BABES IN HART: Megan Molten

MEET MEGAN MOLTEN: LOWCOUNTRY LIFESTYLE LOVER

Megan Molten is the founder, lead interior designer and creative director of her eponymous company which offers full-service interior design and a retail store in Charleston.

She’s also a blogger who shares her ideas, projects and tips + tricks for all things interiors. Pro-tip from Megan: color and pattern is in, white walls are out!

Megan tells us her team is her favorite part of work and they keep her motivated: “It's a magical thing to walk through a door with your name on it, have insanely big dreams for your business and then you have this wonderful team that supports you and believes in your dreams”. Keep reading to hear more about Megan’s latest projects, where she gets her inspiration, how she overcomes self-doubt and some of her favorite must haves.

Tell us about your latest work and what’s inspiring your most projects.

Recently we have been working on several fun beach houses-all of them have such different styles which is always a treat as a designer who loves to mix things up! I've noticed that clients are not shying away from color or pattern, in fact-they are welcoming it and excited about doing something unique. Gone are the days of the all white walls! I'm always inspired by the architecture and finishes of the home. These really set the foundation for what style my design team goes for. We also have been getting some amazing new fabric samples in our library and are using colors that I've never used before-you're going to see a lot more moodier colors in some of our upcoming projects which I'm so excited about! A lot of people may be quite surprised to see how we have evolved our aesthetic.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given?

Only do what you can do. This was one of the first pieces of business advice I received from my dad when starting my business. What he meant is focus on your superpower-what is it that only you can do and what are the things someone else could do better than you. Hire good people to do everything else so you can do what you do best. I really took that advice to heart and started building my dream team pretty quickly. It was risky but paid off ten-fold allowing me to grow at a crazy fast rate which is what I really wanted given I started my business a little later in life :)

In moments of self-doubt, how do you build yourself back up?

Self doubt is super common as a creative. I would change a design project 100 times before I presented it to a client if I would Iet my self doubt take over. It's taken a lot of practice but I've found that owning yourself, your choices and truly staying authentic is the key. If you are confident in yourself others really see that and feel that too. I'm incredibly fortunate to have a very supportive husband who knows when I'm struggling with this and is always my biggest supporter-he knows if I need a little extra pep talk and puts me back on track. It's important to surround yourself with people who can do that for you when you need it the most.

What’s your favorite part about your work? What motivates you?

To answer both questions-my team. I truly adore them all. It's a magical thing to walk through a door with your name on it, have insanely big dreams for your business and then you have this wonderful team that supports you and believes in your dreams. They work so hard everyday-treating my business like their own to accomplish our goals and ultimately my dreams. How cool is that? It's incredibly moving and inspiring as a business owner and is the reason why I do what I do-it's for them.

What quotation/motto inspires you to be your best self?

Our company values-Honesty, Respect, Positivity and Kindness. They are not only for our business but also for our family. It's what we expect everyday in the office and at home. I teach my team and my girls how truly powerful it can be to just be positive and nice-I've said it a million times and I'll say it again-everything you put out into the world is what you get back. It's played out for me personally and professionally so many times. I would not be where I am today if it weren't for exuding these values in everything that I do.

What’s your no-fail go-to when you need to get out of a creative rut?

I look at photos-from our personal travels and from visits to furniture markets over the years. This is why it's so important to travel and attend markets. It's truly what inspires me the most. I get bored easily and constantly need to be seeing new things. Some of my most inspiring travels have been to Palm Springs and South of France-they are probably my two favorite places in the world. I also love the city of Charleston so much and even just taking a trip downtown and walking around, popping in shops or new restaurants can be super inspiring.

Do you have spiritual/mindfulness practice? How do you stay in flow?

I 've worked with a business/life coach over the past year and a half who has helped me tremendously connect with my inner self. I've learned techniques to be more mindful and present which usually involves slowing down and processing/filtering things before you react. You kind of have to change your internal wiring a bit and understand what makes you "tick" In order to do this. I'm very thankful I took the time to do this and continue to work with him so I can always be my best self for my team, my husband and my girls.

THE GOOD STUFF

"It's a magical thing to walk through a door with your name on it, have insanely big dreams for your business and then you have this wonderful team that supports you and believes in your dreams."

What’s on your nightstand: these frames with my girls photos in them, this tray, this candle and I love this alarm clock.

Favorite cocktail: Negroni

Favorite sneaker: Gucci-anything pink

Favorite lipstick: Charlotte Tilbury Liv it Up

Favorite book: This is my new favorite. It's serving up inspo for our next renovation to our home

Worth the splurge: Lighting

Dream getaway: St. Barts-going in May for my 40th!

Favorite jean: Mother

Life hack: Laser Hair Removal-life changing

Get-ready song or playlist: Beyonce Homecoming

Handbag: Goyard Tote

Three inspiring accounts you follow: money @your.richbff interiors @ashleystark photography @hughlegit