Mari Margaret

Mari Margaret’s passion for art and interior design has driven her throughout her career in design, realty, construction, and remodeling. Her experiences have given her a unique perspective into homes, values, and the cost of improvements. Under the guidance and instruction of Bill Borchert, who was named one of the Top 50 Remodelers in the United States, she learned the value of process, customer service, and good design.

Mari’s mantra to clients is “although it is the least costly part of the process, Design is where we avoid the costliest mistakes”. It’s her philosophy that homeowners are very capable of spending their money and don’t need her to do it for them – they just want to be better educated to do so. Because of that, she feels it’s important to educate clients on products and the remodeling process so they have a better understanding of how to invest and maximize their money in their home and space.

As for her approach to design, Mari is a believer that form follows function, but that each space is unique for each individual homeowner. For each project, she takes the viewpoint of a problem solver; what is the real issue with the space? Is it dated, is it non-functional, is it an aesthetic issue, is there an architectural element to work around, is budget a driving factor? She tries to listen to a client and understand what the overall outcome is they want for their space and the remodeling process. It’s for this reason that she was awarded Best of Houzz for Customer Service for 2018, 2019, 2021 and 2022.

Mari Margaret’s design inspiration comes from all facets and experiences of her life, whether it’s a trip to the Detroit Institute of Art or a walk in the park, a hike along a lake shore collecting stones, or spending time at a music festival, she’s constantly looking at textures and colors around her and how they play and interact with each other. She loves being influenced by past architecture and has found that some of her favorite projects have involved designing, restoring, and preserving historical homes in the Metro Detroit area.

When she’s not using a tape measure on a jobsite, she is often working on her own home improvement projects! She enjoys cooking and hiking, and exploring the Upper Peninsula, but can most often be found walking her 4-year-old chihuahua, Tito, around the Royal Oak area.

Associations: NKBA, ASID, Interior Design Society, Bloomfield Birmingham Chamber of Commerce