The Morgante Wilson Experience: How Interior Design Teams Collaborate with Residential Architects

Clients always ask: what makes Morgante Wilson Architects different? We love answering that question because there truly are things about the way we work that differ from some other residential architecture firms. One of those ways is that we have our own in-house interior design team who can collaborate with our residential architects right from the start . As head of that team, I can tell you the value-add to our clients who choose to have us handle the interior design aspect of their home is tremendous. One of our favorite projects – this luxurious retreat on the Caribbean island of St. Johns – offers some good examples:

Our interior designers are involved from the start

There’s a huge difference between bringing an interior designer into a project once it’s already underway (or even finished), and having an interior designer work with an architect from the get-go, before anything has even been built. We’re able to collaborate on details so we know where outlets should go before walls are put up. We can design bookshelves so they’re integrated into millwork, rather than simply push them against a wall after construction is complete. We can incorporate exterior building materials into the interior so the overall transition between indoors and out is seamless. The list goes on and on.

We have twice the opportunity to build trust

Think about it: if you trust your architecture firm, which also happens to be your interior design firm, you can feel double the confidence in people you’re already comfortable with, who you know have your best interests at heart.

And when you’ve got that trust, you can make magic. For instance, our first project for our St. Johns clients was actually just a porch for their home on Chicago’s North Shore. That mushroomed into a new kitchen and some exterior work. Ultimately, when it came time for them to build in the Caribbean, they already knew they wanted us to be their team.

That same level of trust enabled them to push aside their doubts about our suggestion for a neutral color palette, and go with our recommendation. Our rationale was to let the stunning outdoor views be the focal points, so we wanted to keep the interiors quiet. No nautical kitsch here! While at first they hesitated just a bit, they quickly jumped on board. Today, the softly elegant interior color palette is one of their favorite things about the house!

Likewise, we suggested keeping patterns to a minimum so as not to detract from the scenery. And again, the clients agreed because they trusted us.

I have to share one more example of what a difference trust can make. This house is full of bedrooms – one of which is on the basement level. Even though it’s away from the rest of the action in the house, we wanted it to feel just as special. Our client suggested a canopied, four-poster bed could achieve that goal. But we had something different in mind: a massive, dramatic, live-edge slab of wood that would act as a completely unexpected, and super cool, headboard. It took our clients a minute to wrap their heads around the idea. But because they trusted us – there's that word again! - they agreed to go for it. I can tell you honestly, that bedroom is now everyone’s first choice of where to sleep.

We’re set up for turn-key projects

Unlike many architecture firms, not only do we have an in-house interior design team, we’re also set up to handle turn-key projects. With many of our clients building vacation getaways in sometimes remote locales, it’s important that we’re able to manage the logistics of far-away design projects. For this Caribbean home, we interviewed shippers; coordinated the logistics between our local Chicago receiver and the team on St. Johns; handled customs documentation, insurance, and quotes; and flew down to meet the shippers as they untied the locks on the containers we’d sent.

Our team managed every step through installation of art and accessories, dishes and duvets, and tables and towels. There was no need for us to translate product placement to an outside team because our own team – the same team that selected and purchased everything to begin with – knew just where and how it was supposed to be placed on site. From the books on the shelves and the vases on the countertops, to the chairs around the tables, we’d decided it all from the very beginning. It was truly a worry-free experience for our clients, who walked into a fully furnished home that was party-ready the moment they crossed the threshold.

A residential architecture firm with an in-house design team is not the most typical arrangement. But it’s a huge benefit to our clients, as the examples I’ve just covered show you. It’s also a boon to us as a firm, because having architecture and interior design work hand-in-hand pushes us all to be as creative and client-focused as we possibly can. The end result is a finished home that exceeds our clients’ expectations.

For more examples, follow us on Instagram. Or check out the projects page on our website.