Today I am joined by a special guest, Michaela Donato, a designer and decorator who is passionate about helping people take the overwhelm and decision making out of their dream home. She is committed to making your dream space serve you, your lifestyle so that everything becomes easier and more beautiful.
In this conversation, Michael walks us over the process of working with a designer and she shares her best tips on how to make this a smooth and ultimately rewarding experience. But beyond design, we also discuss the importance of having the right space around you. In order to attain a happy and productive state, we need to be in spaces that support us and allow us to evoke the emotions that make us feel good.
Join us on this episode as we go over the importance of having trust in your designer, how to gain self awareness to find what works for you, why it’s worth investing in your space, and so much more.
WATCH
SUBSCRIBE: Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Amazon Music | Google Podcasts | iHeart Radio | iTunes | Stitcher
WHAT YOU WILL DISCOVER
What working with a designer is like
Importance of having distinct spaces for different things
Why inspiration from nature is the best
How to lift spaces with personalization
FEATURED ON THE SHOW
EPISODE TRANSCRIPT
Jennifer:
Hello, hello, welcome to the Happy Productive podcast. I’m Jennifer Dawn. And this is where we help you unlock your full potential, so that you can get out there and you can create the life and the business that you want. I’m so excited today because we’re going to be talking with Michaela Donato. She is the owner and founder of Donato Design and Decor, and I’m so excited to talk to her today, guys.
She’s not only a designer, but she’s also a decorator who is passionate about helping people take the overwhelm and all that decision making out of their dream home. Michaela is committed to making your dream space serve, serve your lifestyle, and all of your needs so that everything in your life becomes easier and more beautiful.
I have to tell you guys, you know, we’ve talked about this on the podcast before about the spaces that we’re in. And it’s not just people and places, it’s also our spaces, and we want our spaces to evoke the emotions that make us feel good. When we feel good, and we’re in a happier place, we’re going to be way more productive, we’re in a way better place to show up and deal with any challenges that life may present us with. I really, really do believe in surrounding ourselves with beautiful spaces, whatever that might be for you. Not what somebody else’s definition of it is, but what your definition of it is so Michaela welcome, I’m so excited to have you on the podcast today.
Michaela:
Thanks so much for having me.
Jennifer:
You’re so welcome. Okay, we’re going to dive right in. And I am going to make a confession. In the beginning of the podcast, I am completely design impaired. I just am. If you ask me about your business, I can talk about it all day long. If you ask me how to decorate a room, I’m just going to give you a blank stare, because I just for whatever reason, I don’t have that DNA.
I even had lunch with my two best friends yesterday and they both have the gene, the designing gene. I’m at my girlfriend’s house, and it’s beautiful, like everything she’s done is beautiful. I love having a beautiful space. And I’m sure some of you listening can empathize with this. But if you are design impaired, what do you do to be able to, like, still have a beautiful space if you don’t have the designer’s genes?
Michaela:
So I think it feels so good to be in a space that just feels like it’s been well-curated. Right? Well thought out. We all kind of want to achieve that. But yeah, if you don’t have it, then you don’t have it. It’s kind of like the Math gene, if you don’t have that. So it’s really, I think it comes down to just kind of being in tune with what makes you tick. Right?
So I’m noticing and being conscious of the spaces that you go into that make you feel good and what was it about that space that you noticed that you enjoyed, or what was super functional about it. What really caught your eye. So just being open and inspired by all of those different things is really step one, I think.
Getting to kind of know yourself and your style. But even that, like, it’s almost easier said than done, right. So sometimes it does take an extra set of eyes to just kind of see the things that you might not see. When we stare at our own space, every day, all day kind of thing, we almost stop seeing it. So really to just get a second opinion. Even if it’s your kids or your husband, your partner or your friend that comes to visit. Getting that sense of how it is perceived, might open your eyes to different possibilities.
Jennifer:
Yeah, I love this so much because it really is about getting help when you don’t necessarily know what to do. But there are people, everybody who’s listening, there are people who do know what to do. Even my girlfriends were like, next month lunch at Jennifer’s house, and we’re all bringing like our Pinterest boards, and we’re going to help her figure it out. Right?
But you know, there’s that part of me that’s like, Oh, you know, I don’t want to ask for help, or I don’t want to show weakness because I’m a female, and I should be able to do this but I can’t. I can ride my horse and I can be on my husband’s motorcycle. I can do those things fine. But it’s like shopping and putting two things together in the living room. I’m like, Oh, crap, I can’t do that.
But you know, if you’re listening, you may have experienced this where you’re just like, I’m just a little nervous to ask for help because it’s my home. It’s like your most intimate space. It’s where you get to choose who you’re going to let in, who you’re not going to let in. But that’s all why it’s so important for this space to really feel good for you. I think asking for help is a great first step. You’re a designer, people ask you for help all the time.
Let’s talk a little bit about like, if you’ve never worked with a designer before, what does that really look like? If you’re listening, and you’re like, it sounds so intimidating, sometimes, I think, to work with a designer to have them come in and help you with the space. Can you just give us an overview of, what does the process really look like, in working with a designer to get some help in this area?
Michaela:
Yeah, so I think you’re right, it is such an intimate space. You have to be sure that you’re working with the right person and that you trust them. You’re totally giving the reins to someone else on something so personal. I totally get that kind of hesitation before jumping in into something like this. How I like to help people, and everyone does it a little bit differently, but, um, is starting out by getting to know your lifestyle and getting to know what your needs truly are in that space. Being really kind of open to your family, your lifestyle as an individual, and then keeping that at the forefront through the whole process, so that you really feel comfortable with everything.
The main thing I think is, a designer can really come up with that vision. If you don’t have the vision, that’s what I do, I come up with that whole thing. Considering your lifestyle, considering your needs, considering your favorite colors, and fabrics. Then communicating that with you. Because it’s one thing to have that grand vision and to implement it. But if I can’t communicate it to you effectively and get you on board with it, then that’s not going to make you feel confident.
It’s sourcing everything in and showing you the drawing, so that you can kind of get just as excited about it as I am. Really put your trust in in the next steps. So from there, it’s about, like the pricing, the ordering, and everything like that. Hiring whoever is needed to kind of make things happen. So being the bridge, between the final results and whatever contractors are needed. Setting everything up and making it happen, right.
I think it’s one of those processes that it is intimidating to kind of take the first step because unless you’ve gone through it before, you don’t really know what to expect. So, yeah, just finding someone that’s really going to make that whole process clear to you from the start is really going to help you move things along and say yes, let’s do it.
As far as the process and how I take the overwhelm out of the whole thing for you, we start with a discovery call where I lay everything out. I do illustrate the entire process for you from start to finish. So then we know if we’re the right fit for each other. From there, we kind of launch into things with our first on site meeting where I come up with the initial concepts, the big picture and we get inspired with some style mood boards and that kind of thing. I lay down the color palette, which becomes the foundation of everything going forward. Then I set out a clear game plan and a scope of work so it’s just clear and transparent from the start.
Then like I said before, I design everything from head to toe, so all the finishes, all the furnishing, and everything like that. I price it all and then present it to you so you see that final product before anything gets ordered, anything gets started so you’re totally on board and confident. Then we tweak what we need to tweak and with your approval, which really is the only decision that you have to make through the whole process. I’m not bugging you every other day with okay, is this rug good? Is this hardware good? You give one big okay at that presentation, then you’re good. You can put your feet up, right. So that approval and then from there, I just make it happen. You can lay back until I reveal it to you. Then you get to walk into that vision and that dream space that we created and that I started to work towards.
That’s kind of how it looks. Then from there, one of my favorite parts is that you don’t even have to worry about the style, upkeep, and the maintenance. With a scheduled check in, I can totally take that burden off of your shoulders as well. So it’s really a long term process that has one kind of big fix. And then it’s just smooth sailing.
Jennifer:
Yeah, oh my gosh, this sounds so amazing. It’s so important in the space that we’re in, right, we want that space to evoke positive emotion. You guys know what I’m talking about here. When you walk into your kitchen, and it’s filthy, it’s full of dirty dishes, the floor is dirty, and you just feel like, oh my gosh. But when you walk into a beautiful kitchen, that’s super clean, it’s like all of a sudden, you’re like, oh, you know what I feel like preparing a beautiful meal in my beautiful kitchen. It can be for every room in your house.
If you have an area in your home right now, especially if it’s a space that you’d like to spend a lot of time in, I think it is so important to invest a little bit of time, resources, whatever, in making that space evoking the emotions that we’re after. Do you want the space to make you feel calm, safe or at peace or whatever that is?
I love what you mentioned, like mood boards and color palettes. You can use the colors, you can use the furniture, you can use the decor to really create that emotion that we’re trying to drive. We walk into a room we feel good; we feel the way that we want to feel. I love that if you don’t have the vision yourself, it’s okay. All you have to do is ask for help. That was one of my takeaways I took from what you said. One, ask for help. Be willing to go out there and look for somebody who can help you with this. Then two, make sure that you interview some different people. Get the right help because you want that right person who is going to be in your space so that it is a safe process as you go through, you know, letting somebody into your home. Loved that so much.
I’m really curious, when you work with your clients, and they have a space that is just not feeling the way they want it to feel. You go in and I love how you said the reveal. You do the reveal on their space. It’s completely transformed and beautiful. It’s everything that they ever wanted. What do you see from them? What are some of the things that you hear? What are some of the things that they say? These people who have taken the time, invested time and money into really making their space beautiful.
Michaela:
Yeah, it’s actually funny because I say I like to take the overwhelm out of the whole process. At the end, it’s truly an overwhelming feeling of just happiness and oh my gosh, relief, right? It’s done, this is what I wanted. I didn’t know that I wanted this, but this is exactly what I didn’t know that I needed. It’s just like, oh my gosh, I can breathe easy. I get to come home to this every day. It’s exciting. People often say after living in this space for a few days or weeks, they just feel more put together and more at ease in their day to day activities. The good parts of their day have gotten better.
For example, I worked with one client and she loved her morning routine, having her coffee, love to look out the window and just kind of be to start her day. It was just like okay, we’re going to emphasize this positive part of your day and put an awesome arm chair right by your favorite window and pair it with the perfect side table. Considering those little things do make the good things better and the bad things better too so you’re not putting those things off. You’re not dreading them anymore. Like something as little as adding a runner to your kitchen area is going to make doing the dishes that much easier. Those little things can totally just transform the way you do and the way you think of your day to day activity. So I think that’s the biggest thing that people appreciate about that kind of transformation is that day to day living is just so much more enjoyable.
Jennifer:
I love that. Even just the visualization of somebody who loves to sit at the window with their morning coffee. The perfect chair that you want to sit in, next to the side table, next to the window to just take that element of your life and just kind of blow it up and make it that much more special. I love that so much. That makes me want to go sit by a window. Yeah, that’s so beautiful.
And guys, you know, when you’re thinking about your spaces, and you think about these elements of your life that you really love, being able to maximize the space to really emphasize those things that we want to put our claws in and like hold on to. I love that so much as a tip.
Michaela:
It’s super important to emphasize those good moments, right?
Jennifer:
Yeah. Are there any other tips that you want to share, as far as things that anybody who’s listening could do to make their space just more clean, uncluttered, and feel more beautiful?
Michaela:
The biggest thing, I think, is having distinct spaces for different things. It doesn’t matter how big the space is, just even having a shelf dedicated to where you put your work bag at the end of the day. That’s your designated space for that thing. That can just help you feel more organized, more put together, more at peace with what’s going on.
As far as aesthetics and stuff like that, one of the biggest things, a tip that I always give is as much inspiration as you can take from nature, and from the outdoors, the better. So any time you have a chance to bring in some fresh flowers from the garden, or have a potted plant, beside your bed, or whatever it may be, the more of that you can do, the better. That instantly increases your positivity and your happiness in that space. The more that you can do, always, always, always opt for that. The other big thing is just personalization. Having a family photo over your sofa is a great way to add just that personal touch to a space, it just makes it feel so much more like your own. That also without a doubt increases your happiness in that space too.
Jennifer:
Oh, this is so awesome. Even simple things like, you know, a fresh flower on your desk where you work can just sort of change the mood and lift the space so much. I also love what you said about having a space for your bag at the end of the day. For Happy Productive, we talked about the planner and in the planner for daily planning, we talked about everything in one place, right? You guys can’t have sticky notes, notebooks and 12 planners all over the place and then expect to feel organized. You got to make sure it always ends up in one place.
I love how you took that into the home of making sure that the things in your home also have their one place and this is where they go. That in itself will just really help create a sense of more calm and organized and everything in the house has its place just like in your planner everything in one place.
Michaela:
Totally. Yes, exactly.
Jennifer:
Very nice. Oh, I love this so much. Okay, this is Happy Productive. So I’m curious. I’m going to throw this at you. Is there a productivity tip that you would like to share that’s worked for you that you’d like to share with the audience?
Michaela:
Um, oh my goodness. Definitely having a space for everything is the best way to stay productive but on a side note other than specifically within the home, but just in general. I’ve recently been obsessed with snoozing my emails. So I’ll open it, I’ll read it, and then I’ll snooze it until the day that I need to focus on it or something like that. I have been loving that. It just clears my head and lets me focus on being creative and focus on whatever I’m doing at that moment and not have to worry about those little things that are in the future. That’s something that’s helped me be productive just day to day.
Jennifer:
Gosh, I love this so much. Is it a software app that you added that lets you snooze the emails? I’ve heard of Boomerang where you can set it to come back to you. But is it a different app?
Michaela:
No, I don’t know if it’s on every email platform, but it’s just right in my Gmail, there’s a little clock and I just click it. You can pick exactly what time of day, what day. It’s been a game-changer.
Jennifer:
Oh my god, that’s so awesome. I literally have to like to snooze my entire inbox when I’m trying to work on my business. I really snooze it just by not turning it on because as soon as I turn it on, I’m sucked in there. I love this feature, you guys. If you didn’t know it exists, you can snooze in Gmail and send it back to you when you’re ready for it. Oh, I love that. Thank you so much for sharing that one.
Okay, awesome information, Michaela. Thank you so very much. Can you tell everybody where they can find you if they want to get more information about your services?
Michaela:
Yes, so my website is donatodecor.com. It’s probably the best way you can get a hold of me there. Actually, you can book a free discovery call there as well. That’s something kind of exciting. Then social media is at @donatodecor, Facebook or Instagram. You can always find me there.
Jennifer:
Oh, fantastic. We’ll put that in the show notes as well so you guys can find Michaela. I just want to also say to all the listeners, depending on the state that your house is in or your car is in or whatever it is just take it one space at a time. Pick a space that you spend a lot of time in and work on that one first. Get some help, get the right help and just take it one space at a time. I think it’s so worth the investment when we talk about Happy Productive, of looking at the spaces that we’re working in and really making sure that they’re set up to evoke the emotions that we are most after.
All right, thank you so much Michaela. For everybody listening, if you want some more help with this if it’s design work, don’t call me because clearly I am not going to be able to help you. If you need help with your business, come check us out at jenniferdawncoaching.com. If today is the day that you’re ready for a better time management system then of course check out Best Planner Ever, www.bestplannerever.com.
Okay you guys that’s it. Get out there. Take the overwhelm out of your dream home. That’s what Michaela helps everybody do. But just get out there and get those spaces in really good shape so that you can be Happy Productive. All right, have a great one you guys. Get out there and have a Happy Productive day. Thanks. Bye