Molly is a Cincinnati native, with a passion for the creative process around interior design. With a background in art, Molly has built her business by listening to her clients and developing relationships with other professionals. She has solidified her place in interior design by developing systems and processes on pillars that ensure timely communication and ultimately client satisfaction.

Molly Lauer Design offers full service interior design for clients who value layered interiors. Our look is modern, rooted in wellness, and precisely shaped by the details of your taste, lifestyle and homes architecture. We are focused on collaborating with clients to create spaces that our clients can treasure and feel comfortable in. 

Molly loves interior design and values wellness, nature, sustainability, and mindset.  We understand how our spaces influence our mindset, and how our lifestyles and time in a space make those spaces sacred. We aim to make your home the most sacred place to you.

Full service interior design is a turn-key design experience that allows our clients to relax and know that we will handle everything from start to finish. Our team will handle all the details from research to selection, purchasing and coordinating to installation. Full service can apply to a single room or entire home. Some of our clients like to work in phases or do the whole home at once. Full service applies even if you already own some of the pieces we will use to complete your project. The full service design process includes:

• Consultation to get to know your needs and space
• Space planning
• Design conceptualization
• Renderings
• Interior/exterior selections
• Residential furnishings
• Remodeling assistance and management
• New build assistance and management
• Art consultation and selection
• Project management
• Accessories and styling

We do charge a non-refundable fee for our initial in-home consultation prior to booking. Because we are blocking out a specific time on our calendar and traveling to your home to assess the space, make recommendations, give solid design advice and direction, and put together a Fee Proposal for you.

Most clients understand that this is a minimal cost compared to not calling in a professional from the beginning and possibly end up making costly mistakes. Clients have thanked us for the information and guidance that they receive during our consultation, and for them, it is absolutely worth the small investment into making their home one that they can be proud of.

Some professionals do not charge for consultations, however, these meetings are typically more brief and do not allow for the development of a full scope of work, and therefore will not provide you with accurate pricing for your project.

The consultation is a paid, working meeting for up to two hours in your home. Following the initial discovery call, if MLD and the client feel that we are prospectively a good fit, MLD will invoice the client for the consultation fee, which is due within 48 hours of booking and non-refundable. 

The consultation is a working meeting, during which we will provide you with valuable feedback and guidance. We will start with a tour of your home to understand how you live and function on a day to day basis. We discuss your style and lifestyle needs, your vision (and ours), your budget (we help you estimate one if you are unsure), timeframe based on scope, manage your expectations about the process (the good and the not-so-good things that can happen and how we resolve them), review our tried and true design process in more detail, and details about how we work, how we bill for our services and how we manage every detail of your project. We will use your wants and needs to develop a budget and a scope of work that will allow us to accurately calculate our design fee for the project. We will make recommendations to ensure we develop a scope of work that will allow us to transform your space to meet your goals.

What is not provided in the initial consultation: formal drawings, full design plans or floorplans.

In a nutshell, upon initial contact we will gather as much information as possible about your needs and desires for the space. We then schedule a design consultation, you can think of this as the project kickoff. The design consultation is a paid, working meeting for up to two hours in your home. We come to see the space in person, listen to your ideas and vision, discuss the design process and provide you with solid ideas and a direction for your project. We will email you a Fee Proposal within 3-5 business days following the consultation, outlining the scope of work, the estimated number of hours to complete your project, the minimum estimated design fee, and the advance on our design fee required to get started. Once the advance on our design fee has been paid, that signals the start of the project. We will send an intake questionnaire. At the completion of that, we will schedule to return for measurements, begin to assemble trades to acquire quotes, and work on the comprehensive design plan. Every detail is accounted for – drawings, furnishings, finishes, fabrics, and the budget breakdown for final approval. One revision is included. We require 100% of the total budget and signing of the Furnishings Proposal to move forward with the purchasing and project management phase. It helps if all the decision makers are present at the initial meeting, to receive everyone’s input and vision for the space. Determining your budget is a key component, so be prepared to talk about an overall budget range. If you need help setting a budget, we are happy to guide you through the process of establishing one. We like to set expectations from the very beginning and therefore we will discuss your vision, your budget, your timeframe, how we work, and our fee structure at the initial meeting.

We do offer many options that are customized to the individual needs of each client and the space we are designing. This includes upholstery, drapery, bedding, and finishes on case goods. Custom touches help give a space the uniqueness most clients desire. Of course, not everything has to be custom. We work with a lot of trade vendors and would be happy to incorporate ready-made items into your design. Keep in mind that custom does not automatically mean more expensive. Regardless of whatever route you choose, we guarantee that the finished design will be personalized to suit your lifestyle and your taste.

Once an item is approved by our clients and paid for, the order is placed to the vendor and is not able to be cancelled. This is especially true for custom orders. These require extra time, special handling, and skilled artisans to create a unique piece just for you, and for that reason manufacturers will not cancel custom orders. Stocked items can be cancelled but typically a restocking fee is charged. These fees range from 15% to 35% depending on vendor.

We will discuss upfront how you prefer to work, and craft the scope of work with that in mind. We enjoy working with all personalities where some clients like to be very hands-on and involved in the process, or some who prefer to entrust everything into our very capable hands. We have found through years of experience, that the design process runs smoother, and your design dollars go further, when we fully manage the project after learning your needs and desires for your home. We value our clients’ ideas and input which ensures that the space will reflect your style and lifestyle. We will present you with great choices and options, make recommendations and guide you through decisions while educating you in the process. We strive to make the process simple and fun for our clients. We take a very personal approach, and make it an enjoyable collaboration. We find the best design is achieved when clients trust us to guide them through the design process.

Great question! Many clients don’t realize that they should hire an interior designer from the start. From the time you even begin to dream about your new home or renovation to your existing home, the help and guidance of an interior designer will be the best investment you will ever make. Even if you have an architect drawing up the plans, we can work with them to make sure your home meets your needs for your lifestyle, style, and routines. 

Your architect is responsible for things like how your home sits on the lot, the exterior and the room layouts. They typically work from the industry standards and don’t always consider how you will live daily in your home and how your furnishings will fit in the big picture. 

Your builder or remodeler is responsible for executing the plans that are already drawn up, and they typically don’t handle anything to do with the design of your home or the materials selected. Even if they have a dedicated design center or partner, a lot of your lifestyle needs are not typically accounted for. 

In hiring in us, we will review the plans to make sure they work for you way beyond the construction phase. We will select all the materials for you, make site visits during construction to ensure materials installations and layouts are being executed according to plan. The ideal situation is to work alongside your team, as a team with a common goal of making your house a home for you. Our goal is to create your dream home that will not just be beautiful, but will function for your needs and be comfortable and inviting. So, the short answer is, hire a designer right away!

Depending on the scope of work, your project could last anywhere from 12 weeks to 24 weeks – longer if there is construction and remodeling involved. We will discuss the timeframe upfront with you before the project begins. We have options for rush service and will be happy to accommodate your needs. Rush services usually will result in higher design fees and higher product and administrative fees.

We have clients from all walks of life – from young professionals moving into their first apartment or home, to empty-nesters getting ready to downsize, career-driven individuals, bachelors, bachelorettes, public figures, families with young children, and every other lifestyle imaginable. The common thread is that they all desire a home that will be their sanctuary; one that will complement their lifestyle and taste. Regardless of what season you are in your life, we would be happy to work with you for your design needs. 

The clients that we work best with are clients who see value in the creative process, and value the experience, expertise and processes of a professional design team. They are typically clients who will trust us to do what we do best. They are decisive and ready to take action. They are willing to invest in what they truly want their home to look and feel like. They understand the value of high quality design work.

While we have a definite design point of organic and modern leaning interiors, we also pride ourselves on our flexibility and ability to produce the right design for our clients. Many of our clients are drawn to the organic/modern interiors we typically create, but we draw from our clients, the type of home and the location of the home for inspiration in order to create bespoke interiors for each individual client.

Definitely, yes. In fact, we encourage clients to incorporate some of the treasured pieces that they already own. We respect our clients’ desire to repurpose and reuse pieces as much as possible, and this aligns with our values of putting the client first and sustainable design.

With that said, we are also very honest about what works and what doesn’t – for example if a piece is just too big for the room, we will recommend moving it to another room where it might work better.

Molly Lauer Design is in the greater Cincinnati area and happily serves clients locally and beyond.

While we technically don’t have a defined minimum product budget for your project, a very important part of the value that we bring to you is to help you develop a budget. We advise you of what the ideal investment range could be for your project during our initial conversations. Of course, we cannot know what that actual budget will be until we begin the design process. 

We understand the importance of having a defined spending plan from the very beginning, and we take pride in helping our clients realize their design vision at a price point that works for them. We find that a typical starting point for any room for a full service project would be around $20,000. 

Our approach is that we want to design your grand vision. This means that our focus is on the ideal design that will address all your needs first and foremost, and then we focus on the budget. As we create the design plan for your grand vision, we are very careful to keep the budget range we discussed in mind, but we still design with the creative freedom that is required to produce our best work for you. This means that we will show you the perfect solution for your home even if it takes you beyond the budget range we estimated. We can then discuss the direction we want to go from there and we will guide you every step of the way to ensure the integrity of our initial design remains intact. 

Because each project is unique, we need time to discuss your vision for the project and create the scope of work, after which we will be happy to prepare an Interior Design Fee Estimate Proposal for you.

We present our design fee as a flat fee, but it is based on an hourly model. This means that we estimate the total number of hours we believe will be required to complete your project. This way, you know upfront what your overall fees will likely be. Any overage from our initial estimate are billed at our standard hourly rate.

Although these fees are estimated upfront, staying within the scope typically will not result in increases. You will be informed about the hours used during the design process. Our minimum design fee (regardless of hours) for a full service project is $4500.

Our payment options are checks, credit cards and cash.

We work with our clients in several different capacities when they are undergoing a renovation or new build project. We will discuss upfront the scope of work and our deliverables so we are on the same page. We will advise you about what the right steps should be to ensure the best result for your project. 

While we do not provide general contracting services on new builds and renovations – that is, coordinating all the trades people and materials, we do prefer to handle the project oversight to make sure the designs we provide are being carried out as they were designed by us. Project oversight is a very important part of a well executed project, and we encourage our clients to allow us to remain involved in this phase. This will take a lot off your plate so you don’t end up with decision fatigue.

We make several site visits during the project, communicate with the GC and report back to you. We are sure to observe installation practices, site conditions and verify that the correct materials are being installed. This requires attention to detail, familiarity with execution of good design and great communication skills. 

The seemingly minute details are the things that will make or break the design and how you will use your space long after construction is over. Things like tile transitions, curb heights, tile layouts, electrical and plumbing placements, trim and cabinet details and much more. These decisions often require quick answers to keep the project moving forward. 

While we provide detailed drawings to make sure everyone understands what to do, jobsite questions are to be expected. Let us handle that for you.

We always strive to make the design process easy and fun for our clients. A major part of what we do for you as your designer is we source all the beautiful and unique materials for your home, along with all the great furnishings to create that fully finished home, with all the gorgeous layers that will be just your style. 

But we also act as your retailer. Instead of designing a beautiful space for you and then handing you the plans to go off and do your own purchasing and managing of all the small details, we do that all for you. You’re going to buy furniture anyway, so we do require that all the furnishings that will be purchased for your project be done through us. That way we can manage and control all the fine details and issues that come up with the procurement phase.

We have cultivated relationships with our trusted suppliers, vendors, artisans and trades people in every product/service category imaginable, who value our business and will offer us the best service and pricing. We take great pride in being able to offer more quality items and guide you on how to identify these items.

When you purchase your furniture through us, pricing is competitive. At the design presentation meeting, you are presented the full budget breakdown for every piece of furniture we are purchasing for you. This way you have a very good understanding of what you are paying for every item. Any adjustments that you request are made on detailed spreadsheets and presented to you for approval. Nothing is ordered until you approve, sign off and pay the deposit required. We make the process of ordering through our firm very clear and transparent for you.

Our team is fully equipped to manage all the issues that may come up with purchasing, logistics, storage of your furnishings to final installation and styling in your home. You don’t have to lift a finger when you work with us. We guide you through the initial design decisions and then we fully execute the design for you, down to the light bulbs and candlesticks.

Of course we are happy to incorporate pieces you already own into your design as much as we can, as long as they work.

Your comfort and pleasure is always at the forefront of our minds, and we understand that sometimes you may want to see and sit in the pieces before we order. We want to honor that as much as possible, but since we are not a furniture showroom, we will most likely not have pieces for you to sit and test before we order. 

What you can rely on is that we establish relationships with quality trade vendors and we take the time to learn all about their product lines, so we know how the products we specify are made and can guide you through the features and benefits of each product.

We also visit markets twice per year, to see, touch and feel these products on behalf of our clients, so we have a very good idea of what they look like and how they sit.

If sitting in an upholstered piece is an absolute must for you, we will try our best to source from a local trade showroom and have them handle the logistics. This can sometimes create issues in and of itself, but we would manage that process through to delivery. Keep in mind that most showrooms do not stock all their upholstery frames, and even if they do, you are likely not buying the one you actually sat in. They will be ordering from their suppliers just like we would.

We take the time to understand what your specific needs are in an upholstered piece – how deep, how high, how tall, the cushion type etc, to help make the best decision with you.

We understand that we are embarking on a project that will last quite a few months – maybe years if it is a new build. Therefore it is important that we get to know each other and establish trust. 

Trust, great listening skills and communication are very important to us, and we strive for that from the onset.

We begin the process with a discovery call for up to 30 minutes, where we will learn more about the project scope and what your “grand vision” is. We will then meet for a consultation in your home, where we get to understand your lifestyle, how you want to live in your home, how you want it to feel, what is important to you and your family now and in the future.

The consultation is a comprehensive session where we provide a lot of value, but we keep it fairly laid back and organic, and allow you to open up about what your ideal home would be.

Of course, we share a lot of information on our website, blog posts and social media, and our design work should give you a good idea of the types of projects we have worked on in the past. Our great testimonials speak of the outstanding relationships we have built with our clients, many of whom are repeat clients or referrals. 

We are our clients’ biggest advocates, and when you hire us, you save time and money. You don’t have to lift a finger because we take care of it all for you.

In our practice, we focus on good design and the expertise and value that we bring as design professionals to your project. Because our business model is that we are your interior design service provider, as well as your retailer, we do offer the best pricing possible to our clients. Our pricing model is that we will always offer products at less than the manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) on full service projects.

Your home is quite possibly the biggest purchase you will ever make. Decorating your home helps to increase its value and is usually well worth the investment. Statistics show that a well decorated home will sell faster and for top dollar. Your home is where you likely spend the most time; investing in a space that creates balance and harmony in your life is a great investment in your well being. 

Reach out to us to discuss your project scope and we can guide you through the right decisions you should be making to make it a great investment.

Because we are not general contractors, we do not hire the sub-contractors who will carry out our designs in your home. You are responsible for hiring all the trades people involved, and making sure they have proper documentation and are qualified to do the work. Trades people include general contractors, architects, builders, remodelers, building designers, plumbers, electricians, wallpaper hangers, painters, handymen, installers, faux finishers, re-upholsterers, audio/video/security installers, landscape architects, carpenters, fabricators, tile-setters, other flooring installers. We will happily meet with the contractors and sub-contractors you hire to review our design plans, drawings, materials and other specifications. Your trades people are responsible for verifying all dimensions before beginning work.

In the event that you don’t have contractors, or you don’t have the time to research, we will provide you with a list of trades people that we may or may not have worked with in the past. It is your responsibility to interview them and ensure they are properly vetted before signing a contract and paying for their services. We act as your advisor and will assist you, if needed with what questions to ask and points to cover in your meetings with trades people. We can even attend the initial meeting upon request. We will not be interviewing the trades people on your behalf, but instead will discuss design concepts and their feasibility, and will later advise you of our observations and expert opinion based on that meeting. We include as part of our service, 2 meetings with each trades person to review our design plan and materials specifications.

We hire trades and artisans responsible for custom window treatments and installation, custom bedding, and custom upholstery (not re-upholstery)

We are happy to work with your contractors and subcontractors. We will do our part to provide detailed information and communicate with them at every stage of the process.

Because we have your best interest at heart, we will also assist you with onboarding contractors if you don’t already have ones you trust. This means that we will refer some of the contractors that we have vetted and have long standing business relationships with, or help you identify and interview new contractors. 

We will educate you on the right questions to ask, what licenses and documentation you should look for, provide them with the detailed scope of work and review estimates.

Our goal is to make the process of working with a contractor easy and stress-free.

We like to call it THE BIG DAY! because it is truly what we are all working towards. There is a lot that happens before we get to the big day and we coordinate everything behind the scenes.

By the time we get to installation day, all your beautiful wallpaper, millwork, painting, draperies, and light fixtures are already installed.

As you may already know, all the furnishings go to our warehouse and arrive with white glove delivery,  carefully placed in your home by our team and then styled to perfection for the big reveal.

A few weeks before the big day, we will reach out to schedule. We will send an installation day letter that details what to expect and how to prepare.

We will coordinate for furnishings that we need to move out, organization or cleaning needs. The final balance is collected at this time.

We ask that our clients not be home during installation, and animals put away, because your home will be a bit of a major staging area before it gets pretty. We try to move quickly through the installation to get you back into your home as quickly as possible. Installation typically takes 1-2 days. 

We strive for the big HGTV moment, with all vignettes are styled to perfection down to the candlesticks!

You can reach out to us and book a free 30 minute discovery session. We are happy to answer your questions and explain briefly about the design process. We can then decide on a mutual date and time to meet in your home for the initial consultation. If you have been collecting any ideas about your style and preference, please feel free to share them with us. Discuss your ideas with your spouse or other decision makers. It also helps to determine what you would like to spend on your project and the timeframe for completion. 

You can start the process by completing our contact form here.