Sparks of Nature

Ranging from neutral color palettes to classic comfort, these women are leaving their mark on the Wilmington design front.

There’s a variety of reasons one might enlist the help of an interior designer or stylist. Some look for help getting their Airbnb ready for guests who are looking for the perfect beach getaway, competing with other rentals on the island for bookings. Others might look for help decorating their forever home.

Three local women are contributing their design eyes and talents to the area’s scene with recent endeavors: MORGAN BRANDEMUEHL, KERIE LORD, and KATHARINE HARRIS. Among them, their styles range from colorful, bold, and eclectic to a more refined, high-end style.

Morgan Brandemuehl founded Brandy Haus Interiors in March 2023 after initially working on the marketing side of architecture and finding a love for interior design along the way.

After moving to Wilmington in September 2022, she took the leap and started her own interior design business. Not only did it give her the chance to pursue her interior design dreams, but it also gave her a more flexible schedule to be with her kids.

“I’ve always had a personal passion for interior design,” says Brandemuehl. “About eight years ago, we were in Charlotte, and Beth Keim with Lucy and Company took me under her wing for three years, and I was her design assistant. She just taught me all the tricks of the trade, everything from designing to installs to procurement. She exposed me to different New York design markets, she took me to Philly, Atlanta. That’s where I kind of knew that this was going to be my new career move. I moved to Wilmington two years ago, and that was the perfect time to launch my own business since it was a fresh city, fresh start, and we knew we’d be planting roots here for a long time.”

Her other notable design achievements include working for House of Nomad, where she oversaw product development and helped develop and launch a wallpaper and textile line with Anthropologie.

Brandemuehl’s personal interior design style pulls more toward a neutral, more modern palette. She often leans into more modern fixtures and mixing modern elements with earthy and organic elements. A lot of her color palettes include olives and terracotta, colors that are commonly found in nature.

Some of her major influences are found in common settings: restaurants, Airbnbs, and magazines.

“Whenever I’m traveling or going out to eat, I’m looking for cool places to go,” Brandemuehl says. “I don’t like the plain Jane pieces. When we travel, I definitely try to find unique hotels or cool Airbnbs to get inspiration. I usually pick restaurants based on the decor, not the food.”

Brandemuehl’s favorite projects are those that include full-house designs versus just helping clients with one or two rooms. With full-house designs, she’s able to make everything one cohesive project.

“A few projects come to mind locally that have wanted me to help with pretty much the entire house, which is super fun for me because I can create this cohesive feel throughout the house,” she says. “The two clients that I’m talking about, they’ve been very trustworthy and allow me to bring in some playful textiles, playful prints, custom items. I love doing custom items. They’re not scared to push the envelope a little.”

Now that Brandemuehl’s about a year-and-a-half into her business, something she’s continually blown away by is the support she’s received from the community. She’s often able to lean on other designers and bounce ideas off each other as well as help give each other referrals.

“It’s a really neat entrepreneurial community that seems to all support each other,” she says. “I honestly feel like that’s been part of my success here, it’s just been a very supportive community.”

To view more of photographer and stylists Drewe & Kate’s work, go to dreweandkate.com

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