Check Out Holly Moyer’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Holly Moyer.  

Hi Holly, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’ve always been an artist. Painting, photography, antiques, design, you name it, I’ve probably done it! I love creating. When I don’t create, I feel out of my element. I need art and design and most importantly inspiration in my life consistently. Maybe it’s because I look at life through rose-colored glasses (an eternal optimist). I always try to find the beauty everywhere I go. 

Design has been my “home” since 1995. At age 14, I was being hired to sponge paint all the ladies’ homes in our church. Hanging boarders and guiding them with their color choices, it came very natural to me, and so it began. No matter which town I lived in or what my profession was at the time, I would always get asked to go to friends’ homes and rearrange their furniture, help pick out bedding, decor, etc. I would teach them how to thrift and find great furniture pieces inexpensively. I was pretty poor, and usually, they didn’t have money either, so I had to get creative which pushed me to think as far outside the box as I could! Garbage picking was never off-limits either! I’ve done my fair share of picking and found some beautiful pieces for free, which is a huge win! I call the “free money.” 

Fast forward to my mid-’30s, I opened a home decor store and started refinishing furniture and restoring antiques. I taught classes, and store really became a hub for artist to hang out, learn, get inspired, and sell their goods. When I had to close abruptly because of the sale of the building I was renting, I became extremely depressed. For an entire year, I did not create a single thing. I didn’t paint, didn’t buy or pick, didn’t design, nothing. My heart hurt too bad. In 2019 we decided to start renovating our 1950’s “Ranch Rambler” home. It gave me something to do, I guess! Before I knew it, I was right back in my element! 

I decided to go with a classic black-and-white color palette. While that may seem boring, you can do so much with those colors as your staples. Pops of color can be interchangeable throughout the seasons or changing of styles. Since I have remained true to that mindset and still use black and white as my base. With my wide background in antiques, those are also a staple. I use as much salvage and repurposed items as I possible can. Sometime codes will dictate that, but I do what I can to push that limit! Ever the design rebel! 

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It’s most definitely has been a struggle. I went through a devastating divorce and remarried a few years later, raised 4 wild kiddos (his, mine, and ours), and made tons of memories in between! All while building my business and portfolio. I wanted my kids to see that no matter what you go through and or the darkness you have to endure that YOU CAN do ANYTHING you set your mind to. My kids have watched me fail and succeed, but most importantly not give up. I tell them all the time, “Find something you are passionate about and then find a way to make money at it. Then you’ll never hate your job! You will work with joy in your heart, and that shows far above someone who does not want to be there.” 

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar, what can you tell them about what you do?
What sets me apart from most designers are a few things. 1st, I’m an artist. Most everything I design has some for sort of hand-painted project or refinished furniture done myself. 

The 2nd thing is that I will always be an advocate for sustainability and reusing as many materials as I can. Whether that’s vintage/antique sinks, lighting, or furniture, you’ll never find anything in my designs that are ever all brand new. That bores me. I have always mixed tons of old with some new. There’s just something comforting to me about old textures and finishes. 

The 3rd thing is that I’ve always been in love with old homes and architecture, but I feel like there are already so many people that make it their mission to restore, which is GREAT! I love that people find interest in old homes like I do! I feel though that not enough people understand or see the value in old buildings, so for the last few years, that’s been my focus, to advocate for the old historic downtown areas and the old theaters. Often times they can’t be used as their original purpose, so it’s my job to create something that honors both the old history and the new memories to come. For instance, we just opened a restaurant in South Lyon, Michigan. Called Dua Vino. The original uses for the 1880s building were a few grocery stories, a Kroger in fact, and then later in the ’50s an RCA TV repair shop. I designed it as a high-end Italian Restaurant on the 1st floor and modern-day speak-easy on the 3rd floor. Much of the materials used in my design were salvage architectural from other places, but most importantly, we salvaged as much as we could from the actual structure and put it back into the building in every way I could. All the tables are built from the 200 yr. Old white pine floor joists. To add a bit of interest, I ask our carpenter to give the wood and burn treatment then add very fine gold flaking into the epoxy for a bit of glam. In my designs, your eye will be ever wondering! There’s detail everywhere and usually in the most unexpected places. I do that purposely. 

Currently, I’ve been designing restaurants/bars, AirB&Bs, coffee shops, and hopefully soon a few boutique hotels. 

You can also see some of my work on a season and a half of a “Detroit-based” HGTV show. If you look on my Instagram, you can probably figure out which one. 

Are there any books, apps, podcasts, or blogs that help you do your best?
I’m a very spiritual and intuitive woman. I read a lot of Dolores Cannon and metaphysical books. Mostly because I’m very gifted in metaphysics, and I always want to learn more. I’m very much a lover of plants and gardening, I love growing my own food and making tinctures for healing. I love helping people and exploring ways heal our bodies, so I read a lot about that and also watch a lot of videos on YouTube about homesteading and such. 

Contact Info:

• Instagram: instagram.com/holly_moyer_design
• Linkedin: Holly Moyer
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@hollymoyerdesign

Image Credits
Holly Moyer