Our Design Process

To create great spaces that are beautiful and functional, our team of luxury interior designers must wear many hats during the design process. Like journalists, we question and discover relevant aspects of our clients’ lives. Like psychologists, we analyze, synthesize and advise. Like accountants, we deal with budgets and maximize resources. Like artists, we put a palette of materials to imaginative use. And as design professionals, we create architectural plans; develop timelines; handle logistics; execute installations and solve aftershocks.

Our team is talented, patient, creative and astute. We know how to divide and conquer to achieve great results. It’s this commitment to superior outcomes that allows our Chicago-based interior design team to function at a high level not just in our hometown, but also from coast-to-coast and abroad.

Yet the actual design process can be confusing. Clients often want to know if they should start picking out sofas, carpets or paint colors when we first meet with them, which is putting the cart before the horse. Our process is designed to ensure those sofas, carpets and paint colors will be flawlessly tailored to meet a client’s specific lifestyle needs and stand the test of time. Here’s the design process we follow:

Discover + Define

How do you live? Who are the family members – from pets and babies to parents and relatives – that share your space? Do you entertain often, work from home, have houseguests, or cook frequently? Are you formal, casual, or even both depending on the space? Are you starting from scratch, or reusing beloved pieces in a new way? And how about your aesthetic preferences – what are the furnishings, colors or textures that you covet or can’t tolerate?

Whether the scope of a project is one room or an entire home, our mandate is to discover and define every aspect of our clients’ wants, needs—and even wildest dreams—as well as budgets, sticking points and limits. We do so through a series of dialogues that, over time, allow us to develop longstanding relationships with our clients. We listen carefully to make sure we recognize the exact needs of our clients and address the requirements of their spaces.

Analyze + Evaluate

Our thorough discovery process gives us the information we need to analyze and evaluate all the design possibilities, and then create program options to fulfill a client’s needs. These are organized into presentations that offer alternatives for every aspect of the overall design, from architectural detailing and floor plans to the fixtures, furnishings, materials and colors used to outfit each space. Along with feasible choices, we provide realistic construction and furnishing budgets every step of the way. Presenting and adjusting the design program with our clients fosters trusting relationships and ensures each element of the project is thoughtfully considered – from the nitty-gritty necessities to the bespoke gestures that make a project unique.

Refine + Decide

Weighing options with our clients allows us to refine a program to make sure it meets every aspect of their lifestyles. Sometimes, this can be as simple as amending layouts or architectural details, ordering a standard piece of furniture with a custom finish or finding durable but beautiful family friendly fabrics for upholstery. Or it can involve drafting intricately detailed drawings to create life-changing custom environments or specific pieces of furniture. Our interior designers have exceptional design and drafting skills. And our firm has an incomparable, carefully vetted stable of craftspeople and artisans that can realize any design, from customized closets to bespoke furnishings, carpets, window treatments and wall coverings. These tailored elements ensure each space fits its owner’s specific needs.

Execute + Proceed

Once all the elements of a program are in place, our team executes final orders, creates timelines and coordinates on-site construction work and installations. Our interior designers manage every step and stage of the procurement, production and installation process. We meet with millworkers, refinishers, artisans and painters, and we inspect every fixture, furnishing, window and wall treatment prior to installation. This allows us to maintain the highest level of quality. When unpredictable issues arise, our designers work with suppliers to repair, reconstruct or replace anything that doesn’t meet our exacting standards.

Install + Complete

A flawless home happens in stages. Our team coordinates and executes all construction and installations, which vary based on the phases each project requires. We manage the delivery, installation and positioning of all fixtures and furnishings, and often curate and install accessories and artworks with homeowners’ new or existing treasures to give each home its final layer. After a project is installed, we give our clients a personal file that includes product information, warranties and care instructions. We create spaces that are efficient, effective and luxurious, but reflect each clients’ individuality and leaves them with a fondness for their beautifully appointed homes.

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