As local business owners and brand photographers, we get to meet a lot of really cool entrepreneurs. Like, so cool that we realized that we wanted to share some of them with you! Our first local business feature is the amazingly smart and kind Meaghan O'Neil Of M.A.O. Design based in Bedford, NH. After taking M.A.O. Design’s brand photos, we really wanted to feature her! Luckily for us, she was able to take time out of her very busy schedule to be interviewed for our blog! 

Meaghan and her team are insanely passionate and talented, which shows in all their beautiful work. We loved sitting down with Meaghan, and we know you will too! 

We wanted you to read the interview like you were talking to Meaghan, so we kept the format in a question and answer. (Her answers were edited for clarity.) We’d love for you to take a few minutes to read her story and check out her business by following her on the socials (linked below). 

Meet Meaghan and M.A.O. Design 

“What is M.A.O. Design, and how did you start your business?” 

I’ve worked in the design industry for 19 years in commercial and hospitality design. In the last year, I decided to make a big change, to leave the hospitality design industry and focus solely on my own design company, M.A.O Design. 

M.A.O. Design has two main departments; renovations; residential/commercial and staging; occupied/vacant. I now have two incredibly talented designers working for me, and each one heads up a department. 

Serving the Greater Boston and New Hampshire Communities 

“Why did you choose to start your business?”

I want to make an impact on individuals' lives in a positive way. We work with families and businesses to create environments that benefit their everyday lives, make life easier for them and their families, and just bring happiness and joy. 

Who Does M.A.O Design Serve?

“Who do you work with?” 

We work with both residential and commercial clients. Really, we’re open to working with anyone starting that initial process of creating their space. We help them find their identity and design a space that speaks to what they want to do and who they are as a company or family.

We love working with the small business community and are looking to connect with any new restaurant owners, new retail owners, or even new business owners.  Our team can support the business in identifying its brand and how they want customers and employees to feel in the space, then bringing that vision to life.

We're also trying to grow our staging department. Our process collaborates with the realtor or developer and brings a cohesive strategy throughout our time together. We love connecting with any local realtors and builders!

Our team is always trying to look at the best ways to use a space and speak to the home's architecture. We want to be the most efficient in what we're putting into the space, whether that's the furniture, accessories, and art so that it’s a seamless process.
 

M.A.O. Design Service Process

“What does it look like working with you?”

There’s so much that goes into our design process. Here’s our very basic 5-part framework for our partnership and how we create the perfect space for our clients. 

1. Initial Chat

Typically, we begin our partnership with an initial chat. This is a meet and greet, but also an opportunity to learn more about your needs, wants, and issues that have to be addressed. We ask a lot of questions and take a lot of notes about your project. 

2. Interview 

That interview process is where we can ascertain all of the different elements of the job. Once we get that initial interview with them, we’ll get the measurements of the building, take pictures and go back to our office and work on a schematic design. 

Sometimes our clients have specific ideas of what they want it to look like and how they want it to function, but other times they don’t. Either way, our team is ready to create a beautiful design for you. 

3. Presentation  

The presentation of the schematic process is how we show the client visually what we’re suggesting and how the space should be laid out in a conceptual realm. It won’t be the exact flooring or lighting but more a sense of what we would suggest for the space. Once we have the initial meeting of the schematic design, we go into more specific space planning. We will build the shell of the building, and we’ll do 3D schematics. 

We can take the concept and merge it with the reality of the space. Then the client can see in the renderings and floor plans. What it will look like eventually. In the next meeting, they can see further into the interpretation of their space and how it will work. The client will provide further comments, and we’ll do the renditions of the floor plans and 3D images. We get to a point where they tell us to go ahead, and then we get into the construction documentation. 

4. Facilitate

We then send it to the contractor, and they can implement the changes and design. We provide an index of items where we lay out everything in the space that has to be purchased. We can either make the purchases, or the homeowner makes the purchases, and then it’s installed. 

The installation process and, of course, next is staging. If it’s artwork and accessories, we do all of that installation ourselves. We monitor the process. If someone else is installing, we monitor the process to ensure it’s going well. 

5. Final Touches 

We complete final walkthrough and a wrap-up meeting to see if everything turned out the way they wanted it to or if they wanted to make any changes. 

How is M.A.O. Design Different? 

“How is M.A.O. Design different?”

I think what makes us different is that we take care of the entire project for the client. 

From the initial discovery concepts, all the way through the final construction walk-through, we’re with our clients every step of the way. 

We care about the projects and the clients. It’s not just a job for us. 

We look forward to maintaining a close relationship throughout our collaboration and well after the project is complete.

How Can We Support You?

You’re welcome to check out our website or follow us on Facebook and Instagram. 

We’d love to connect with anyone interested in learning more about what we do. If you’re interested, let’s grab a coffee. Send us a message here.