Melissa Marcus: "When you use a designer, you are more likely to get a cohesive space in your home." (Photo by Steve Ruark)

Pikesville-based designer Melissa Marcus makes interior design dreams come true.

If you’re a fan of the Home & Garden Television channel, you know that the best part of any HGTV show comes at the end when the design or renovation job is finished and the remodeled home unveiled for the owners.

Melissa Marcus, a Pikesville-based interior designer, says that’s called an “install day.”

“On install day, I decorate the house from top to bottom,” she says. “The client goes to work in the morning and comes back to a different home. It’s so exciting. It’s the best.”

A Baltimore native who attends Chizuk Amuno Synagogue, Marcus, 34, founded Melissa Marcus Designs a year ago. But she was a seasoned interior designer before starting the business.

“I was an asset manager at Lasalle Investment Management, a commercial real estate company, for eight years,” she says. “During the recession, we had lots of committed capital but not a lot going on with buying and selling. So during that period, I did capital improvements [to the company’s buildings.] My wonderful managers allowed me to do that. That’s how I found my passion.”

After becoming a mother of two, Marcus returned to work at LaSalle. But the job required a great deal of traveling. Meanwhile, Marcus’ attorney husband, Brad, needed to travel for his job. “So it wasn’t working,” she says.

Marcus became a stay-at-home mom. But in addition to caring for her young children, she took on design projects for family and friends. When her son was old enough to start preschool, she “officially began the business,” says Marcus, who describes her design style as “transitional to modern.”

Currently, Marcus works full-time, juggling as many as 10 design projects of all types and sizes at any given time. While most of her projects are residential, she says she continues to do some commercial work as well.

“I work with architects and contractors, everyone involved,” she says. “Since my background is in project management, I do that as well. It’s everything from getting people together to reviewing construction documents. I love my work. I like meeting people, and many of my clients have become friends.”

The typical design project starts with an initial meeting between her and the prospective clients at which the homeowners share their ideas for the project, says Marcus. At a subsequent meeting, Marcus says she comes prepared with some “inspiration images” and measures the project space.

“Once we agree on a scheme, I have about three to four weeks to come back to the clients with a floor plan and renderings, fabric samples, wood samples and furniture options,” says Marcus. “Then, it’s time to order furniture.”

Marcus says many people have the misconception that hiring a designer is a costly endeavor. In fact, says Marcus, “as a designer, I have access to trade-only furniture at deep discounts. Most of the time, when you hire a designer, you save so much in furniture costs that you end up saving money on the whole project.”

Besides, she says it’s not necessary to purchase everything all at once.

“I work with the people’s budget,” Marcus says. “I’ll do a design plan, they buy what they can afford and when they’re ready to buy furniture for another room, they already know [from the plan] what to buy next.”

There are other benefits to having the guidance of a designer as well, says Marcus.

“When you use a designer, you are more likely to get a cohesive space in your home,” she says. “Sometimes, you sit down with someone and they think they know what they want, but they don’t really know what they want. Maybe they’re trying to mix what already exists in the home with a different style. I might gently tell them, ‘You might want to add some elements of different styles to make it more cohesive.’ That’s what you hire me for.”

Sometimes, a designer is able to “push a client a little bit out of their comfort zone, showing them things they may not have seen in a regular store,” says Marcus. “I love when the client sees the design and says, ‘Oh my God, I love it. I would never have done it, but I love it!”

To see Marcus’ work, follow her on Instagram @melissamarcusdesigns. She can be reached at melissamarcusdesigns@gmail.com.

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