A Design and Build Couple Create a Custom Home for the Holidays

Many couples struggle to pick out a sofa together, let alone renovate a house from top to bottom. But when Meg and Joe Piercy found the ideal fixer-upper in Schererville, Indiana, they turned to the best team they could find: themselves! The Piercys, who have three young boys, are founders of MegMade, an interior design and construction company and home decor store. (They are also the former hosts of Renovation Goldmine.) They both wondered how they’d fare, being the client to their spouse, but they jumped right in. “The craziness made us stronger!” Meg says. They even added an extra challenge: an aggressive schedule to finish the bulk of the reno in two weeks, before the start of school for their sons. After a flurry of work (They filled nine dumpsters!), they met the deadline. The result is a vibrant tailor-made home that gets extra cheery this time of year.

“I never decorated much for Christmas before, but now I have a space that’s fun to dress up,” Meg says. Starting with the exterior, sets of oversized ornaments and evergreen trees in urn planters flank the front door for a very merry entrance.

Meg painted the brick fireplace (Soot by Benjamin Moore) and brought in color with a group of horse canvases from their shop. Cream walls (Swiss Coffee by Benjamin Moore) let the family’s bright Christmas decor really pop. The sectional and swivel chair are both by Rowe and the rug is by Loloi.

Meg had been looking for just the right spot for this Brunschwig & Fils wallpaper; she chose bright blue paint for the paneling and ceiling to match (Blue Lagoon by Amy Howard). “I worried it might be too bright, but it really is a fun talking point when we host dinners,” she says. The table and chairs are vintage — Meg reupholstered the seats with Kravet fabric — and the pink sideboard is a refurbished piece from her store.