The Michelangelo Design Council was established in 2005 in response to the growing need for current insights, expanded resources and new solutions for customized ceiling design. The Council includes nationally known interior design and home improvement professionals with a proven commitment to elevating the importance of ceiling design in residential environments.

Michelangelo Design Council Members:

Eric Cohler
Eric Cohler Design Inc.
New York City

Eric Cohler creates interior designs that infuse traditional forms with the unexpected. Considered one of the country’s leading designers, industry magazine editors have dubbed him the “Mixmaster” for his use of contemporary materials, which, when juxtaposed with classical elements, give his interiors a jolt of unusual color and texture.

Eric has earned critical praise since establishing his firm in 1991. House Beautiful described him as one of the 14 “best of the best” in the “next wave of designers in America,” and he is included annually in their “Top 100” issue. He received Traditional Home’s “Designer of the Year” Award and has been recognized by his peers as “one of the 26 leading designers in the United States.”

Eric is a contributing writer for numerous publications, including House Beautiful, Better Homes and Gardens Special Interest Publications and The New York Times. He holds a Masters Degree in Historic Preservation from the Columbia University School of Architecture and a certificate in design from the Harvard Graduate School of Design.

Gene and Katie Hamilton
Maryland
Acclaimed DIY Authors

Gene and Katie Hamilton have been working on houses and writing about home improvements for more than 30 years. They’ve remodeled 14 houses and write a weekly newspaper column entitled “Do It Yourself . . . Or Not?” which appears in newspapers across the country and online.

The Hamiltons are authors of 16 home improvement books, including “Home Improvement for Dummies,” “Fix It and Flip It,” “Carpentry for Dummies,” “Painting and Wallpapering for Dummies,” “Rules of Thumb for Home Building, Improvement and Repair” and “Plumbing For Dummies.”

Gene and Katie founded www.HouseNet.com, the first home improvement site on the Internet and America Online. They have appeared as home improvement experts on CNN, “Dateline,” “The Today Show,” “Home Matters,” “Today at Home” and "Our Home."

Becky Simeral
Simeral Construction
Lititz, Pa.

Becky Simeral, vice president of Simeral Construction, designs custom homes based on clients’ needs, carefully balancing those needs with an eye toward proper mass and scale.

Becky has designed award-winning homes and additions for the last 15 years in Lancaster County. Her most prestigious award to date is Country Living magazine’s 2004 House of the Year. Simeral Construction served as the architectural designer and builder of the home. Inspired by the many stone farmhouses located throughout the area, Simeral seamlessly mixed historically authentic materials with period and modern décor. She created an interior design incorporating a spacious floor plan with modern amenities, and an exterior reflecting detail, scale and building materials typical of an 18th-century farm house.

Becky holds Bachelors and Masters Degrees in Art Education. She retired from teaching in 1987 to co-found Simeral Construction with her husband, Mark. Today, the company has grown to a $15 million enterprise with more than 35 employees.