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display a rotating exhibit of
vintage apparel, footwear and
chapeaux. She has a man-nequin,
named after her alter
ego, Maryann, that she outfits
for occasions.
“She’s a perfect size 6,”
Miriam says. Talking about
Maryann’s figure and the
floorplan of her atelier, she
adds, “Things will evolve
and change, but the bones
will not.”
Her studio/showroom is
appointed with upholstered
furniture and illuminated with
Louise Gaskell chandeliers.
It’s a place where her clients
come to pick up their custom-made
jewelry, try on other
necklaces, and play with the
hats. There’s even a full-length
mirror for brides to be and
trunk shows planned.
It’s a place where Miriam
can burn the midnight oil if
she wants, but when it’s time
to call it quits, she can slide the
old church doors closed. With a
kitchenette, a shower bath, and a
Murphy bed, it can also become
a plush apartment for overnight
guests.
While the Oehrlein children
blow bubbles at the ground
level, the couple grills dinner
and talks. If she wants to rinse
off after gardening or paddle-boarding,
the outdoor shower
with its cleverly mounted
surfboard door is something
she had no idea how much she
would enjoy.
“It’s changed the way we
interact with our backyard,”
she says.
by Marimar McNaughton photography by Allison Potter
Miriam Oehrlein, jewelry designer, commissioned Michelle Connolly to create the mural that
covers the underside of her atelier’s Murphy bed in the studio/showroom. Connolly developed the
palette of oil paint and pastel from colors she found in Miriam’s main house and jewelry line. Some
of her 2013 spring line can still be found in Belk at Independence Mall, but her fall line is handled
exclusively at New Elements Gallery in Wilmington.
especially for an artist or a designer}