Interior Designer reviews in Seattle, Washington

Belltown Design provides great customer service and high quality design.

Paula is amazing. She's so passionate about her work! 1000% recommend!

Tim and Paula at Belltown Design have such keen eyes and sense of style! I have been so impressed with their work and had the pleasure of working with them after following there business the past couple years. Would highly recommend working with this small locally owned family business. Thank you for making our space beautiful.

Paula McHugh brings a diverse background to her design work, making her a fantastic resource for many different types of projects. She is very well known among the Seattle design community for her insightful blog series and the beautiful results that she delivers to her clients everyday. If anyone is considering working with Paula, I would recommend researching the Belltown Design website and look at the updates posted on the Belltown Design Facebook Page. It speaks highly to Paula's ability and knowledge.

I highly recommend Belltown Design for their professionalism, talent, and resources - this team made my daunting project fun and successful under the least accommodating of circumstances - COVID-19.

Paula McHugh and Robbie Liddane worked tirelessly to transform my condo from dark and dated to bright and contemporary. I told them I wanted to completely flip the space and they accomplished it with professionalism and attention to every detail. Every surface of my two bedroom two bathroom condo and all furnishings were replaced -including an extensive electrical overhaul and reconfigured kitchen. Paula's professional contacts/resources went above and beyond my expectations from window coverings, wallpaper hanging, and custom furnishings. I wanted to expand my vision and Paula guided me with confidence and flexibility. I recommend Paula and Robbie for any design project .

We hired Belltown Design LLC to provide us an exterior design that would give our 1960’s apartment complex a unique, standout identity, with so many similar style apartments and condominiums in the neighborhood. With a nod to the era in which it was built, Belltown Design created a Modernist concept, containing elements of a Japanese / Craftsman aesthetic, well suited for the property.

The project scope of work included a Modernist concept with full renderings, and specifications for Mansard roofing, wood shutters, siding, paint colors and products. It also included making selections for exterior lighting and flooring in the outdoor stairwells and walk ways. The fencing style came into play too, along with general concepts for landscaping and hardscape to marry well with this established exterior style.

Paula helped us to clarify a distinct style direction, and to define a direction for the upgrade to the property. She worked with us in a step by step color design process, ensuring confidence in tricky paint color selections, as exterior paint colors change throughout seasons and time of day. Paula was thorough and knowledgeable, brought materials samples onsite as needed, and gave us the confidence in exterior design that we needed to move forward with.

With Paula’s seasoned experience in exterior design and color expertise, we used most of her recommendations and we are happy with the results! Our budget and deadlines were unique, and Paula worked well within those limitations. Belltown Design fills a niche for commercial and residential exterior design, is easy and fun to work with, and I would not hesitate to recommend this design firm!

Susan and David Smith
Tamasha Apartments

We consider ourselves lucky finding Belltown Design from a Google search as we sought to find a designer to update the 1914 Craftsman Four Square home I was raised in and purchased from my parents in 1999. Paula, the owner of Belltown Design, began her process by sharing her design vision through beautiful and detailed hand-illustrated drawings of two primary living spaces that provided us a “look and feel” and nailed what we had discussed with her at our initial meeting. From there, she and her team provided a work plan, target timeline and estimated budget. She brought expertise in design and color that pushed us outside of our box and helped us see design components we wouldn’t have naturally gravitated. We talked about our lifestyle, familial backgrounds, and the importance of representing our respective Japanese and Jewish cultures (what we like to call “Jewpanese”) into our home. Paula took this all to heart and when selecting design elements from wallpaper to lighting to artwork, made sure there was a significance we could both culturally and aesthetically appreciate.

Belltown Design also took on the role of general contractor which was invaluable. Paula selected every single contractor as if they were working on her own home. The respect every sub-contractor had for our house, for the individuals living here, and for our timeframe, made the situation very livable. From the exterior siding to the hardwood floors, interior painting and wallpaper installation – the execution exceeded our expectations

The living room is by far the most utilized room in the house. We wanted to update the look to one that was more contemporary and create a space that was both beautiful and functional. Paula came up with colors, designs, and lighting that we would never have chosen, and after a few compromises, we now have the living space of our dreams. Our big, beautiful sectional sofa with comfy throw pillows and blankets is where we find ourselves each night as we watch our favorite TV shows together. Paula accommodated our budget by shopping for high quality consignment treasures that we fell in love with and complement the sanctuary-like feel of the room.

The dining room is our family gathering place. We wanted an intimate room we could use each night for family dinners, yet would also accommodate our large extended family and network of friends when we entertained. We found an online furniture company and Paula worked directly with them and us to select a table that doubled the seating when needed and created the more contemporary look we were aiming for in the redesign. Paula found a stunning Japanese-origami-inspired lighting fixture that reinforced the contemporary aesthetic and is the center piece of the room. Brightly colored artwork and beautiful floor lamps help “lighten up” the original dark fir wood panels and create a warm ambience.

The kitchen had been updated in 2000 from its original 1914 build, but still had a few problem areas that impacted traffic flow and storage needs. Again Paula and her team designed a way to solve the traffic flow pain point by recommending a smaller counter-depth refrigerator and incorporating two refrigerator drawers to make up for lost space. Our pantry which was “dark and deep” was blamed for many lost canned goods over the years! Our new pantry is both functional and beautiful featuring layered “shelves within shelves” to promote organization and accessibility. New color on the walls, window coverings and vibrant teal blue counter stools completed the transformation with minimal investment. We couldn’t be happier with our updated kitchen

We could go on and on about the beauty and function Belltown Design introduced into our home. We feel fortunate to have found Paula and Belltown Design and they will, with no question, be our “go-to” for other future projects. Paula and team are highly recommended for anyone seeking an experienced designer with a meticulous eye for color and aesthetic without compromising function or quality. Thank you Paula and Belltown Design!

Over the course of this past year I have had the pleasure and privilege of working with Belltown Design. I have a business creating custom soft goods such as slipcovers, throw pillows, cushions, etc and she brought me in on a home renovation project in West Seattle. Paula's design talents are spot on and her ability to communicate her vision was wonderful. From a fabricator's point of view, I knew exactly what she wanted. There was no confusion or mystery. Her ideas are fresh and fun and I would not hesitate to work with her again!

I cannot say enough good things about Belltown Design. Paula and Robbie are absolutely fabulous! Not only did they do an outstanding job bringing my space to life but they are an absolute pleasure to work with. They took time to learn about me and what I envisioned for my space and then incorporated it into their design. I could not be more happy with everything they did. I would highly recommend Belltown Design to anyone looking for interior design.

Belltown design did a great job and our "new" condo looks great. Paula is extremely knowledgeable and guided us through every step of the process. The project included new flooring, paint and furnishings. Paula knew all the best places to shop. She and her associates were incredibly generous with their time, frequently going shopping with us to help make the best selections. Her style and color recommendations were perfect. And I can't review Belltown's performance without mentioning how patient she was while we sometimes waffled over the array of choices that were presented to us. I can't recommend Belltown Design strongly enough.

We had a great experience with Belltown Design over the course of our recent remodel. Paula worked with us to turn our basement into a fun and colorful family room. Additionally, she helped us with some additional design improvements to our kitchen and living room. These project included flooring choices, lighting, paint, furniture, closets, wall art, and more. Paula's knowledge and experience came through and was visible during the whole course of the projects. Additionally, Robbie's organizational skills helped to create much more functional spaces in our children's' bedrooms. One of the things that was especially great working with Belltown Design was that at each stage, Paula and Robbie brought over a selection of options for us to choose from which consistently matched our tastes. The contractors that they brought to work on the project were likewise fantastic. We would definitely work with Belltown Design again on any future projects.

Paula @ Belltown Design has been invaluable to my real estate business! She sees the potential in a space and helps my clients to visualize the potential.

We started working with Paula in early 2020 when we purchased our first home. We started out just wanting a paint scheme, and now years later we've completely transformed the entire home! We worked slowly across the entire home -- incrementally improving each space. We worked together to develop a theme for the entire home including updates to the kitchen cabinets, interior and exterior doors, lighting fixtures, and window treatments before moving onto furniture in our main sitting room and primary bedroom.

It was fun to see each evolve into a really cool space that feels very "us" for now and years to come. We had a number of unique items that we wanted to incorporate into our designs - including a vintage batik from Kenya, and my insistence on a fainting couch in our bedroom. Paula worked with us in detail on each step to ensure an overall cohesive look. Paula went above and beyond to incorporate custom linens across the home, even including coordinating dog beds for our rescue greyhound. Paula's professional network includes incredible contractors and artisans - and in fact we have used some of them again for additional home projects.

I highly recommend Belltown design for any type of interior - you'll have fun, learn about the overall design process, and have a beautifully finished space at the end!

It is a pleasure to recommend Belltown Design for any interior needs in the Seattle area. I contracted Belltown Design to help me with a full interior layout for a condominium in First Hill. As I was moving back from Asia, the scope was extensive and encompassed almost all the furniture required to outfit a two-bedroom condo. I looked at several options for design, but settled on Belltown Design for two reasons -- first, they would manage not just the design but also the execution of the plans, and second, that they would partner not just with consumer design stores but also with designer vendors -- and thus upgrade the furniture in my condo at reasonable prices.

Once I selected Belltown Design, Paula and Robbie sprung into action, working on a timeline that helped me get moved into the condo on schedule. Paula's design choices were impeccable -- she pushed me outside of my initial comfort zone but also respected and integrated a few pieces of existing furniture and nostalgic items into the final design. A meticulous operator, Paula worked with all the vendors to minimize intrusions and at the same time ensure that I could replace rental furniture with final pieces in stages as they arrived.

I was so impressed with Paula and Robbie's work that I kept expanding the scope of work -- we started just with furniture and paint but expanded to include a full set of soft goods for the bedrooms, bathrooms, and kitchen. The team worked within my budget and had impeccable judgement on where to lean-in on high-end statements versus mid-range and low-end. As an indecisive person, Paula was an expert at focusing me in and getting decisions made so the project would move along.

The project has been complete for several months now, and I like the final design so much that I decided to buy the condo I've been renting. I'm going to make some additional improvements, and won't work with anyone other than Belltown Design to plan and execute the project. Totally satisfied from beginning to end.