MWS Interior Design

Mark completed two lengthy projects for me. Total renovation of a beach front condo in Boca Raton and home in Delray Beach. Home included a complete design of landscaping from just a lawn to a park paradise with arbor and decorative rock sculptures. Also designed and constructed built in wall unit. Great taste level. Very talented, attention to detail, easy to work with and honest. I highly recommend him

Mark exceeded our expectations with every detail. He really was there for me every step of the way and I don't want it to end. From working and designing our gutted office space to our new 3 level Ultra contemporary Townhome he had such great ideas and went above and beyond including working within a budget. He's very nice and super talented with hands on helping. Thank you Mark! We are not done!

We hired Mark Sommerfield to help with the renovations and decorating of our home. I could give you a list of at least two dozen things he screwed up, but I won't bore you with the details. I'll just give you a few examples. 1) He got a bathroom vanity that was the wrong size so the door wouldn't close. 2) Another bathroom vanity was too short. 3) A pop-up TV cabinet he had built was the wrong size and we had to buy a smaller TV to fit in it. 4) He ordered outside patio lights. They weren't bright enough. He wanted to get something that looked good and it never occurred to him that they also needed to be bright enough to light up the area sufficiently. So he returned them and got new lights. The new lights were 6 1/4" when he had been told they needed to be no bigger than 6 inches. (And, by the way, they were no brighter than the first lights that had been returned!) 5) The closet he designed for my wife was missing several key elements, such as space for long hanging clothes, a jewelry chest, etc. That's all the examples I'm going to give. But as I said, I could mention 20 or more things. Unfortunately, we trusted him at the beginning and got many things in the works. By the time we realized how many things were being done wrong, it was too late to undo much of the damage. Based on "google images" searching, the pictures on his web site do not appear to be actual work that he has done for actual clients. That's part of why we trusted him at the beginning. We thought he had actually done some great work. Also, when things go wrong, Mark blames everyone but himself. He also became very rude to me and to my wife several times when confronted with a mistake he'd made. By the end of the project, he had not only alienated me and my wife, but also our general contractor and his crew, and the electrician, whom he constantly blamed for mistakes he had made. I'm sure Mark will respond to this and say that everything he did was perfect, I'm wrong, and everyone else screwed everything up. Don't believe it.

I am building a new house and of course all of the decisions had to be made by the time the foundation was complete! Mark was great, helping with the space planning and color palette, inside and out. He coordinated it with flooring and counter tops. It was fun trying to visualize how the final product would come together casual elegance is what he called it. Thus far, it's looking great!

I highly recommend NOT HIRING MWS Design and its primary designer, Mark Sommerfeld. I hired him not only as a designer, but as a "general contractor" to supervise all the projects going on at my house (paint, new fireplace, new doors, new railings outside on patio, removal of wallpaper, replacement of all light fixtures), and it has been nothing short of a nightmare. I am very busy and let him have free reign to do numerous projects. He started in June, seemed very organized and professional, but he was nothing of the sort. Not only do I not like any of his taste (which is a huge problem b/c I paid over 15K and he found me NO furniture except a dining room table), but he is actually incompetent. Worse yet, after two months of mistakes after mistake, when I finally confronted him because I could not believe how bad one of the projects had been handled, he refused to admit it, and blamed everyone but himself. He isn't even professional because he won't stick around to figure out how to fix the things he screwed up. He also MOVED TO FLORIDA in the midst of my 3 month project, didn't tell me, but still charged me 20% commission because he claimed he supervised all the contractors DAILY. Thus, he walked out on the projects, but still demanded his extremely high commissions and has actually returned FURNITURE I BOUGHT WITH MY MONEY, BECAUSE THE CONTRACT IS IN HIS NAME, AND TOOK THE MONEY HIMSELF. I am telling you people, Mark Sommerfeld is NOT TO BE TRUSTED. Here is a list of mistakes, with pictures for you to judge for yourself on the shoddy work, which I fired him because of this, and yet he stole the deposits I made two months ago to reimburse himself for shoddy work. 1. Ordered mantle at least 6 inches too short (42"), when I wanted at least 48-50". 2. Hired a person to install a fire resistant wall and marble front for a fireplace, but didn't ensure the wall was level, so the marble is an inch out of alignment/not level with the rest of the wall. The fireplace company has informed me that they cannot install the faceplate of the new fireplace bc the marble is so out of alignment. I now have to buy new marble and get the old wall ripped out. 3. Worse yet, Mark tried to hide the misalignment by sticking a piece of wood between the mantle and the wall, pretending it was "molding" when it was a 2x4 board, and then shot 10 nails through the front of the mantle to this 2x4, and thought I wouldn't notice. (See photos) (He still charged 20% regardless of mistakes) 4. He personally attached the columns of the mantle three inches away from the shoe molding on the floor, leaving a huge gap, for no reason b/c the top of the mantle was wide enough to move the columns. (see photos) Again, lied when confronted about it. 5. Ordered a $2000 new custom GLASS front door for my house and it is over an inch too big to fit my frame. There was an old door that fit perfectly that could have been measured easily, but somehow he measured it wrong, and again, refused to admit it was his fault. (and still charged his 20% commission on the improper sized door). The contractors cannot install the door without having to cut a full inch off, which is dangerous considering the door is almost 80% glass. 6. Ordered and had installed an iron railing outside more than 5 inches away from the edge, leaving this huge gap that looks bad and is not up to code. He of course took his 20% on top of the $4000 railing, with no apologies for how bad it looks. See photos. 7. He claimed to be a designer that shows you all the exact invoices and only adds his commission onto the exact cost, but comparing invoices with the contractors, I have found that is not true. He added money onto their estimates, never showed me actual invoices from stores, added service fees, and then ADDED his 20% commission. 8. He abandoned all of the work, and tried to get the contractors to leave too, when he refused to admit the mistakes on the fireplace. They refused because they knew I had already paid for their work. Now I have great workers, but still had to double pay him and them. 9. He actually cancelled the order for my dining room furniture, without telling me, to steal money from me that I don't owe him because he claims he is entitled to commissions for work he didn't do, or which was not completed adequately, without fixing any of the mistakes. 10. He convinced me to get rid of two of my original radiators and replace them with "low profile radiators" so that I would have more room because he claimed, the low profile radiators would be flat against the wall. But he didn't measure properly, and when the plumbers went to install them, they had to have pipes where the old radiator pipes were in the floor and then bend the pipes to meet the radiator on the wall. In other words, the pipes stick out just as far as the old radiator did, and actually look worse. (See Photo) When I realized how bad it looked, I told the plumbers to stop and not install the second one. Mark said he would return the second one, but he kept the refund, and never gave it to me. he almost had this installed in my front bay window...It would have been hideous. Again, he never admitted his mistake, kept the 20% commission on the entire purchase, and like I said, didn't credit me for the returned radiator. But of course, he has the receipt in his name because he ordered it even though I paid for it. He is so dishonest, i hope I can prevent anyone from working with him as he has ruined my life and costs me thousands of dollars, and three months of time, with very little to show for it. Whatever you do, don't hire Mark Sommerfeld at MWS Design for anything, in Washington, DC or Jacksonville, Florida. He is not only very difficult to work with (Never even received a rendering or story board, or picture of what my rooms would look like, or any good furniture recommendations that matched), but he is dishonest, and incompetent. Anyone that would return furniture that I paid for to get himself reimbursed for a project he was fired from, because the furniture is ordered in his name, should not be trusted. Two people enter into a contract and both deserve the consideration they bargained for. He believes his consideration is due to him no matter if he actually performs the job as required or not, and he will stop at nothing to get his money. Do yourself a favor and hire anyone but Mark Sommerfeld.

Mark helped transform our space from a conflicted mishmash of furniture and the general need for an update and upgrade to a more modern, sophisticated and high-end look! Right away he figured out how to make new things work with things we already had to make the overall look more of the contemporary/zen style we wanted. It was nice that he could make pieces that we loved but didn't quite fit in with the new look, look great in the mix! From the moment he came in, he guided me with so many little details, some very small and inexpensive that made a big difference, no detail being too small or overlooked and we love how everything turned out. Mark has a lot of sophistication and creative ideas, and I could trust his recommendation and could tell he knew me as a client and how to proceed in the direction that would give me the look I wanted. In addition to being a very professional and knowledgeable designer, Mark was super fun to work with, which gets high marks in my book because I know for a smallish job I required a lot of hand holding and attention, but I never felt like a bother. He always answered every e-mail or call (and there were a lot!) quickly and with good advice and information that made me feel confident. He also had the contacts for everything I needed, anything from a painting contractor, to bedding and anything and everything in between. He went above and beyond with the time he spent and little things he did that he wasn't obligated to do. To show his wealth of knowledge and how he looks at even the small details, a list of things he advised me on were painting, lighting, construction, draperies, bedding, pillows, rugs, several pieces of furniture and it's placement and even the smallest details of the right orchids in the right spots. These little things make a difference. I would definitely work with him again, and I will, once we go into the second phase of our plan, which we decided to take in a few steps in order to help our budget. Mark always kept the big picture in mind in a way that even if we did nothing else I think everything looks great! As you can see, I highly recommend Mark!!

Mark had fantastic ideas and thought of things I never would have thought of, but when I had input he listened to me. He knew how and where to get things made and they were always of the highest quality but still within my budget. He even saved me money by repurposing some things that I thought needed to be replaced and sometimes just repositioning furniture in a room made all the difference. Mark knows how much I love antiques and was able to find several key pieces. He has transformed my house into a home that fits me like a glove. We had a good time working together and I appreciated him getting everything done on time.

Mark is a creative thinker of the highest caliber, who quickly understands the scope of a project. Generating unconventional design solutions, he transformed my home with flair and finesse, while diligently honoring the financial parameters of the project. He listened intently to my ideas, and acted as a collaborator who understood my vision, and encouraged me to take risks with color and design, with nothing short of brilliant results! Mark happily and generously shared his extensive knowledge of architecture, art, antiques, furniture, textiles, rugs and lighting. He skillfully integrated new pieces with existing one of a kind antiques and works of art, many of which have been passed down through generations in my family, and carry great sentimental value. Mark's passion for the creative process is evident. He garnered genuine pleasure in educating me about the quality of the products we selected together. He is enormously resourceful, and introduced me to a myriad of options, to which I was not privy prior to working with him. Mark is a consummate professional. In addition to respecting my budget, he maintained consistent communication throughout the course of this project, keeping me abreast of any changes to the timelines we discussed. Our home is a vibrant gathering spot, and the response to the remodel of our space has been overwhelming. It is incredibly heartwarming to share the metamorphosis of my environment with friends and loved ones who are also in awe of its beauty. I would absolutely work with Mark again, and highly recommend his expertise. His commitment to and passion for creating meaningful spaces which simultaneously reflect the client's spirit is exceptional and undeniable.

Mark created a wonderful living space for our apartment in Gramercy Park in New York City. It turned out to fit our needs perfectly from what we originally described to him. The living space was warm and functional, but also chic and elegant. We were not only proud to have visitors come in, most of all we were happy to come home to this oasis. Our children were small at the time (which also would have posed a design challenge for many professionals), so we are now living in Westchester county in a much larger house. Happily, all of the furniture and almost all of the accessories, worked perfectly in our new home. Mark helped us to add here and there wherever pieces were needed, to create an eclectic, collected look. We get compliments every time people visit. Mark was able to convert what we wanted our living space to be into a reality; importantly, this vision was his interpretation of what we wanted it to be, not some canned way of doing things. On top of all this, Mark stayed within budget, informed us of all expenditures and timing, and was an absolute pleasure to deal with. He is not just a designer - he is an educated professional who is skilled in a variety of areas, and that is what makes the difference.

MWS Design created two gorgeous office spaces for me while I was a Director of Fine Arts at the Kinkaid School in Houston, TX. I have now already met with Mark to design my new office at NSU University School in Fort Lauderdale, FL. So far, we have decided on a color palette and furniture layout. Now Mr. Sommerfield is searching for furniture, art and lighting to create an artistic and comfortable space where I can meet with the members of the University School and my colleagues in the arts. I am so pleased to be working with his firm again.

My wife and I have been living in a 6000 sqft. house without proper window treatments, carpets or “grown up” furniture. Neither one of us really had an appreciation for design, nor what is could do for our home, but we do now! After meeting with us a few times, Mark presented an elegant, but very livable design plan that made our house a home. Also, since Mark is a certified LEED Accredited Professional, he installed LED lighting throughout the house, used no VOC paints, switched to on-demand hot water, automatically programming thermostats, touchless faucets. He also installed carpets and pads that were LEED compliant, they didn’t smell! We now have a house tailored to fit our lives and sustain our health. Beautiful and healthy is a great combination. We love to point out the details to our friends, thermostats that learn. Clean, tailored design that is elegant but not fussy. Our home is part of our family and we love it!

Years ago, after exposure to Mark's work, I was so impressed with his energy, creativity and aesthetic that when I needed personal design assistance I sought out a consultation and hired him. The first project was a mid-century modern home with amazing panoramic ocean views; needing warmth, updating and a vision to seamlessly unite the outdoors with the in. The trick, I knew the space needed a lot of help but I was not sure how. Mark was amazing; his eye for color, fabric, textures, furniture and layout was unique and inspiring. The final result, simply STUNNING. The project required a bit of trust on my part; it was my first collaboration with Mark and I did not see the space as he did. Mark had a vision of what the space could be from almost the moment he walked in. Needful to say, I came to appreciate Mark's rather unique ability to take what I said, understand what I need, and give me something I didn't know I wanted and absolutely love ! Importantly, Mark communicated well on budget and provided options allowing me to choose if I wanted to push the design (and the budget a bit) or not. I loved having options, because the design (like the project) was organic and evolving. Two years later, I did not hesitate to call Mark, on a second project; a two bedroom Condo in San Francisco. This was easier than the first (Mark had already proved his ability) and he again delivered beyond expectations (even high ones). Mark gave me warm beautifully upholstered fabric walls with both matching window treatments and covered switch plates (he has an eye for rather exacting detail); a soothing color palate with beautiful luxurious fabrics and one-of-a-kind mind-staggering custom furniture (details below). On the mid-century modern project, Mark completely flipped my bedroom and upholstered a steeply angled 14 ft wall with a Japanese reed and made it a beautiful STATEMENT wall (almost a piece of art); one of those things I did not know I wanted and loved. So, on this second project, I told Mark I might be interested in exploring a headboard and dresser that were soft-Asian inspired. What I got was the most amazing custom designed Japanesque collaboration of wenge wood, embossed leather, hand-forged iron hardware furniture that I have ever seen; simply EXQUISITE. To this day, I am often told the dresser is the most beautiful piece of custom furniture for real-living many have ever seen. Mark suggested we temper the above expense by re-furbishing my existing love-seat, and by re-furbishing I mean, re-making in a way no on could ever tell the final piece came out of the first; serious creative art. A foundational concept I learned from Mark is that of, a timeless design. we find what I love, we acquire amazing pieces and we build on these these pieces as I can afford them over time. I am not fortunate to have unlimited funds but I am fortunate to have someone I can trust and appreciate to help me understand my style and to help me create a "home" that I love. Mark is seriously talented and (as you might have gleamed) I whole-heatedly recommend his wide-ranging expertise on design.