Meet Meredith Pominville | Interior Designer/Owner, Charlie M

We had the good fortune of connecting with Meredith Pominville and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Meredith, what do you attribute your success to?
I think the most important factor behind my success has really been two sides of the same coin: Insatiable curiosity about every aspect of design and listening deeply to what information is shared. It requires an openminded conversation about what matters and an understanding that each of us has a unique set of needs and perspective. What is important to one client may not be a blip on the radar of another. I find that when I sit down with a new client I feel like I am interviewing them as much as they are interviewing me. When I begin work with someone new it is always a process of determining how much of a collaboration we will have and where will my talents best serve their project. Without that curiosity I won’t know which questions to ask, how to find the right solutions to their design problems or how to structure the project so it feels like they are being heard. By listening, I can gather the intel I need to be a productive, creative force, directing what is often one of the most costly and consequential life events for them. Renovation and construction are messy, overwhelming and expensive. When we collaborate together, its them trusting me to pick up the breadcrumbs they leave and develop a comprehensive design that meets their needs and delights the senses. Both aspects of the same skill make me an invaluable partner through the process and gives them confidence in my work to know they have been heard and that they will get their desired outcome.

Through this approach to the work, I have developed a clientele that not only refer me to other clients, but become serial renovation partners, often stretching one project into years of design collaboration.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
I started Charlie M in 2006 with one kitchen project and a belief that I knew the right way to go about designing and executing construction projects. While there are lots of designers that do what I do, I felt I needed to create a company that was client-centric and focused on developing complete design solutions. My fee structure is a bit different. Rather than charging a small design fee and taking a mark up on products that are purchased, I run my business more like a consulting firm, charging a mix of fixed fees for the plans and meetings, and charging hourly for all other design services. I pass along discounts to clients so they know that when I recommend something its because I believe its the right solution, and not impacting how much money I will make on the back end. I focus on collaboration, empowerment and joy, because although change can be scary, there is room for exhilaration at the same time. I’ve grown my business over the last 15 years to be thriving, balancing 6-7 projects at any given time and keeping my attention fully focused on those commitments. I choose to focus on quality of projects over quantity and am a devoted champion for each of my clients to have a wonderful experience while we work together on their renovation. My passion is creating immersive design solutions for boutique hospitality, restaurant and residential projects, using my skills as a graphic designer to enhance hospitality projects with full branding solutions. For both residential and hospitality clients I make custom art and create one-of-a kind furniture pieces when the opportunity presents itself.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Los Angeles is home to some of the most beautiful scenery and quirky interactive experiences. Through COVID, we have all had to scale back our expectations of what we can do but I’ll list a few of my favorite places here. A trip to LA isn’t complete without heading to the Annandale Beach House and the beach beyond, visiting Descano Gardens in December to see the Festival of Lights. There are interactive art museums like Wisdome in DTLA, fun bar experiences like Mo’s House of Axe (yes it is Axe Throwing!) in Koreatown and one of my favorite Indian restaurants in South Pasadena, Radhika. From a design perspective, some of my favorite dining spaces are Bacari Silverlake, Aroma Cafe in Toluca Lake, and Hippo in Highland Park.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I give thanks my parents for encouraging my creativity and expression from a very early age. I spent a lot of my time as a kid on my own, immersed in books and playing imaginary games. One of my earliest designs was the Storefront I set up in my room using my Light Brite and my mother’s nursing checklists, setting up my own dolls, toys and books as the items for sale. I spent time climbing trees, pretending they were spaceships, and then in my mind, started designing those spaceships. I wrote short stories, started theater companies, designed sets, created digital art and developed my own inner sense of how to put projects together because I had a need to create and an instinctual knack for putting people and projects together. When I decided to go back to school, I found the UCLA/Extension Interior Design program, which allowed me to ease back into formal schooling, while starting my business at the same time. They gave me the rooted basis for all the design knowledge I didn’t have to marry in with the life and design experience I brought with me from other disciplines, and allowed me to execute interior designs with swagger and skill, right from the start.

Website: www.charliemdesign.com

Instagram: @charliemdesign

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/charlie-m-a-design-company-pasadena?osq=charlie+m

Image Credits
Marisa Vitale Photography Bel Air Photography