Gretchen Spieler Design Studio

I really wasn’t sure what I was getting into when I started working with Gretchen — all I knew was that our new house, which we were mostly furnishing and decorating from scratch, needed a major overhaul. What would soon become clear was that Gretchen’s judgement is SPOT ON. She’d warn me against certain design moves that I thought were solid (they were not), and then gently nudge me in a direction I had never considered before… to great effect. The house is still a work in progress but she never rushes, or pressures you to move forward until the exact right piece comes along (if anything she’s held me back from impulsively buying crap, stuff I know I would have regretted!). She’s also totally fair and flexible in how we work together — right now we’re doing it over time, and from afar (she’s on the West coast, while I’m on the East coast). Brilliant at brainstorming and sketching out ideas, Gretchen also has quite the eye for spotting deals at auctions and flea markets (great for those working with a tight budget). Design is clearly this woman’s passion and after working with her just a few short months I completely trust her process. Highly recommended!

I began working with Gretchen early this year. Everything about the process has been first class. She really understands the direction I want to go and has sourced fabulous fabrics and wall coverings. Her furniture suggestions are just right as well. And her sense of color is fabulous. She suggested a color for a throw pillow in my bedroom that I never in a million years would have thought of and it totally transforms the room. As Gretchen so succinctly said, «we just need to turn up the volume a little bit.» She suggested a color for my living and dining rooms that I never would have thought of either. I really wasn’t sure, and took it on faith. She was dead on. And in my dining room nooks she suggested another color that would have been totally alien to me as a choice and it pops the whole room. Our project will be long term, ongoing and a complete delight. Everytime she comes over is a whole party in my head and house!!! Gretchen is a quintessential professional ~ and fun to work with too. I can’t recommend her highly enough!

Gretchen did a great job helping me furnish and decorate my very small victorian and stayed within budget. I found myself in the unique situation of having absolutely no furniture and little else. I rented a very small Victorian, that I loved, but had a goofy floor plan. I turned to Gretchen to help me turn it into a colorful and comfortable space. Gretchen spent a lot of time planning and sourcing. She integrated one of the few things I held onto: a wall size, gold painting; that wasn’t easy. We looked at fabrics, color schemes, and furniture from a lot of sources. Gretchen’s professional judgment was key to making this tiny place both functional and lovely. I know she is committed to delivering the end product her clients want and really spared no effort.