OUR STORY
Brass Key & Co. began with a home that was never built.
After ten years in real estate, I developed an eye for what gives a home lasting value. I understood what appraisers noticed, which renovations made an impact, and how thoughtful design could transform the way a home looked, lived, and held its value. When my family began designing our forever home, every detail became an opportunity to bring that vision to life.
Although our plans changed before construction began, the vision never did. I launched Brass Key & Co. soon after, and my first client came just one week later. Today, our studio blends luxury residential design with real estate insight to create homes that are not only beautiful and deeply personal, but thoughtfully designed to hold timeless value. In many ways, the home we never built became the inspiration for everything we've built since.
MEET MERCEDES
OWNER, LEAD DESIGNER
"For ten years, I walked homes as a real estate professional, learning what created value, which renovations made an impact, and which details truly mattered. When I transitioned into design, I brought that knowledge with me. Brass Key & Co. was created to bring clients a thoughtful approach that blends beauty, function, and timeless value."
“Long before Brass Key & Co. became a design studio, I was already looking at homes differently. I saw the details that made them timeless, and I wanted to create spaces built around that same intention.”
The standards behind every decision
OUR DESIGN PHILOSOPHY
I
Architecture first, decoration second.
Beautiful rooms are not decorated. They are built. Every project begins with the architectural decisions that define a space, from ceiling heights and door proportions to the way natural light moves throughout the home. Furnishings complete a space that has already been thoughtfully designed. We never rely on furniture to solve what architecture should have resolved.
"Get the bones right and the rest follows naturally."
II
Design toward permanence, not trends.
Every decision should still feel right thirty years from now. That is not a style. It is a standard. Our approach to design is rooted in timeless architecture, thoughtful details, and materials selected for their ability to age beautifully. We do not design for what is popular today. We design homes that feel just as considered, relevant, and personal decades from now.
"Timeless is not a style. It is a commitment to permanence."
III
Beauty and value are not in conflict.
The most beautiful homes and the most valuable homes are almost always the same homes. Design decisions compound into financial outcomes. Every decision Brass Key makes is filtered through both lenses simultaneously: what makes this space more beautiful, and what makes this home worth more.
"Get the bones right and the rest follows naturally."
