Mikell Rice Interiors
Helping an interior designer make her brand a home
Brand Strategy / Brand Design — Washington, D.C.
Where Mikell Rice Began…
Before we started working together, Mikell Rice the “brand” didn’t exist. She was an interior designer working under the name Domestic Arts Interiors. And though it served her well for a time, she wanted something that felt more personal to her and more consistent to her clients. Interior design is very personal and to Mikell, it’s all about relationships. The name felt like a placeholder, like she was waiting to find her vision before creating a brand and business that felt just right to her and her clients. She wanted something intentional and thoughtful.
Where Mikell Rice Is Headed…
Because Mikell leads with relationships, she doesn’t stamp her own personal design aesthetic on the homes she works on. She wants to evoke feelings for her clients, emotions they communicate that they want to feel. So she gets to know them and creates a space for them that is in line with their vision, not hers. Half of her job is actually helping people find their own vision. Her own site needs to communicate that: that she’s for YOU, not for her own portfolio or style. We went into the brand design knowing we wanted to keep her ideal clients at the center of everything.
Brand Keywords
Elevated — Attentive — Adaptable — Relaxed
Target Audience
Abbey, 33 and Josh, 34 are a married couple who live in the DC area. They are parents to a 7-year-old girl and a 5-year-old boy, and an adorable black lab. Abbey works as a dentist, but shifted to part time after having kids. Josh works for a local tech start-up company. They both adore their jobs, but care deeply about being intentional and present when they’re home with their kids. They’ve recently purchased a new home that feels so “them” and they know they’ll stay in it for years to come, but they’re ready to invest in design that’s reflective of their family.
Visual Rationale
Mikell Rice Interiors puts relationships above everything. Her name in the logo is handcrafted in a customized serif font that’s approachable, yet established with an extra ode to the connection with her clients reflected in the R-i connection. The rest of the primary logo is inspired by the shape of an M, the texture and weavings of textiles and layers in a home, open space, and the weaving together of her expertise and her clients own style to create a home that’s personal and tailor-made for them.
In Mikell’s words
“Lydia was so much fun to work with. Not only is she vibrant and fun, she really knows what she's doing! I have an interior design business and also a young family, and Lydia made the process of working together SO easy! She really listened to what I wanted and where I am in my career and it is reflected in the amazing design she came up with. Having a real brand design/strategy has exploded my confidence in presenting myself as a professional. I would tell anyone and everyone to work with her. She's the best and I can't wait to work with her again!”