels Interior Design, Inc., 407.629.2124, www.marc-michaels.com