Montague Design

It started over a cup of coffee... I met with Catherine, fully armed with notions for my soon-to-be storefront. “I’ll just keep it with my traditional blues and greys” I thought. “ I’m interested in this specific line of furniture because it will suit my needs” I justified. Catherine pleasantly listened. And then she started asking questions. Her passion drove my excitement. This business venture was going to be fun. “You think bright & bold colors fit my mission and what I’m working to accomplish, well… yes! That sounds great! What do we do next?”

Catherine explained the process, and recommended that I go and select some colors and she would then order samples and bring them to the office. Well, let’s just say MY first set of picks were bright and bold and ATROCIOUS! So Catherine gently redirected me to colors that would work and that I to this day love. Even after over 1 ½ years, I still get compliments from clients and visitors on how cute and energizing my shop is. But color is not all that Catherine helped with. No, that was just the start. She also encouraged me to spray paint the ceiling, to make the restroom a cute gem, and to think about replacing the covers over the lighting so the work area would be brighter. As we talked about my business, my goals and my workstyle, we moved on to the furniture and the layout. She offered invaluable suggestions regarding the type of furniture, the benefits of mobile furniture so I could easily move it to accommodate a variety of seating arrangements for workshops, and how to draw people in with the proper arrangement and focal points.

If it weren’t for Catherine, I have no doubt I would be avoiding my drab office with a setup that blocked customers from coming in and being engaged. Instead, I get to go to my lovely office. As I enter, I feel my senses both energized and calmed by the soft yellow side walls and my creativity being stirred by the plum back wall. Just the combination I need to support a day’s work at the office!

Catherine’s consistent level service throughout the process was incredible. She went way above our initial expectations, which was to help pick out colors. In talking with her, with her line of questioning, with her excitement in encouraging me to select colors that were appropriate to what I felt, to what I wanted to do, I realized it was also time to rebrand AND rename my business. So that plum color that you see on the back wall in my office, that’s the basis for the ‘Biz’ in my logo. And that’s not all! Catherine mentioned that perhaps I should change my name to something like The Marketing Shop. I knew she was onto something. I felt it immediately. The word ‘shop’ completely fit what I was trying to accomplish. It wasn’t long until The Small Biz Shop was born. And to think… it all started over a cup of coffee. Thank you Catherine!!

Linda D'Angelo of The Small Biz Shop in Carnegie, PA More...

Reviewed on Houzz

Green Design was a pleasure to work with, understanding my goals and budget completely. We remodeled two secondary bathrooms. They needed to be updated (20 years old) but because they were not on the main floor and not often used, we were conscious of our budget. Catherine from Green Design had i... More...

Reviewed on Houzz

Recently, I attended a workshop where Catherine presented several ideas on how to improve productivity and create a healthier environment at home or at work. She provided practical tips on positioning furniture to maximize space; use of natural light; color schemes; use of plants to improve air qua... More...

Reviewed on Houzz

Catherine listened to all of my needs and wants for my new office. Catherine gave many suggestions then we agreed on what furniture I needed. Then Catherine sent a blueprint of my future office. My office is just fabulous. I think of Catherine every time I walk into my office (with a smile on my... More...

Reviewed on Houzz

As a professional lighting designer, I worked with Catherine on the Remax Shadyside Office - taking an existing office and turning it into a “Jewel Box”. She worked hard for her clients, bringing their vision to reality, resulting in a space that was dynamic, interesting and fresh... within budget.... More...

Reviewed on Houzz

Catherine has a fabulous eye for design but always keeps the budget in mind. She has the ability to take a complicated process and break it down to help her clients understand the options and make educated decisions. Her interior design service has proved its value on several of my projects over ... More...

Reviewed on Houzz

Catherine Montague of Green Design Innovation was referred to me by my realtor, Markay Pfeifer. We had recently moved into our new home and I wanted assistance with placement of existing furniture, as well as selecting colors for painting.
At our initial appointment, Catherine met with my husband and me at a neutral location to see if we would be a fit to work together. She took the time to get to know us and understand our family’s lifestyle before entering our home.
We felt very comfortable with Catherine and following the initial meeting we requested she put together a proposal for design services. After the proposal was submitted and agreed upon, Catherine came to our home and began the redesign process. She was flexible, offered various color suggestions to bring in a warmer color palette and assisted in furniture placement.
After the initial color recommendations were made, we purchased a new sectional sofa for the basement. Upon delivery of the new furniture, I realized the color scheme we had originally selected wasn’t going to match as we had anticipated. Catherine went the extra mile in her service. She returned to our home and assisted in choosing a new color scheme to match our new sectional sofa.
Included in her scope of work was assistance in placing art works and photographs throughout the house. I followed her superb suggestions and am thoroughly pleased with the results.
I would wholeheartedly recommend utilizing interior design services of Catherine Montague and Green Design Innovation. She is thorough, knowledgeable and doesn’t rush through the design process. I love the results! Dr. Lorraine Commeret More...

Reviewed on Houzz

Catherine was delightful to work with. She is very professional, enthusiastic, and communicates her ideas well. Catherine has a wonderful eye for color and function. She helped us design a state of the art kitchen with coordinating alterations to our laundry and pantry. I would recommend her without reservation! More...

Reviewed on Houzz

I hired Catherine Montague with Green Design Innovation to provide a home office makeover. Upon our initial meeting, she was very prompt and professional. Catherine asked what my goals were for redoing my home office. She was purposeful taking into account my wants and desires, but offering profe... More...

Reviewed on Houzz