a b o d e

She moved to New York City after earning a BA degree in Art History and Design from Hollins College. She initially attended the New York School of Design Entree program, but then later went on to get her BS degree from Parsons School of Design and The New School.Mary first worked for Suzie Frankfurt interiors in New York. They designed a wide range of homes for prominent New Yorkers as well as many celebrity residences. Frankfurt was very plugged into the New York social scene. She was friends with Andy Warhol and in fact, did a book with him. She was also very tied in to the auction houses, for both personal and business related interests. In addition to managing Suzie Frankfurt’s office, Mary’s duties included purchasing fine antiques from Sotheby’s and Christies at auction for the firm’s clients. This is where Mary developed her love of period and vintage antiques. She was later hired by Sotheby’s to work the evening and weekend Art and Antique Auctions. She did this in addition to working her interior design jobs during the week. After completing her degree at Parsons, Mrs. Miller added some Commercial Interior Design to her resume by taking a job with Tom Lee Ltd, run by Sarah Lee. This firm specified interiors for many of the fine Hotels in New York and around the Country. Before starting her own firm in 1986, Mrs. Miller took a design position with Dean Patterson Bauer of New York. Bauer’s expertise lay in the extremely detailed work of multi-million dollar full scale renovations. Miller utilize her space planning skills acquired at Parsons, but she learned first hand the intricacies of the plumbing; electrical and woodwork construction necessary to meet the stringent codes of New York City. The firm also had to meet the needs and high standards of their very discerning clientele. In 1986, Mary Tobias Interiors (later Mary Tobias Miller Interior Design)was established. At this point, Mrs. Miller was able to employ all the skills she had gleaned from her education and on the job experience. She later went on to work as an importer of French and English Antiques with a Paris based business partner. More recently, she opened a b o d e in Charlotte North Carolina. Abode houses a retail showroom of transitional and vintage home furnishings and accessories. In addition, Mary Tobias Miller’s full-service Interior Design Studio operates out of the showroom.