Originally from Mesa, Arizona, Michaela recently relocated to Utah to pursue her passions in Interior Design through higher education, and it wasn’t long until she discovered cityhomeCOLLECTIVE. As an interior designer, Michaela is a firm believer in the transformative power of design, not only for the spaces themselves but also the people who dwell within them. Her passion for modern eclectic design combined with her newfound love of this community of ours makes cityhome her ideal work home. Currently, Michaela works alongside our talented design team as an assistant designer and has loved getting to witness and assist in our designers' work in bringing our clients' visions to life.
You're a designer here. Tell us why. What led you to this work? I have always gravitated towards art, even from a young age. All my life I knew I wanted a creatively-driven career, but it took me a while to decide what that would look like. I explored a lot of different avenues and possibilities as I grew up, and while all seemed fun, none really stuck. I actually stumbled into interior design my freshman year of college, pretty accidentally in fact, but it instantly felt right. Since then, I have resonated so deeply with this field for its artistic roots and how, as a designer, you really seek to understand the heart of your client and create a space for them individually. I just think that is so beautiful and I love connecting with people in such a meaningful way. Being at cityhome really cultivates this as well, as we never create spaces that don’t center around the people that occupy them.
Describe your perfect home or space. What does it look/feel like? My perfect space is one that speaks to me. I want to be in a home where the colors, the textures, the lighting, the artworks, and the flow of each room into the next calls me in and allows me to feel seen. I am a person with a deep affinity for color, so being surrounded by a variety of colors used in vibrant, unexpected ways will always be the foundation of how I craft my personal spaces.
Having my home speak to me also feels very much like a home that invites me to relax and recharge. I love to curl up with a good book or series, and I love to create in cozy, bright spaces, so I want a home that fosters that in every space. Even in my little home now, it’s easy to see that I love soft, cozy textures with my big fluffy throws and vintage blue velvet chairs. You’ll also never find me in my home with the “big lights” on, it’s either daylight or a variety of warm lamps and candlelight, because comfort always comes first.
Do you remember when home first started mattering to you? I think I really started to internalize the significance of home when I moved out on my own for the first time. I was in a space where I was the rule maker and home keeper, and that felt really important and sacred to me. Over these past several years, home has shifted in location many times as I navigate different life shifts and the chronicles of my early- to now mid-20s, and so I have found home needing to be less centered around the physical space and more on the ways I can transform each physical space to meet my personal needs for rest, recharge, and connection with family and friends. That’s what matters to me most, and I am actually glad I’ve had the chance to be less exact with the items that fill my home, to realize what is actually most important to me, and to craft a personal list of necessities in meeting my home needs to prepare for my more permanent dwellings in the future. It’s really helped me to connect with what home means to me at my very core.
Describe your perfect day. What, exactly, does that look like for you? I recognize that this is quite cliche, but a perfect day for me is spending time with the people I love most. Maybe that means going on a walk with my husband and our pup in the morning throughout the city, then coming back and getting freshened up for a fun lunch date with our best friends. After that, maybe we do some antiquing, or go to a bookstore, or come home for a nap (like I said, home is truly a place of rest). Maybe our evening involves turning in for a peaceful night of movies, or reading, or maybe I even send my husband home to then go out late with my girlfriends. Maybe the day is even a trip to a new place and we’re just out exploring the sights and eating as many good foods as we can. Regardless of the actual plans of the day, being around my little family and my closest friends is what I cherish the most.
What is something you wish people knew more about you? (passion, hobbies, personality) I would consider myself a pretty open person, so I find that I connect with people quite naturally. I am not afraid to communicate my passions and make my personality known from the start when I’m meeting people, because I really love people and I love making connections with others. Learning about who someone is, what they are passionate about, what we have in common or even what they have to share with me, all of that really feeds my soul. I can come off with a kind of intense energy at times, and I’m learning how to reel that in, not because I’m ashamed of it, but because I really care about how others feel and I want to be as welcoming and warm to those around me as I can be. I think that’s one of the most beautiful things about life: we get so many opportunities to learn every day and become better versions of ourselves, building upon who we are and what we stand for with every interaction we have.
