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FeedJust What the Doctor Ordered
A surgeon’s penthouse in a unique new building is as masculine as it is beautiful.
(page 2 of 4)
To visually separate the gaming area from the lower level, Ellis installed a stained-glass panel with a coat of arms reflecting the homeowner’s Scots ancestry. The design is echoed in a custom-made circular rug.
“It really makes the space very personal,” she says. “A home should be suited to the people who live there.”
Even as a girl, Ellis was drawn to interior design. “I was always begging my mother to take me to model homes,” she recalls.
She was intrigued by fabrics and learned to sew, making clothes for herself, friends and relatives. “I like color and designing,” she says. “It was great fun.”
As a young woman, Ellis worked for a builder in Atlanta, where she learned to translate the wish lists of prospective buyers into real-life homes they would enjoy.
For more than 20 years, she has operated Mary Ellis Interiors in Newark, designing spaces for clients in Delaware and surrounding states. Her projects range from new kitchens to whole houses to custom furniture for homeowners who are disabled.
“I’ve been fortunate to work with a number of special needs people, designing spaces that make their lives easier and more comfortable,” she says.
Creating a sophisticated space requires specialty craftsmen. For this project, Ellis assembled a trusted team of pros she has worked with for years, including Steve Smith of S&S Woodworking in Elkton; Advanced Home Finishes, a decorative painting firm in Hockessin; and Timeless Tiffany, Inc., an Elkton-based stained glass company.
In designing a condo for a doctor on the go, Ellis came up with a plan that was long on good looks, but low on maintenance. Hardwood flooring in the medium brown of a good steak cleans up easily and doesn’t show small scratches.
Page 3: Just What the Doctor Ordered, continues...
