Meet Marla Harrington | Interior Designer & Remodel Specialist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Marla Harrington and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Marla, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
Starting your own business is a life-altering decision, so it is not something that I took lightly when deciding to begin MHI. While working in my previous sales career, I made the decision to simultaneously dip my toes into an industry that I felt a deep passion for – renovation and design. In 2018, I began my journey of acquiring properties and project managing full-gut renovations. It was more work than I could have ever anticipated and came with a large learning curve; I discovered this quickly once acquiring our first investment property.

I am a strong believer that successful start-ups often begin by fixing a problem. The problem I discovered was that there was an obvious missing puzzle piece on these renovation jobs. The missing piece was having a full-time professional project managing and completing design/material selections within my set budget. I knew this was not a position I needed to out-source as I was confident that I had the skills, passion and ability to fill this position myself.

After coming to this realization, I took a giant leap and left my 9 to 5 to dedicate all of my time to design and project management. After years of trial and error while furthering my knowledge on our own full-gut renovations, incredible opportunities began to arise for me to help others with the same stressful decisions needed during the design and renovation process. I began taking on friends and family as my initial clients to assist them with areas such as remodeling, space planning, material selections, furniture sourcing. Friends and family then turned into much more and my business has grown tremendously from client referrals and social media. It has been a wonderful journey as I continue working with new clients and my business grows within the community.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
MHI is an interior design & remodel firm founded by myself, Marla Harrington, specializing in residential renovation, full-service furnishing and e-design styling. We bring a background in renovation project management, material procurement and furniture sourcing to the table. Years of hands-on experience with full-gut renovation projects were completed prior to taking on our first client which allowed for extensive knowledge and understanding to be gained in the field.

Beginning in this industry was not an easy task and continues to have learning curves that I must adjust to daily. Being able to adjust smoothly and promptly to new regulations, trends and varying project scopes is something that I find myself being proud of as a designer and as a business owner. I have learned over the years that renovations will always have surprises – good and bad. I am here to help manage and facilitate client expectations on the job regarding timeline, material lead times, layout planning, budget and more. I am always open to learning and growing from my contractors, trades, peers, and even my clients as I will never turn down the opportunity for learning moment as knowledge will only inevitably bring growth.

I am comfortable within multiple design styles and budgets, but I do love to work with clients that appreciate color within their home. Color holds the power to evoke emotions and can change the mood of your entire home which I find to be fascinating. My goal is to create a relaxing and harmonious atmosphere for all – whatever that means to YOU and your family. So whether you are looking for assistance with tastefully furnishing your home or you are looking for a company to design and help execute your dream home renovation, MHI is here to help!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
My favorite spots in the city where I live and work would be in downtown Woodstock! I love the small-town feel while also having a wide variety of different food options & things to do. We would start with a visit to TENKU for fresh Sushi, maybe end up at an outdoor concert at the DT Amphitheater and then finish the night with margaritas at Pure’s rooftop bar! I would also convince her to make another visit with me in the morning to Bizarre Coffee. Their coffee and breakfast food is delicious and who wouldn’t love to support another small, woman owned business in the area? If you haven’t been there – you are missing out!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I would like to dedicate my shout out to my very supportive husband, Chandler, whom has pushed me outside of my previous comfort zone and supported my dreams of entrepreneurship years prior to Marla Harrington Interiors even truly beginning. Your support is unwavering and the belief that you have in me as a business woman is what encouraged me to take the scary leap into business ownership. My business would not have the success it does today and or in the future without your love & support.

Website: https://www.marlaharringtoninteriors.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marlaharringtoninteriors/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100091831447088

Image Credits
Tags Photography