Margo Downing didn’t let a complication like the recession get her down. “It was a good thing,” says the interior designer. “I had to be more creative and [take] more chances.” That included reaching out to local craftsmen for original pieces. When designing this dramatic, Pop Art living room for Bolton Hill homeowner Erik Jones, Downing commissioned screen print artist Matt Muirhead to create a mural featuring Baltimore icons and other images inspired by the client. (Yes, that’s RuPaul!) And if you look hard enough, you might spot a tribute to his dearly departed dog Sjeng. Downing calls the process of commissioning art “like watching a bird take flight.”
“Erik wanted a place to chill and play ping pong, and he loved blue lighting,” Downing says. What emerged was a serene room with amazing architectural bones that she swathed in gray tones from Benjamin Moore. Plexiglas panels glow like a nightclub and custom blood-red tiles on the fireplace come to life. Upcycled furniture from artisans Matt Fouse and Rustbelt Rebirth add to the downtown industrial vibe. And oh God, that mural: “A cacophony of color,” Downing calls it.
The personality of the space captures the imagination. And personality, Downing says, is like the little black dress of interior design: every well-dressed home should have it. —Saralyn Lyons
RESOURCES
Interior Design:
Margo Downing Interiors
margodowninginteriors.com
Mural:
Matt Muirhead
mattmuirhead.jimdo.com
Custom Coffee Table:
Matt Fouse
mattfouse.com
Custom Console and Bar:
Doug Meyer
Rustbelt Rebirth
rustbeltrebirth.com
Wall Sconces:
Housewerks Salvage
housewerkssalvage.com
IGNIS Ethanol Fireplace:
cleanflames.com
Tile:
Chesapeake Tile & Marble
ctmarble.net
Furniture:
Su Casa Furniture
sucasa-furniture.com
Looks amazing, well done Zmargo
Congratulations to you Margo! And how fabulous that Baltimore Style, a wonderful magazine, has recognized your talent. You know how to bring out your clients personality into their homes! No smalle feat with such diverse personalities you work with!
OMG Margo what an incredible/fabulously fantastic space!!!
Congratulations!!You are so wonderfully talented:)
I’m proud to be your neighbor!!