Marlene Dennis Design

Marlene is creative, insightful and has amazing taste. She is imsginative and resourceful. Positive and enjoyable to work with. Highly Recommend.

Marlene was referred to me by a colleague who spoke highly of both her design skills and level of service. Based on that recommendation, I retained her for the interior design of my new farm house. My new home exceeds my expectations in every respect; she improved the space plan immeasurably and the material selections are both timeless and appropriate. As well, she partnered with me and the contractor to ensure selections were made timely and the materials were delivered to the jobsite as required. The end result is a home that reflects my interests and lifestyle - but is far more tasteful and creative than an engineer like myself could ever have accomplished. In addition to her amazing style is the extent and level of her services. Marlene handled every detail of furnishing (mixing in what i was bringing from my previous home) to artwork, rugs and pool furniture. Move in was both efficient and seamless. Simply put, I’m delighted with the results and highly recommend Marlene Dennis Design.

Marlene worked with us to design the interior of our new-construction single family house. She is a pleasure to work with and truly transformed our house into a home. She helped me choose beautiful colors and finished throughout our house and managed all tasked to completion seemlessly. She also managed a sizable construction project in our kitchen and the installation of extensive millwork (including two large built-ins) throughout our home. I can't count the number of people who have asked us if our house was a model home. It is the perfect combination of beautiful and livable. We are very pleased that we had the good fortune of meeting Marlene and I would recommend her without hesitation.

Marlene designed and installed the interiors for our two award-winning community centers and pool houses at Willowsford, Virginia. In addition, she assisted with the furnishing of our two information centers, which have also received awards for architecture and interiors. The historically inspired community buildings are both approximately 10,000 square feet and contain teaching kitchens as well as elaborate outdoor entertainment spaces. One of the buildings houses a commercial gym. By integrating repurposed materials from the site and adding historic design elements typical of farmsteads and manors in rural Loudoun County, Marlene created a sense of authenticity and permanence in these buildings that is simply masterful. The buildings feel luxurious, warm, and inviting while adapting to special dinners, large events and activities that are carried out day-to-day. It is very difficult to create a sense of "home" and uniqueness in commercial buildings, however Marlene accomplished this in spades at Willowsford. She is a terrific designer with keen intelligence, a respect for architecture and place, and a knack for finding exactly the right finish, furniture, or artwork. I especially appreciated her humor and ability to work with our multi-disciplinary team to implement our vision.

I worked with Marlene to decorate my three bedroom home, starting with very little furniture. Marlene was an enormous relief to my decorating anxieties! After a consultation, she very quickly picked up my tastes, preferences, and was able to identify quickly what samples I might like the most. By the third visit, she had me completely figured out! I appreciated her thoughful view for the entire view and helping me visualize how the fabrics, patterns, and colors may all go together once installed. She was also extremely good in helping me think through choices to fit my lifestyle. Beyond good taste (as you would hope for in a designer!) Marlene was a styling godsend to me. I had never decorated anything before and left to my own, I may have ended up with an exact replicate of the Pottery Barn catuloge. Marlene helped me pull together different vague ideas about colors/styles I like and made it very cohesive. My budget was ~$40k, and Marlene stayed well within that, and offered a range of options at different price points. Since I was doing more than one room, we took a walk through identifying the "must have" items first to acquire first, then filling in the rest as we went. I appreciated that I never felt "priced out" of something; when I did see an item I liked but couldn't afford, Marlene found an alternative that was true to the original. In fact, my favorite item (a watercolor ikat Stark rug) was one I would have never known to look for or known how to style, but Marlene sourced it on discount. Her sourcing skills are strong! I loved the quality of the items - many of these items I feel will move seamlessly through different phases of life, and still look and hold up better than larger, well-known commercial brands. Finally, being that I was working non-stop during that time, she also was truly "full-service." Marlene's done much larger projects on far larger budgets than my own, but I still felt like I was getting her full attention and care. Marlene adjusted her schedule to meet me on the weekends when I was free and received and installed all of the deliveries on her own with the key I gave her. I would strongly recommend Marlene Dennis Design to anyone.

Marlene Dennis Design was an invaluable resource throughout the entirety of my project -- from architectural drawings, through construction, material selection, furniture planning and purchasing, move-in and all of the details of finishing and styling my weekend house, and other farm buildings (stable common areas and office, guest house. I have since engaged her services to update and enhance my city house with new paint colors, select furniture, art, and kitchen design. Marlene herself handled every task, with exceptional organization, promptness, and attention to detail. She worked very well with my other advisors (builder, architect, etc), and was available at all hours to suit my schedule. Her recommendations were always cost-sensitive, but tasteful and incorporating the finest quality materials and design. She provided many options to consider, providing design advice while drawing out and matching my specific tastes. The results are gorgeous and beyond my expectations.

My husband and I retained Marlene to assist with the design of our new home, and we're thrilled with the final results. Architecturally, Marlene finessed the interior spaces with a unique touch that was unlike anything we had imagined; the rooms are proportionate, cohesive and exciting. The material selections were tasteful and appropriate, but more importantly, Marlene respected our personal style and pulled all of our disparate choices together to create something far greater than each individual part. Upon completion of construction, Marlene helped us with furnishings, rugs, artwork and accessories. We couldn't be happier with our new home and are so thankful for Marlene's guidance.

Marlene has been helping us decorate a new custom home for several months. She understands our tastes and has helped us create a warm, welcoming environment with pieces we never could have found on our own. My husband and I are very happy with the results.

We hired Marlene upon the closing of our home purchase to oversee the renovation needed prior to our moving in. She managed the entire project in a timely and professional manner. When the basics were completed, we were able to move in and continue working with her on the finishing touches. Her ability to coordinate the entire project was outstanding, and a great experience all around. She was incredibly easy to work with, and her great taste and good judgment eliminated the angst often associated with moving.

I worked with Marlene on the remodeling of two bathrooms in my home and continue to work with her on the rest of the home. In addition, I work with her on behalf of a mutual client that's a residential development with exceptional details and character. When "Willowsford" asked me to recommend a designer, I knew that Marlene would be perfect and she is. Marlene has impeccable taste, is very creative and has terrific contacts for getting all of the right materials and furnishings. She delivers on time, has a very high work ethic. I can't say enough great things about her and her abilities. She's able to easily transition in style from modern to formal historic and everything in between.

We have worked with Marlene Dennis on two projects, most recently the design and construction of a custom home from start to finish. Marlene was involved in every step of the process, including the architectural drawing phase, laying out lighting, selecting materials, and furnishing our new home. She was thorough and very detail-oriented throughout the process, and has a great eye for color and cohesive design. We look forward to working with Marlene again in the future!

Marlene did a great job defining our vision for our house in Florida. She is a keen listener that transformed our requests with excellent suggestions from the furniture and other vendors that we selected to meeting the style that looked best in our house from a design perspective. Her attention to detail and follow up were excellent. She is a true pleasure to work with. We would definitely recommend her!