I am thrilled to showcase the gorgeous work of North Shore-based design firm M + M Interior Design. Leslie Martin and Kim Meardon are the dynamic sister duo and the “M’s” behind this sought-after firm. With nine (yes, nine!) children between them, they know first-hand the importance of creating homes that are both pretty and practical for a busy family. Their layered and chic designs demonstrate exceptional attention to detail and their goal of providing their clients with useable, functional spaces without sacrificing style. I love their use of color and effortless mix of old and new to achieve timeless, yet fresh spaces.
Leslie and Kim’s path to interior design involved an interesting career pivot. After growing up in California, their corporate careers brought the sisters to New York. There, friends often enlisted them to help decorate their apartments. In 2007, after realizing their shared passion, Leslie and Kim joined forces to start their own interior design business. With Leslie’s background in design and marketing and Kim’s in real estate and staging, they blended their talents and exquisite taste to design beautiful, family-friendly homes. After taking some time off to raise their growing families, Leslie and Kim relaunched on Chicago’s North Shore in 2015 and have been busy ever since.
We get to know our families and how they live in their spaces and we create rooms that they feel comfortable in and are proud to call home.
Leslie Martin & Kim Meardon
M + M Interior Design was chosen among many top designers to design rooms at the 2017 and 2020 Lake Forest Showhouse & Gardens. Their work has also been celebrated in various national publications, including Veranda, Elle Decor, and House & Home. In addition to servicing their Chicago area clients, they are currently taking clients in Hawaii, where Leslie is presently residing. So keep them in mind for your Hawaiian vacation home! As you scroll through the sampling of their lovely work below, you will see why I am such a big fan. Also, don’t miss my fun Quick Q & A with Leslie and Kim!
Photography by Heather Talbert and Aimee Mazzenga
I love the tortoiseshell mirror and bullion fringe detail!
A perfectly layered and styled vignette
A beautiful traditional dining room with a stunning hand-painted mural by Patrick Roullier
Love the skirted table and the symmetry of this foyer
2017 Lake Forest Showhouse & Gardens Kitchen
Pass the Popcorn! A great spot for family movie night.
A dining room designed for beauty and function
Love this Phillip Jeffries Wallpaper
Colorful wallpaper makes this powder room pop
Beautiful layers of texture and color
Sunroom at the 2020 Lake Forest Showhouse
A warm and sunny kitchen with pops of color
A fireplace in the bathroom, yes please!
The Schumacher tortoise wallpaper makes a statement in this bar area
The beautiful tile paired with the Scalamdre wallpaper creates a gorgeous entry
Pattern-play perfection in this colorful bedroom
Quick Q & A With
Leslie Martin and Kim Meardon
M + M Interior Design
Describe your design style in 3 words or less:
Layered, approachable, colorful
Who are your Design Icons?
We are a huge fans of Tom Scheerer, James Farmer and because we can’t leave out the ladies, Rita Konig and Anna Spiro. What they all have in common, in our opinion, is the ability to decorate in a way that looks undecorated. Truthfully it’s what we at M + M are always striving for. They have something that can’t be taught, it comes to them instinctually. Like any true professional they make it look easy but it’s certainly not. That’s true talent.
What are a few key decor elements that can elevate any space?
A fabulously aged rug immediately grounds a space and makes it feel like it has as story. If everything is shiny and new a room can feel uninviting. When it comes to accessorizing if you have a stack of old leather books and a touch of hotel silver you can’t go wrong.
When doing a kitchen remodel, what design elements do you think are worth a splurge, and where can you save?
Splurge on appliances, those are the work horses of the room and if they don’t function well a kitchen isn’t any fun to be in. If you’re looking to tighten the budget consider open shelving instead of traditional cabinetry, or a tile backsplash instead of marble.
With recent events causing us to spend more time at home, have you noticed a change in your client’s design needs?
Aside from the demand for home offices and home-school spaces we are seeing clients investing more in the “extra” spaces in their homes, the spaces that often got overlooked, like the master closet or the basement. Suddenly everyone is looking for that extra nugget of space in their home that they can turn into something special.
What is your favorite part of your job?
Sourcing. We love the hunt. It’s been more challenging in recent months to get out there and find the gems, but thankfully we live in a time where almost everything is on the internet. Resources like 1st Dibs and Chairish are our rabbit hole and we can easily whittle away hours looking for just the right vintage print or antique chair. The second favorite part is install day, or Christmas day as we call it at the studio, because there is nothing better than seeing that special item arrive and placed in the perfect spot within a client’s home.
Our favorite:
Hostess gift to give:
Set of vintage linen napkins (ideally with their monogram if you can find it!)
Go to paint colors:
Hague Blue and Pointing both by Farrow and Ball
Source for decor accessories:
Too many to list but 1. Our local antique dealers (Heritage Trail Mall and Anna’s Mostly Mahogany) and 2. Studio HAM UK for online treasures.
Place to travel:
We love Costa Rica for the landscape and our favorite city London for everything else. Leslie is currently living in Hawaii so that’s a favorite as well!
Chicago area restaurant:
Schwa is where we like to take our out of town friends and they are immediately aware of how cool Chicago is. We are also always up for a cozy night at the House Kitchen at Soho house, it feels like we’ve snuck out of town for the night when we go there. Locally North Shore, we will always say yes to the Elote pizza at Grateful Bites.
To work with M + M Interior Design or see more of their work visit their website mandminteriordesign.com and follow them on Instagram at @m_m_interior_design
