For Nora Schneider, interior design brings the opportunity to know someone’s story. Many clients expect to begin the process with color samples or magazine clippings, but Schneider takes a different approach. “I always start by asking them to share something they already own, something they love,” she says. “It might be a rug or an […]

In a room designed by Bruce Fox, every object feels like family. Art Deco, mid-century and 1970s styles get along surprisingly well, creating a harmonious whole. “It’s as if all your relatives had great taste and you inherited everything,” Fox says. He makes it look easy, but it takes mastery of proportion, materials, color and […]

For the first time in its 20-year history, PAGODA RED is launching its own wabi sabi furniture collection. Designed by founder and creative director Betsy Nathan, these artisan-made pieces are crafted from centuries-old reclaimed elm wood. Made from ancient materials by modern hands, the Provincial Collection embodies a new generation of heirlooms.  A Lifetime of Learning Living […]

One can imagine themselves reading, relaxing and enjoying a warm cup of tea or coffee in a room designed by Jeannie Balsam. Her eye is present not only in the details that make up the design, but also in the unseen ways a room works — the seating arrangement that inspires conversation in groups and […]

As co-founder of Chicago-based architecture and design firm fcSTUDIO and the owner of an impressive portfolio that spans North America, Julie Fisher is at the vanguard of a movement that blurs residential, commercial, and hospitality design. Yet no matter how innovative her interiors, Fisher keeps art front and center. “We create spaces that have lots […]

Tina Ramchandani’s interiors share an innate sense of balance. Understated and beautifully curated, they adhere to what she calls “soulful minimalism,” a style that’s “clean, comfortable, relaxed, and meant to be lived in.” Rather than stark white spaces, her version of minimalism is thoughtfully layered with light, texture, and depth. Ramchandani cultivated her talent for […]

“You have to listen to what a home tells you and go with it,” says Kevin Isbell. The designer, who lived and worked in New York for 18 years, recently moved to Los Angeles, where he’s attuning to a new language of architecture, space, and light. “Color is different in California,” he says. “It’s a […]

Chicago-based designer Shelly Handman has an innate sense of balance and beauty. Over many years, his eye has been trained to perceive details that others miss. “I have always had a reverence for age—a respect,” he says. “We are such a transient society, and everything is always being replaced or torn down.” As an antidote […]

With more that 20 years in the industry, and an international roster of clients, interior designer Shelley Johnstone of the eponymous firm Shelley Johnstone Design is one of Chicago’s brightest style stars. Known for creating elegant, modern spaces with a strong European influence, her designs are equal parts luxurious and livable.  “I like to create beautiful, […]