Designer Crush: Dawn Carlson and Carol Perry of MAS Design, Inc.

 

Yes!  We met in grad school at AAU.  We initially became friends because we were two of only a handful of old ladies (should we say “mature”?  It doesn’t suit us, lol) that were there later in life after changing careers to pursue our passion for design.  We are very different but also have a lot in common, including a very inappropriate sense of humor and a relentless quest for perfection.  (We never achieve it, but we have A LOT of fun trying).  We bring very different things to the table but have massive respect for each other as well as for our team and vendors, and we think that is a big bonus for our clients. 

 

 

It’s our way of saying that you can achieve a chic, tasteful aesthetic without being boring or expected. Some clients take more risks than others, and that’s ok.  We’re here to help them achieve their own personal expression, whatever that looks like, which is why you will see a lot of styles represented in our portfolio. A home shouldn’t look textbook or mimic something that’s been done over and over.  Each design is curated for each individual client.  The goal is a multi-faceted space with art and furniture that inspire, a space that is sophisticated and comfortable but also that evokes joy, calm, or whatever that person wants to feel when they come home.  A space should never be stocked with vapid objects, no matter how tasteful.

 

(Also, regarding the tagline, we thought “High design. Low blah.” was slightly more appropriate than “Go blahless”, which was pitched.  And which made us giggle.) 

 

 

This might sound like a copout, but I think we are naturally extremely intuitive.  This is an essential part of what we do, because it’s about the client, not about MAS.  We tend to “get” our clients very fast.  But we also ask a lot of questions and invite them to share their inspiration with us.  

 

Some clients send us photos, art, Pinterest or Houzz boards to peruse.  But we always emphasize that this is not homework.  If they want to share inspiration, they need not worry about whether the visual will work for their home, whether it is appropriate to the design or not.  This can get stressful for a client, and after all, that’s what they’ve hired us for.  This is just about bringing very personal moments into the design.  We may not put a Venetian fountain in your living room, but knowing it gives you joy helps us to get to know you on a deeper level, and that will always enhance our collaboration.

 

 

Well, there are a few levels to this. In design, we have a lot in common, but there are some places where we help each other expand in an unexpected direction. People always ask us what happens when we disagree. The answer is that it is very rare, but when we do it tends to enhance the design. We might lock horns for a moment, but we have an agreement that if one person really does not like a component, it is scrapped. This is usually for the best and opens us up for a better option.  

 

We both strive for brave, chic, sophisticated spaces. It’s taken a long time to really understand our differences, but we’ve boiled it down to a few clichés, lol.  Carol tends to be a little bit uptown, Dawn a little downtown.  Carol is fancier, Dawn is edgier.  Carol is more feminine, Dawn is more masculine.  (We’ll spare you who is a little more country and who is more rock and roll, although you might be able to figure that out by now.) We hope that what that means is that our clients have the benefit of both visions, and we end up with a carefully considered, balanced, but not predictable space.

 

Procedurally, Carol can be more process-oriented and Dawn can be more instinctual. Combined, these qualities create a holistic operating model for our clients and vendors, though in our hearts we’re both designers before all else.