Pink table with three books titled 'The Architecture of the Future,' a blue vase with dark purple and black flowers, and a black decorative bowl, with a dark purple couch and pillows in the background.

Michelle Dirkse Interior Design is built on a single conviction: a home needs a strong foundation before it can support an ambitious life. The work begins with spatial order, not as a constraint, but as the condition from which everything else finds its purpose.

What follows is deliberate. High-art, vintage finds, and contemporary forms are brought in for what they contribute to the rhythm of a room, not for effect. The result is an interior that stays intact and quietly irreverent long after the project closes.

About the studio

A woman with wavy brown and gray hair sitting on a gray sofa in front of a dark bookshelf with decorative objects and books, wearing a striped shirt, jeans, and white high heels.

SHE STUDIES PEOPLE

Then Spaces

Michelle Dirkse came to design through psychology, which is not a detour. Understanding how people live within spaces, what supports them, what unsettles them, and what makes a room feel resolved rather than assembled has been central to her thinking from the beginning.

After spending years in social work, she returned to school for interior design, then invested time working across furniture retail, construction, and industry practice before establishing Michelle Dirkse Interior Design in 2013.

The work reflects an approach that trusts the room to tell her where to push. Michelle extends this dedication into collaboration with artists, translating original works into custom textiles and objects that hold a commanding position within the environment.

By leading with a sharp perspective, she ensures every space assumes a high degree of intelligence in the viewer.

Meet Our Team

Portrait of a woman with blonde hair, blue eyes, and wearing a beige blazer over a black top, with blurred background.

Vilma Garshae

Senior Interior Designer / Project Manager

  • For Vilma, creating practical, usable spaces is of the utmost importance, but that doesn't mean she forsakes beauty. She enjoys adapting her technical and creative skills to a variety of styles and is particularly fond of the timelessness of midcentury modern, the retro feel of the sixties, and sleek Scandinavian sensibilities. When conceptualizing a space, she gleans inspiration from the story of the home, whether through its architectural details, a piece of furniture, or the clients themselves.

A woman with shoulder-length brown hair styled with loose waves, wearing a black lace long-sleeve top, standing against a neutral background.

Leah DeSantis

Senior Interior Designer / Project Manager

  • Leah approaches projects with an eye for the unique and innovative, aiming for fresh design in a sophisticated yet edgy aesthetic. She loves older homes with classical bones, and her furnishing style merges modern, sculptural pieces with antiques and heirlooms. When working with clients, Leah strives to alchemize their internal dreams, turning ideas into an outer experience that reflects the client's identity.

Interior of a modern dining area with a black table, patterned chairs, large white vases with plants, and a decorative wall with a neon sign reading '#THREE ATTENTION OMP LA CEN CY'.

Jaclyn Koenig

Operations Manager

  • Jaclyn's background in luxury retail, marketing, and event production forms the foundation of her holistic, hands-on approach to operations. Her deep appreciation for detail and dedication to quality helps ensure each project runs smoothly from concept to completion. Behind the scenes, she builds the structure that supports the team and lets their creative vision shine.

Young person with short hair and facial hair, wearing a cream jacket decorated with pearls, with hand on chest and another on hip, standing against a neutral background.

Alex Hyman

Senior Interior Designer / Project Manager

  • Alex comes from a background in the performing arts. Following a performance career as a ballet dancer, he built experience in project management producing shows, festivals, and tours while running a medium-sized arts nonprofit with deep roots in community engagement. Detail oriented and passionate about problem solving, Alex is excited to bring that same precision and care to supporting the MDID team.

Wooden sculpture of a heart-shaped flower with grid pattern on its petals, mounted on a white panel in an industrial-style space with scattered wooden pieces on the floor.

DIRKSE/PRIM GALLERY

Located in Madrona, Dirkse/Prim Gallery is a contemporary space dedicated to abstract and process-driven painting. Founded by Michelle Dirkse and Jeremy Prim, the gallery merges interior design expertise with artistic practice. Our program focuses on works informed by the natural world and materiality, fostering collaboration between artists, designers, and collectors.

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