The Decorating Therapist - Columbia, Maryland

Kelly Medinger

Carol is an extraordinary designer with a warm and welcoming approach to design. I have relied on her professional skills for projects large (like a complete basement renovation) and small (like picking out a new rug for my living room). She has the natural ability to do her job exceedingly well, be resourceful with what you already have, and make you feel good about every choice that gets made. I've loved working with her for nearly 10 years now... if I could give her more than five stars I would!

Dawn Ledbetter

Carol truly is the design therapist. She completely redesigned our house, making the most beautiful selections, and she made it so easy and enjoyable. She is the consummate professional; extremely skilled, responsive and simply a pleasure with whom to work. I can’t recommend her highly enough and, in fact, she’ll be designing our next house out of state!

Homeowner Maryland

Carol is easy to work with.
She was a valuable and patient ally in coordinating household moves for our family’s unique needs
Worked hard to keep furnishing prices down. Making good use of consignment shops for buying “like new” cabinetry and non-upholstered furniture. Classy and economical.
Worked closely with our builder in assuring that the options we chose were well coordinated, and changes were minimized and that we were getting good value for our money.
Developed an excellent color scheme when it came time to paint.

Betty Crader

WOW, she did it again. I had Carol help me decorate my upstairs several years ago. I wasn't sure what I wanted. Carol and I discussed several ideas. I was insecure about my abilities. Carol took me shopping for kitchen counter tops. We went to 3 places, so many choices. The end result was my beautiful upstairs and even better, my confidence Had grown.
Our house was so beautiful that the Baltimore Sun did an article with many pictures of our beautiful rooms.
My next project just finished. This time the basement. It too is wonderful, cozy and beautiful. Sorry this is so long. Working and learning from Carol is a pleasure.
Do not hesitate to call on the Decorating Therapist and the talented Carol.

Shelagh Cole

I can't say enough great things about Carol. She truly is The Decorating Therapist. It was such a relief to say to her, I need help, please fix this! And she did... She walked into my 1920's row house and within hours we had a plan that incorporated my taste and vision (art deco/mid-century modern) and my budget. She's THE BEST at picking paint colors - she was able to look at the space and choose a color palette that tied the whole place together for a clean but dramatic look. Something I never could have accomplished myself. We had such fun incorporating some of my pieces and scouting out new things (again that worked with my budget) that will make my living room, dining room, and kitchen the envy of the block. I can't wait to continue the process with Carol. 5 stars for this amazing professional!

Diane Batchik

We've worked with Carol for years now, on projects large & small across multiple homes. She's creative, inventive, and absolutely passionate about her profession, but able to keep an eye on how design will actually function in real life. She's also great to bounce ideas off of, listens to client wishes/issues/preferences, and is expert at envisioning how color and pattern will come together into a cohesive whole. She knows sources & vendors for just about everything, and has gone to bat for us in interfacing with subcontractors in order to get the job done.

Leslie Hoffmeister

I have worked with Carol extensively over the last six years. She learned what my taste was, then created beautiful spaces for me. She has such an eye for design; I cannot begin to estimate the hours and dollars she has saved me through the years!

Carol was first introduced to me when I was doing a major renovation and addition on my home. She was there every step of the way, helping with kitchen layout, bathroom design, paint colors and style, etc. She even made suggestions in the stud phase of the construction that would improve the end-product dramatically.

Once the construction was complete, she did all of the decorating, starting with what I already owned and wanted to keep, then built from there. I like to move slowly on the process so I can see how each step looks before moving onto the next. She was very patient with me, and met my timeframe. When I let the ball drop, she was there to check in with me without ever pressuring.

I have since moved to a new, much smaller space. Carol was my first call. I wanted to try something new, so she worked with me creating that new feel. She did all of my decorating again, and this time also helped me choose frames and matting for a number of art pieces, then hung them all for me in tasteful groupings. She also gave me advice on which plants would serve my new space the best. My timeframe was much quicker this time, and she was incredibly flexible with her schedule to meet my timelines.

Carol has a wealth of knowledge and experience in all things related to the home. She does an amazing job working with the homeowner’s style, budget and timeframe. I highly recommend her!

Donna Resnick

Carol is creative, and original, but able to understand your personal taste and needs. She worked on window treatments in our home in Eldersburg, then assisted with room arrangements at our home in Columbia, and also consulted on the design for our current home in Delaware. I love working with her!