Building Something Together: Design, Identity, and the Meaning of Home

What does it mean to build something beautiful together?

In this episode of Moving Forward, Linda Anderson sits down with sisters and co-founders Michaeline Fernandez and Kelly Daab of butter+velvet HOME · DESIGN for a conversation about creativity, partnership, and the journey of growing something over time.

Michaeline began her career more than twenty years ago with a passion for family-friendly interior design—creating spaces that feel both elevated and livable. As her business evolved, so did a vision: to open a boutique that could bring her design perspective to life in a more personal and community-centered way.

That vision expanded when her sister Kelly joined the business, bringing her own strengths in curation and merchandising. Together, they built butter+velvet HOME · DESIGN into a full-service home design studio based in Denville, New Jersey and one that now serves clients across the country.

But this conversation goes beyond design.

It’s about what it means to:

• Build a business with someone you trust

• Hold onto your individual identity while creating something shared

• Navigate growth, uncertainty, and change over time

• Create spaces, not just physically, but relationally - that feel warm, inviting, and deeply personal

A powerful thread throughout this episode is the balance between individuality and partnership.Talking about how two people can move forward together without losing themselves along the way.

As Michaeline and Kelly reflect on their journey, they offer insight into the quiet, steady work of building something meaningful—rooted in trust, shaped by experience, and guided by a shared vision.

A line that captures the heart of this conversation:

“Moving forward isn’t about becoming something different—it’s about growing into who you already are, while building something alongside someone else.”

In This Episode, We Explore:

• How a passion for interior design grew into a full-service business

• The transition from solo work to sister partnership

• Defining roles, voice, and identity within a shared vision

• Designing spaces that balance beauty, functionality, and real life

• The importance of trust—in relationships, in business, and in the process

• What it means to keep moving forward through growth and uncertainty

A Reflection for ListenersWhether you’re building something with someone else, or finding your own path forward…What does it look like to stay grounded in who you are while growing into something more?

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Music by Maksym_Dudchyk from Pixabay

Podcast produced by Ury Gonzalez