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The Design Questionnaire With McCall Dulkys
In this edition of Love Happens’ Proust-style Design Questionnaire, join us for a peek inside the creative and inspiring minds of McCall Dulkys, founder of Interiors by McCall. Although physically based in Florida and working on beautiful projects locally, the firm is also a master of luxury e-design. A set of virtual design services which they ramped up with great success during the Covid pandemic. When time or location does not allow for a traditional design firm, the Internet provides a magical connection for McCall to effortlessly collaborate with clients, utilizing FaceTime, Zoom, Skype, or similar video chat software to make the design process come to life.
Oh and we must mention that McCall Dulkys is a mom of three toddlers under 4 years old, a round of applause! She has spent the last decade living in seven different European countries where she developed a love for design. She founded Interiors By McCall in 2017 out of Spain, where she lived with her husband who was playing professional basketball. When she’s not being an underpaid and overworked personal assistant to her three kids, she enjoys creating livable, unique spaces for her clients around the world.
The Lh Design Questionnaire With McCall Dulkys of Interiors by McCall
What is your idea of perfect happiness?
Perfect happiness is being with the people I love. Living overseas I spent so many holidays and special occasions away from family and friends. Whenever we’re reunited, whether it’s on a holiday or just a normal weekday, nothing beats the feeling of having so many people you care about under one roof. My idea of absolute bliss would be preparing a huge meal to eat alongside all my friends and family members. I think the pandemic has even further strengthened my feelings on togetherness and community. It’s something I’ve missed and longed for heavily over the past 18 months.
What do you consider your greatest achievement?
My greatest achievement has been raising resilient children. I was pregnant with my daughter in Istanbul, gave birth to her in Florida, and she lived in Poland, Lithuania, Spain, and the USA all in her 3.5 short years of life. She is so resilient at being introduced to new people and places and I love watching her explore new territory through her inquisitive eyes. Whenever I feel the guilt of having them move around so much, I try to remember all the incredible resiliency that builds up along the way.
In a professional capacity, my greatest achievement has been creating Interiors by McCall from the ground up through really unorthodox measures. I did solely e-design for around three years or so while I lived in Europe and I would help design clients’ homes all from behind a computer screen. As much as my business has evolved and I now offer full-service design in South Florida, I still love helping out-of-town clients virtually, and I’m proud of the innovation it took to create a business model that would work for my lifestyle at the time.
What profession does your alter ego have?
My alter ego would work in fashion. My mother has an incredible sense of style and growing up I used to love seeing what outfits she’d put together. I’m constantly helping friends get dressed for different special occasions in their lives and I particularly enjoy dressing my husband because he can pull off anything. Fashion and interior design are really similar industries that feed into one another so it makes sense that fashion would be a natural choice for me.
The project you will never forget.
One of my favorite projects to date is the small beach bungalow I just helped a long-term client renovate. Coming off a divorce, he wanted a really fun and unique space he could share with his two young sons. He’s a chef and local restaurateur with a love for quirky, interesting details so I love that I can come to him with crazy ideas and he never seems to be put off by them.
Your favourite business tool or resource.
My favorite business resources are the extraordinary group of professional women that I surround myself with. Whether it’s my brilliant design assistant, my talented editor, or the numerous photographers, artists, and vendors that I work with, I’m constantly in awe of the accomplished female minds around me. They have all been crucial in making my business succeed.
The most timeless design.
The most timeless design is one that tells your story. You want someone to walk into your home and think “well of course you live here”. That’s not to say it’s predictable, but rather each element is thoughtful and intentional in displaying who you are to anyone who enters your home. Authenticity will never go out of style, be authentic and purposeful with whatever items you select to make up your home.
The biggest design faux pas.
The biggest design faux pas is copying someone else’s design and not inserting your own personality into a space. It’s easy to get caught up in the styles of the celebrity designers you see on TV but remember your homes should always reflect who YOU are. Set out to make your space unique and I promise you won’t regret it.
Your design motto.
My design motto is to stay true to yourself and design a space that you love. This is your home and the design needs to reflect that. I can make a beautiful space but if it doesn’t depict what my client loves, the whole project would be in vain. You’re not going to be comfortable in a home that doesn’t support your lifestyle choices or your current stage of life. I’m not going to design a stuffy, unlivable home for a family with young children. Instead, I’ll give them livable luxury that will look beautiful and hold up to a little abuse here and there. I don’t put my clients into a box, each decision is meticulously catered to who they are personally, and it’s important you do the same in your own home.
Our publisher KOKET makes statement décor, if you were to design a room around one KOKET piece, which would it be, and why?
The Entice Sofa is so fabulous, my brain is spinning with ideas on how cool it would look in a living room. I’m really into curved sofas and the upholstery choice is so unique. I love incorporating unexpected pieces so this is right up my alley.
Love happens when…
You’re intentional about it. Love doesn’t just happen or survive on its own, it needs energy and action behind it to make it work. You must be committed to the act of loving as love itself won’t carry itself along.
