Our Process

Seventeen steps to champagne

I have a process that leads us to the best outcome. It’s easier than you think. You’ll have fun!

Kitchen with navy cabinetry, a white stone peninsula and woven counter stools, at Bayshore in Tampa. Interior design by MJ Designs
01

Getting to know you

I get to know everything about you: where you like to vacation, the music you love, down to the way you take your coffee.

  1. 01We sign the contract, and we’re off.
  2. 02I interview you about your lifestyle and the look you love.
  3. 03We measure the existing space.
  4. 04We meet to review design inspiration.
Michelle Jennings in front of a wall of marble mosaic tile samples at a showroom
02

Design and field trips

You see the design halfway, not just at the end. Then we hit the road.

  1. 05I take the design to the halfway mark.
  2. 06We meet to talk through my progress.
  3. 07Field trips to vendors and suppliers: plumbing, countertops, cabinetry and more.
  4. 08I finish the design and prepare the final presentation.
03

Presentation day

You see it all on paper, before a single wall moves.

  1. 09We review the drafted floor plans, elevations and materials.
  2. 10I revise the design package as needed.
  3. 11I send the final design package to general contractors to bid.
White linen sofa beneath a large violet abstract, glass coffee table and shag rug, at Gulf Beaches Condo in Pinellas County. Interior design by MJ Designs
04

Build and deliver

While it’s built, I stay close. Then the good stuff starts arriving.

  1. 12I visit the site and answer the contractor’s questions.
  2. 13Furniture, area rugs and lighting are delivered.
  3. 14Accessories are delivered and placed by hand.
Dining area with blue walls, amber glass bubble chandelier, black table, blush chairs and bouclé stools at a white island, at Art House in Downtown St. Petersburg. Interior design by MJ Designs
05

The finish line

Three steps to go, and the last one sparkles.

  1. 15Your home gets its photo shoot.
  2. 16The project is officially complete.
  3. 17We celebrate with champagne.
Downtown St. Petersburg skyline reflected in the water at sunrise

Photo: Andrew Heneen, CC BY 4.0 (opens in a new tab)

Rooted in St. Petersburg

Ask a local

My family has called St. Petersburg home for three generations, so I know the city past and present. New here? Ask me about the restaurants, the boutiques, the museums and the schools. Then let me design your corner of it, from the historic neighborhoods to the downtown high-rises.

Meet Michelle
Design rendering by MJ Designs: living room with linen drapery, cream bouclé chairs, oak block coffee table and floral painting beside the fireplace

How a project comes together

I don’t vanish after the drawings.

You hire the general contractor from bids on my final design package. I’m still there for the site visits, the contractor’s questions and the deliveries. One client said I was as much job manager as designer. For 18 months. Guilty.

See you at step seventeen!

Sitting room with blue velvet swivel chairs, an ivory sofa and a blue and ivory patterned rug, at Snell Isle in St. Petersburg. Interior design by MJ Designs

Tell me about your home.

A floor plan that fights you? A historic home whose inside forgot its outside? My assistant reaches out first. If it sounds like a good fit, I’ll call. Then we meet at my office, centrally located in St. Petersburg.

Start your project