Why do we love blue?

In general, there are so many variations of blue.  It can act as a neutral. It’s easy to introduce to a space. For so many years, the amount of gray and greige has saturated peoples’ consciousness. Having an element of color in these gray interiors brings them to life. And blue and gray look great together. It’s a natural fit. Blue is not the newest color on the market. But the shade here is sophisticated. It has a depth and richness. 

Do you get a warm or cool vibe when looking at this blue?

For most, they’re giving me a level of warmth. It shows that in neutral spaces with warmer, honey tones, this shade of blue can be a nice counterbalance.

Do you see other colors on the horizon? The new jolt?

I would say for the last couple years, seeing a wash of color in spaces will be interesting. For example, a person really enjoys jewel tones – maroon with ochre and a persimmon color. For blue in particular, mixing a few shades of this blue color, and accentuating in different layers, allows a new way to interpret color.

Choose one: simplicity, flexibility, comfortable – which speaks to you more?

I would usually say simple. I think there is elegance in simple lines. But I think through COVID, I’ve realized the power of comfortable – a great mattress or a good chair. Comfort is so subjective the individual. In our industry, finding something comfortable that has a level of simplicity is a real challenge. Design offering both is impactful and important.

Your history, in a snapshot

The genesis of our firm was in real estate. And during the recession, things really shifted in the market. A lot of clients were staying put in existing homes and condos and wanted to make them work.

We are primarily a residential firm. We also do soft commercial – a jewelry boutique, for example. We have a 4-person team. Our office is in the Ukrainian village, which is close to theMART.

On a personal note, three years ago we purchased a vacation home in southwest Michigan. We call it the Flamingo ranch. Not only do we get to stay there, we get to rent it out. A lot of people renting were in the Chicago design community – we made sure it was a unique experience.

What makes the home so unique?

We were working with an existing shell. The house was originally built in the 1940s but was partially renovated in the late 1960s and again in the 80s. For the most part, the home was well kempt. But the bathrooms and kitchen had a very specific style. For instance, the bathrooms were done in all tile and pink fixtures. Versus gutting the spaces and starting fresh, we embraced the pink. It opened us to the levity and joy within the space. It’s why people enjoy staying there. There’s casualness and fun within the space.

What are the new essentials at home?

I think that one of the major notes I’ve seen is that people really want spaces that are multipurpose, and similar to what you have in typical work environments – e.g. a place to have lunch, to have a zoom call, to be comfortable, to plug in. In addition, it’s important to have a space within your home to have your own identify or serenity.