Interior design is a specialty, and if you rely on contractors or even architects for your interior design, you can end up with boring interiors that don't fit your needs or your style.

The key to the specialty of interior design is experience. And clients throughout Sonoma County tell of Mary Steer of MWS Design in Petaluma CA as the local interior designer with the wealth of experience to give them the interior space of their dreams.

Experienced Interior Design from Mary Steer at MWS Design in Sonoma County

Mary Steer, principal of MWS Design has over a quarter century of experience as an interior designer. And unlike many other interior designers in Sonoma County, she has the education to back up her experience. Mary Steer earned a five-year BS degree in interior design and a BA degree in fine art. Mary is also a Certified Interior Designer with the California Council on Interior Design.

At 19, Mary Steer discovered her passion for design when she planned a kitchen remodel for her parents' home. "I can honestly say I've been in love with design all of my life," she says. "I knew this was what I was born to do. I have the gift of visualizing the final product and knowing how we'll accomplish it, and from my first design on, I've been in love with creating gorgeous spaces."

Mary's education and experience combined with her natural talent equals happy clients. One client named Elizabeth told a researcher from The Prime Buyer's Report, "I've known Mary for years. She's designed interiors for multiple houses and businesses for me, and she's done such a great job every time that I continue to hire her. She has a great eye for design and really knows how to utilize space."

Mary Steer, Interior Designer Experienced in Projects of All Sizes

MWS Design is the Sonoma County interior design firm clients rely on for small and large projects. As a Certified Interior Designer, Mary Steer is even able to offer residential architectural design. In fact, she's designed five houses from the ground up, including her own home. MWS Design has also created gorgeous multimillion dollar winery facilities, and has done the interior designs for schools, restaurants and municipal projects for local cities.

While she has the experience to awe clients with large-scale interior design projects, no job is too small for Mary. She's even been known to accompany a senior client to a local furniture store to select a recliner chair that fit into their existing design.

Clients say Mary Steer is extremely talented and they rely on her for interior designs and custom remodels. Mary laughs, "One client just joked with me that she's going to get a bumper sticker that says, ‘What Would Mary Do?' She said she wouldn't want to make a move without me when it came to designing her home."

Other clients concur that Mary Steer's experience is invaluable, and they say they turn to her again and again for great interior design. During a research phone call for this article, a client named Mindi gushed, "We've been absolutely thrilled with Mary! We've known her a long time and keep coming back to her year after year. Seventeen years ago she helped us design our home that we built from scratch. Now, we're having her remodel a bathroom in that original house."

Custom Designs, Furniture and Art by MWS Design  

MWS Design is experienced in more than home design and interior decorating. Mary Steer also has valuable experience designing custom furniture and artwork for interiors. "I like to design lampshades, paint furniture and even create unique sketches or watercolors for homes," she tells us. "I've even created custom painted screens to create a private dining space in a local restaurant. If I see an opening in a project to do a custom piece, I'm excited to do it."

You might expect experience like Mary's to cost more, but clients have been pleasantly surprised that Mary Steer knows how to get the most for you from even the tightest of budgets. Mary explains, "I worked on a New Petaluma Hospice House project with a $15,000 furniture budget for a 7,000 square foot building. I visited local thrift stores to find pieces that could be custom painted or reupholstered to achieve a beautiful and unique space that the client loves, and I came in under budget. My personal touch is everywhere and has a very positive effect on those who work there."

During a research phone call for this article, a client named Elizabeth agreed, "She's practical and listens to my ideas. I like that she works with what we already have to make the designs more personal and more affordable."

Mary Steer has two adult children who have followed in her professional footsteps. Her son is a contractor and her daughter is also an interior designer. Mary shares, "I've always worked from home, and that was especially important to me when my children were in school. So they saw a lot of what I did, and they ‘worked' along side me. My daughter was designing floor plans when she was six, so I know my experience as an interior designer has been a big influence on them."

So clients agreed that Mary Steer at MWS Design in Petaluma CA is the interior designer who has the experience to plan beautiful interior designs of any size and get the most for you from the budget. One client named Carolyn may have said it best when she shared during a research phone call, "There's nobody better than Mary! I cannot say enough about her talent. She's just brilliant from the inside out. There are some people that just know color, design and shape, and Mary's one of them. She was born with that talent for beautiful design."