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Celebrating 19 Years as Barrington’s Signature Magazine
Celebrating 19 Years as Barrington’s Signature Magazine
It’s hard to sum up all the skill and talent that Mosie Potts-Himes leverages for her clients. And if you didn’t know her extensive background and training, you’d think she was just a naturally gifted master home stylist. Yet, she is exactly that. We asked her clients to share their thoughts about Himes, and they summed it up best.
“Mosie Potts Himes stands out as a multi-faceted marvel in the creative world, skillfully blending her expertise as a floral designer, interior designer, and event planner into a seamless and vibrant tapestry of services,” shared one client from the area. “Not only is she recognized for her professionalism, but her clients also find joy in her company, making every project an enjoyable and memorable experience. With a remarkable ability to work swiftly, Mosie has an unparalleled knack for transforming dreams into reality, often going above and beyond to assist her clients in times of need. Her dedication and passion for her craft make her an invaluable ally in bringing any vision to life, ensuring that every detail is perfect, and every moment is cherished.”
A family nickname for Maureen, Mosie helps her clients love their homes and be present at their family parties because she handles the event. “Mosie is one of the most creative and thoughtful people we know,” said Kathy Gabelman, is the founder of Barrington’s Smart Farm that celebrated harvest time with farm-to-table dinners at the white barns at Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital. She turned to Himes to level-up the event using her country-chic ambience and décor. “She calls herself a stylist, but she is so much more! She is a true artist that creates amazing spaces and lifelong friendships,” she said.
Darby Hills is a busy wife and mother of three. She and her husband Tom also run Barrington’s Children’s Charities. “Mosie and her team at OMO created an elegant atmosphere for a chef dinner experience at our home for dear friends and family,” Hills said. “Our guests commented on the beautiful and thoughtful décor with amazing attention to detail! Thanks to OMO for providing a canvas of memories that we will cherish for years to come!”
If you attended the “Cynthia Rowley Brings the Beach to Barrington” fundraiser in June 2022 at Barrington’s White House, Himes was the event designer who created a Hamptons-inspired tented party. Rowley, a Barrington native, is the creator of a New York based leading global lifestyle brand that believes fashion should be an adventure. She has returned for special events fundraisers at Barrington’s White House. Himes’ leveraged her tongue-in-cheek designs creating one-of-a-kind nautical themed décor of lobsters, hanging nets, and hurricane candles.
In January and February, Himes places large orders of plant materials that will end up in container gardens for her clients once they arrive. Himes is inspired by the English method of handling plants, and she was trained in England with the proper methods in preparing above-ground gardens with a stylized look that her clients appreciate.
Himes also worked at the Barrington Flower Shop for four years before opening OMO. “I learned flowers and fell in love with the process of floral arranging,” she said. “My mom loved flowers and they were a constant in our home. This opportunity enabled me to immerse myself in the art of buying and arranging flowers. Now, I use these skills to create floral installations for my clients,” she said.
Himes maintains a “Ritz Carlton-ready” philosophy which keeps her
clients’ homes, florals, linens, and creature comforts always fresh and in order. “You don’t’ let the plants go bad,” she says. “Everything is fresh.”
Having a sense of style can be nurtured over time, but to learn the art of style at the level that Himes has achieved, you need to work with brands that have world-class style rules and standards. “Luxury brands have a philosophy that you can never settle, never be good enough. Their people keep pushing to achieve a level of perfection,” Himes said.
The Neiman Marcus Flagship Store in Dallas was Himes’ first career step after college. She worked as the manager of the Georgio Armani Boutique and was the manager of the Couture Department where she was responsible for executive training. Neiman Marcus in Dallas was second only to New York City as the fashion destination.
“I was exposed to amazing people in the fashion industry, and worked with clothing that was made by the finest craftsmen using amazing fabrics and details,” Himes said. “Our store was filled with the best designers in the world.” Himes learned that fine clothing is a way of life—that it is slow fashion, investment pieces, not made in factories.
It’s one thing to arrange world-class travel for your company. It’s entirely another when you take those same trips in advance, to check out every detail which Himes did. Nothing is left to chance. While based in Dallas, Himes handled the corporate travel for several companies that provided travel as an incentive or bonus for their top executives. “We took clients all over the world,” Himes recalls. “We stayed in the finest luxury hotels and resorts, executed exciting itineraries, and required white glove service every step of the way. One of our clients, Seagram’s, traveled with us to the Vatican,” she said.
Himes had the opportunity to work for several top fashion houses. She was an executive trainer and helped open new boutiques in the United States for Les Copains, a luxury Italian knitwear brand with a French name. She also helped an American company, Eccoci, launch its European-inspired women’s tailored fashions in the United States. Her role included participating in the design of the clothing line at the headquarters in New York.
American icon and groundbreaking fashion designer Bill Blass launched a relaxed, elegant line during a time when international fashion was focused on French style. He was the first to design a menswear line. Himes developed the sales program for Blass as the Midwest regional sales manager from the New York City office.
Perhaps the foundation of Himes’ ability to intuitively understand each clients’ unique needs and personal tastes started at home. Her family lived on the North Shore in Wilmette, where Himes attended New Trier East High School. Her mom, Bobbi Ahern Potts, was classically trained at the Le Cordon Bleu and La Varenne cooking schools in France. Her mom also owned two furniture stores, Pott’s Luck Antiques, one on either end of Wilmette. Large dinner parties gave Himes the chance to work with her mom and learn how to set the table, arrange the silver service, and learn the art of fine food and wine.
Her maternal grandfather, William S. Ahern, was a co-founder and Commodore at the Chicago Corinthian Yacht Club, and a founding member of the Island Goats Sailing Society, a group of sailors who have competed in at least 25 Chicago Mackinac Races. He also bought Theodore Roosevelt’s sailboat, the Gaviota, in 1934 with a friend and co-founder of the Corinthian Yacht Club. Roosevelt took this yacht out to the middle of nowhere for the chance to think.
The family also maintained a farm near Wilmot, Wisconsin, where casual elegance was de rigueur. In her work today, Himes draws on a wide array of hands-on experience which today is her hallmark brand of casual elegance, the “not-trying-too-hard look” that her clients in the greater Barrington area and beyond have come to love.
OMO Designs has a warehouse in Barrington where Himes works with her lead designer Ari Heick and project managers Ray Himes (son) and Patrick Potts (nephew). A unique service OMO provides at the warehouse, with the help of seasoned furniture restorer and painter Roman Soldan, is specialty furniture lacquering. They take old family pieces, or furniture that has a leg missing, chipped drawers, or issues of age and wear, and turn them into something new.
“The process takes at least 20 steps to complete,” Himes said. “And it’s not inexpensive. We use the Fine Paints of Europe, which offers sublime Dutch enamels with the highest level of ingredients. Many of our clients even recognize their colors,” she said. Once a piece of furniture is brought in, Soldan evaluates the level of care that will be needed to take it from imperfect to near perfect. The transformation requires a variety of sandpapers, repairs, material to fill damaged areas, and then several coats of paint. The result is a piece that has new life and the reflective finish of a mirror.
Mosie Potts Himes is joined by daughter Kate Himes on location for the QB cover shoot. Kate Himes owns the marketing agency Kateify and works with local clients including the Village of Barrington and Barrington’s White House staff to help publicize and produce cultural events throughout the year. Like her mom, Kate is creative and innovative in her work.
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