Meg Corley found her passion for interior design as a student at Michigan State University. She made her way in the field as an intern and then a design assistant at firms in Birmingham before opening Meg Corley Premier Interiors in 2010.
With the holidays on the horizon, we asked Meg for some decorating tips.
Birmingham Life: When is it fair game to put up the holiday decorations and when do we have to take them down?
Meg Corley: I start putting up holiday decor the week after Thanksgiving and typically clients will leave decor up through the first of the year. However, we like to leave fireplace mantels more versatile for the winter season so that clients can have that bit of warmth through the winter months.
BL: What type of lighting do you recommend for holiday gatherings?
MC: We love the soft white lights instead of using LED bulbs. The incandescent brings a soft glow.
BL: Do you prefer to work with live or artificial plants?
MC: Most of the decor we do inside is artificial so clients can use it year to year, but I do also use real magnolia leaves and string them throughout artificial garland. For exterior pots, we use real greenery.
Meg gave us some examples of real-life client work she designed for the holiday season.
1. The client found the gold acorns on their travels and asked if I could use them somewhere. The mantel is large enough to handle the scale and the acorns worked perfectly for balance.
2. I wanted something different here since the large tree in the foyer is right off this room. We added the ornaments and the skirts are actually bathroom rugs with a glittery ribbon to give a glistening effect.
3. We wanted a grand entrance when you walked in the front door. We made the swags with artificial greenery, ornaments, decorative sticks, ribbon, faux flowers and battery-operated lights.
4. You can use real greens for your outdoor pots as the cold weather holds their integrity. I use pine, juniper, cedar and magnolia leaves.
5. This mantel was designed with a winter scene theme rather than a holiday scene, so it can be used all season. We used woodland owls and feather garland to add an unexpected softness.