Text by Francoise o’Neill • Styling by Kathy Curotto • Photography by Ryan Phillips

After twenty-five years as an advertising copywriter, Mary McPhail knew it was time for a change. Quite literally, the writing was on the wall. “I’ve always had a strong interest in typography,” she explains. “I was intrigued by the idea of using words as a decorating element, but, because I didn’t know how to figure out the right type size or spacing, using stencils wasn’t an option.”

Working with decorative, removable adhesive lettering, she developed her first product line, Wonderful Graffiti, and started a business, Wonderful! To finance the website, Mary and Geord Douglas, her husband and business partner, sold their home and, with daughter Mackenzie and son Ryder, moved in a small, 1950s bungalow. “Taking decorating risks—for example, writing on the walls—makes a space unmistakably yours,” says Mary, whose home and work clearly proves she is never at a loss for ideas or words.

(a) Mary stacked several mirrors in the niches to get them out of the way. “I liked the look, so they stayed,” she says. “The window frame above the mantel was rescued from the trash.” (b) Family gathering.

Old typesetter letters, (c) add warmth to cool metal and ceramic surfaces. (d) Inspired by the interior colors of classic American Motors cars, a painting by artist Carter Thomas matches the home’s palette and Mary’s graphic approach.(e) No welcome mat needed when a mirror spells out graffiti greetings. (f) A narrow hallway turned out to be the perfect setting to indulge Mary’s passion for old mirrors. “They have such a glow about them,” she says. A fanciful bowling pin trophy piques visual interest with style to spare.

With glossy black paint and white vinyl upholstery, (g) Mary restored a pair of dump-destined deacon’s chairs to born-again glory. Set in floating frames, letters from the family business, Wonderful!, spell Mary’s surname.

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