Channeling Home Design With MartinPatrick3 Studio

Q&A With MP3 Studio

It's true, we've all been staying home more this past year than ever before, and with that in mind, we’re acknowledging home as a sanctuary while channeling home design and interiors. Being in real estate, we've always appreciated a good eye and tasteful design, so we wanted to gain and share insight from some of the best in the Twin Cities. Read up on our Q&A with President/Senior Designer, Greg Walsh from the internationally recognized design firm MartinPatrick3 Studio. You may recognize MP3 as the sophisticated boutique in North Loop; but aside from their custom suits and contemporary furnishings, they have an on-site interior team that offers mid to high-end residential design services.

"Our space is always evolving, but our intention remains the same. We’re dedicated to building a one-of-a-kind experience where the curious are rewarded, where style is limitless, where everyone is welcome to find pieces of themselves amongst our distinctive assortment and design, and where life is celebrated as the greatest form of art."
 

Q: Tell us about MartinPatrick3 Studio, what type of interior styles do you specialize in? What are you known for? 

A: We are a full design firm, starting from conceptualizing with the entire design team—from homeowner, architect, builder and skilled craftsmen, to creating a custom interior. We often blend styles to create a curated look that is specific to a client’s interest both functionally and stylistically, never chasing a trend but classically building a unique style for our clients. 

Q: Where do you find your inspiration?

A: For me there is no one “go to” source for inspiration, to me it’s the experience and exposure to the greater world, gleaning inspiration from thousands of small moments and extrapolating and combining those into your own creative vision.  

Q: The new year is still fresh—and with a new year comes new interior design trends. What’s your 2021 forecast? What are you seeing become popular in the interior realm this year? 

A: I think with the unprecedented time that everyone has spent in their home the last year there is great interest in investing in comfort, function, and endurance. Many of the “projects” that everyone had on their “to-do” list now have urgency and with that comes investment and a strong desire to create a timeless quality interior. 

Q: Best interior trends of 2020? 

A: I think there was a great movement towards not being so uptight about “matching” finishes/furnishings/styles, for example, not all metallic finishes in a room need to be the same, the introduction of a mixed palette lets individual items stand on their own and have personality. 

Q: What are your everyday responsibilities when working on a project?

A: What I love about what I do is both conjuring up the grand vision and laying the foundation of an interior and at the same time diving deep into the nuances that bring a space and its content to life. So a day can consist of rapid ideation sketches to pondering the perfect finish for a surface or the perfect trim for a pillow—every detail counts. 

Q: How do you work with a client to define their needs? What questions do you ask to determine the final look and feel of a space?

A: I think clients now more than ever have a very strong idea of what they want and who they are, they just don't know how to make it happen and bring it together. Thanks to the many avenues, clients have access to design styles; Pinterest, Houzz, Instagram. They often are well versed on where they want to go with an interior and seem to have compiled a vast collection of imagery. We also utilize an intense ‘Programming’ document that dives deep in the functional aspects of creating a custom home to ensure a space not only looks good but functions well. 

Q: What’s your absolute favorite area of a home to work on and why?

A: My favorite is a kitchen, it brings a high level of functional thought and then layering the aesthetics, that classic “form follows function,” it also blends technology and innovation and there are so many components that need to all work together. 

Q: Open concepts seem to be a preferred layout these days, what’s your take? Is this interior approach here to stay, or will builders and renovators eventually go back to the compartmentalized layout?

A: I think there is a movement to bring spaces back into a personal scale and create a more intimate layout. Also to have spaces that have a more specific function with privacy, so not all of the home feels like a common area. Adding some compartmentalization also allows rooms to have a different personality or vibe, small expressions of a client's potential alter egos. 

Q: Another trend that’s ever-changing -- hardware material. What do you vouch for - silver, gold, brass, matte black, or a mix?! 

A: Always a mix, but identifying one underlying finish, then juxtaposing that by mixing in some contrasting finish.

Q: Design decisions you think most people end up regretting?

A: Taking shortcuts. I understand everyone has a budget, but I always advocate to spend on the things that you will never go back and change, do it once and do it right, especially on architectural finishes or details that can’t easily be upgraded later. Create the ideal background and then begin the process of layering in your personality on top with furnishings. 

Q: Lastly, what’s your favorite project to date and why?

A: With 30 plus years of projects under my belt that’s a hard one, some of the smallest projects have been huge successes, the smallest of details count so much. Without being specific, my favorite projects are those when everyone on the team has a huge “buy-in” into the process and project and there are no egos; when clients, architect, builder, craftsmen and every specialist on a project gives 110% to collaborate and create a space that is truly remarkable and personalized. 

Head to MartinPatrick3.com to be inspired by more of their work! And don’t forget to check out their incredibly curated boutique in the North Loop neighborhood of Minneapolis.