Galleria

Photos of interiors posted by interior designers, retailers, homeowners

Deb Reinhart of Design Odyssey

June 24, 2009
Deborah Reinhart / Design Odyssey

We are living, as Deborah Reinhart, owner of Design Odyssey, Ltd., puts it, in the RE moment.

A time for redesigning, rediscovering, recycling, renewing, renovating, retrofitting, reinventing, rebranding, rehabbing, reorienting, redefining.

I couldn’t agree more. You, too, I’m sure.

New project: The criteria for this Lake Shore Drive condo was to showcase the Indian roots of this international couple with two maturing college-age daughters

Authenticity: “Antiques were used extensively to provide comfort –visual and physical — for the family and their international guests,” Deb says.

Value/quality pieces: Furnishings that are dynamically designed — not branded with excessive costs — were chosen.

Assimilation: Middle Eeastern design concepts seamlessly co-exist with contemporary furnishings.

Starting point: “The core of this design is the owner’s passion for Odegard Rugs; all roads start from Odegard for this client,” Deb says.

Sources:

• Antiques from Primitive in Chicago
• Chandelier made by a California artisan
• Tile in various rooms from Ann Sacks

Deb’s Axioms:

• The leg [or the lack] of it defines the room
• Color is your best friend
• Design, taste, grow: Embrace new ideas. Expect to change your mind. Encourage yourself to stretch beyond comfort.

Budget-saving advice: “A lot of designer firms have ‘tiered’ design programs for clients [as does Design Odyssey]. Most have junior designers who have degrees but need experience,” Deb says. “With the evolution—our economic changes—the opportunity to hire a design firm has never been better. Hiring a firm to provide a plan is possible. Having a designer as an advocate for remodeling—definitely a plus.

“Also many online vendors will have design computer programs—House Beautiful will have a section each month showing how to put together a special room.”

Contact: 847- 877-9510 or deb@designodyssey.com; www.designodyssey.com  

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Matt Lorenz

June 18, 2009
ML Design Studio

You probably know Matt Lorenz from Bravo’s “Top Design” ’07 season, when he snagged the brass ring. Or maybe you know him from the handsome and glamorous bedroom he designed for The Merchandise Mart’s Dream Home that year. All grays and white, leather and tile. Textural and rich. A room that Cary Grant could sink into.

I know Matt best for his generosity in creating a holiday ornament for the Chicago Tribune’s celebrity ornament auction(“Jingle Balls,” Dec. 9, 2007)  when I was there as editor of the paper’s Home & Garden section. His “Come Together Ornament,” made on a $10 budget with a metal pendant and blue and silver beads, was, believe it or not, like his rooms: simple and elegant. And it sold for $150. (Wait, there’s more … click here)

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Susan Fredman Design Group

Susan Fredman provides our first showing in the Galleria. Hope you enojy the projects she’s sharing!

Design goal: “Helping you transform your current environment into the home of your dreams.”

Team: Fredman’s group could field both the home and visiting baseball teams. There’s 18 designers here.

Bit o’ history: Fredman has been creating residential and commercial designs for more than 30 years. She has two studios — one in the city and the other in Michigan’s Harbor Country.

Good buys: Fredman also has two retail stores:
* At Home in the City, 350 W. Erie St., 1st floor, Chicago, 312-587-8150
* At Home with Nature, 15998 Red Arrow Hwy., Union Pier, Mich., 269-469-9640

Contact: 312-587-8150 or info@susanfredman.com