Customer Spotlight: Michelle Ouellette

Revel wouldn’t be what it is without the people that have supported my small business and allowed me to have a creative outlet for my passion for design and vintage. I have made some amazing connections through this online business and met some wonderful people that are living out their purpose whether it be vintage resellers, architects, or interior designers. The amount of support amongst the design community is incredible. And to some extend it does not surprise me; creatives have a strong love of beauty that unites them in a mycorrhizal network sort of way.

Each of these connections, whether made through the purchase of one of my vintage pieces or connecting through Instagram and sharing advice about navigating the treacherous waters of social media marketing - are a unique opportunity connect, learn, and be inspired.

I want to use this blog to highlight some of these individuals and share their talents, stories, and unique perspectives.

Meet Michelle Ouellette.

Michelle is a New England architect, designer and owner of Woolfall Architecture + Interiors, a full-service architectural design studio based in Lowell, Massachusetts. Michelle’s work has been featured in Boston Home Magazine, the Boston Globe, Remodelista, the New York Times, and awarded by the Boston Society of Architects.

Michelle purchased a pair of Chinese woven porcelain Dehua vases from Revel in 2022 and tagged me in a post of them styled in her moody Lowell loft. Once the headquarters of J.C. Ayer Co., an apothecary and patent medicine manufacturing company in the late 1800’s, Loft 408 is Michelle’s design experimentation playground, filled with antiques, natural objects, and collected art set against dark lime wash walls. Oh and a brown pet bunny named Sylvie that roams the space almost as if part of the design plan.

I had the opportunity to interview Michelle and pick her brain on the role of sustainability in architecture and interior design, her personal design aesthetic and where she sources antique/vintage pieces for her herself and her design clients.

What do you want people to know about you: Your life, your future goals, what drives you, your personal background?

Well, I recently founded my own design firm after 13 years practicing in architecture. Starting a business was a big goal of mine, now ticked off! I’m really enjoying having my hands in all parts of Woolfall, drawing the drawings, collaborating with clients, designing, marketing, even accounting. Currently, most of my work is full-service design work to homeowners; I love that close collaboration with someone, dreaming up where they live. Investing in more real estate is in my future, the renovation itch never really goes away! I grew up in New England, and with one brief sojourn outside the region to go to college, I’ve always lived here. We have such talented craftspeople and builders – there’s a history to both the buildings and therefore the construction industry that as both a long time resident and an architect has deeply influenced me.

What inspired you to pursue a career in architecture, and how did you develop an interest in interior design?

My sister and I were lucky enough to go on a school trip to Italy in high school. Seeing the art, culture, and buildings that were art in and of themselves in Europe was eye-opening. That experience, and then years later looking for a college major that was both left brain and right brain, architecture just drew me in. Practicing architecture as a young professional, the interiors are where the people are – all the things they touch and use day to day. It felt natural to me to design that too, more holistic, that early interest grew and grew until I found myself practicing both architecture and interiors. I had great mentors early on, both architects and interior designers, who encouraged the fusion.

How would you describe your personal interior design style?How does it make you feel?

I take a lot of pride in designing for a client’s taste, bringing out the best of what they like and helping them synthesize it – with a little overlay of my own aesthetic. My home is where I get to be unapologetically me, which I find very calming. My personal aesthetic is textural, natural, neutral (but not white), bit moody, moments of contrast. Not afraid of dark paint! In my professional design work, I’m often trying to pick everything to hit a construction deadline, in my own home I get to be lazier and leave a corner empty until I find the perfect piece. Then when you do find it – so fulfilling!

What are some of your favorite pieces in your home and how/where did you source these? 

I love found things. whether that’s antique and vintage or scavenged from nature. I inherited my Nana’s collection of white ironstone water pitchers – that kicked off an antique/vintage collection that’s grown over the years. From finds on Instagram (from Revel Interiors!), to local antique stores, Etsy, family’s basements, the Cape Cod beaches, showroom samples, random patches of woods….you name it. Combining those objects with more contemporary furniture I think makes for a beautiful, rich, unique space. I just bought a set of Hans Frydendal Cleopatra dining chairs from Aatic in Maine to go with my Saarinen Tulip table. Both that table and the Castiglioni Cocoon pendant were lucky showroom floor sample purchases – keep for a lifetime design classics that I got discounted due to a couple dings. And a recent purchase I’m in love with is a large antique Chinese wine jug from Curated Studio here in MA. Designers tend to have champagne taste, beer budget so antiques and vintage pieces are a great way to get often amazing quality at a lower cost. Plus, professional designers have some good sources that reach out with sales if your patient!

What drew you to the pieces you purchased from Revel Interiors?

I have two wicker chairs from my parents that are older than I am - the creakiness they make when dad comes over and settles into one is so nostalgic as they’ve been in every home we’ve lived in. The woven Chinese Dehua vases purchased from Revel Interiors reminded me of them – delicate, crafted, soft curves. I’m constantly moving them around the loft, they’re living in a featured windowsill position right now!

How do you balance aesthetic considerations with functionality in your interior design choices?

My space is not big (700 SF) so almost everything is at least a little functional (maybe not the random branches and bones and shells!). The building is an 1880’s pharmaceutical company, brick outside with wood post and beam, so I’m blessed with high ceilings that I try to use every cubic inch of with adjustable shelving (from Rakks, a local MA company). I buy a lot of vintage glassware, silver, ceramics, and porcelain that I display as well as use daily. Multifunction is even better, like the woven vases from Revel Interiors that are decorative during the day and are also the perfect candle holders in the evening. Strangely, a major influence on my current aesthetic is owning a pet rabbit – no wood furniture allowed as she chews it! I blame her for my growing collection of chew-proof vases and vessels.

What role does sustainability play in your architectural and interior design projects?How do you incorporate vintage/repurposed items into your designs?

GREAT question. One of the reasons I ended up filling the middle space between architecture and interior design – there’s nothing greener than reusing or renovating an existing building, a sentiment I very much agree with. Even when I design a new house or addition, I talk with clients about making it work through the decades, as they age, as their family ages, as their careers shift. I also work hard to limit hallways and random dead ends in a floor plan, making every bit of floor area useable. I’ve had the pleasure of working on historic homes here in Massachusetts, so the whole house is in a way repurposed – keeping the historical elements intact wherever possible, while working with craftspeople to adapt homes to a specific client’s lifestyle, and sometimes undoing not so sensitive prior renovations. One of my first questions to clients is about what pieces they currently have that they know they want to use again in their new space. Frequently those beloved pieces are art, or a vintage light fixture, or a collection of family heirlooms. Bringing more vintage furniture and objects in is a natural fit when you’re already designing with reuse in mind.

Do you have any recommendations for other vintage resellers that you have come across that you would like to share?

I’m always interested in any bit of history of where something comes from. If the aesthetic of an object is what initially grabs my attention, it tends to be the story behind an object (age, regional style, history) that holds it. I occasionally like to go to a market or yard sale myself, but boy is it musty, dusty work sometimes. I like when resellers share the behind-the-scenes sourcing - I appreciate vintage resellers ability to do the digging!

Are you currently taking on clients?If someone is looking for an architect/designer how can they get in touch with you?

Yes, I am currently taking on clients and projects and would love to co-create a space that is a representation of their specific sense of home and unique interests.

You can see my full portfolio of work on our website or connect through any of the channels below:

Website: www.woolfall.llc

Email: michelle@woolfall.llc

Instagram: @woolfall.llc @ouellette.mrae

Phone: (978) 501-6814