The Homogenization of Interior Design is Breaking My Heart

**About photo**: Industrial Chic Kitchen, **Intellectual’s Bachelor Pad**. Project Details: This bachelor reads about 100 books a year. The dining room table you're looking at was found at a vintage market and made from the front door of the old Barnes and Noble bookstore in New York—something you can't get at any of the big box stores. The table itself is a nod to his love for books. On the base of the island, you'll see letterpress pieces. In 2016, I had three employees scouring eBay for all the letterpress they could find. An artisan then assembled them onto a board, creating a one of a kind island that is essentially a functional piece of art. The bay window area features a custom boomerang-shaped sofa, designed to fit a reading chair just right—another detail you won't find at big box stores. Not pictured is a chair made from the driver's seat of a 1970 Porsche, showcasing our dedication to highly custom pieces.

I have been obsessed with interior design since I was a kid because it is the art of displaying a resident's personality through an experiential space. When I enter a home, I love getting a more in-depth understanding of who someone is and what they're passionate about, and maybe a reveal of something quirky I didn't know about them before. A home is a canvas.

**About Photo**: British Pub Basement, **Wilmette Residence**. Project Details: I always talk about how this client had a really basic basement, which we transformed into a destination. It features a British pub that looks and feels authentic, complete with a pool table, beer taps, and three TV screens for watching multiple sports games at a time. There's what I call stadium sectional seating: a sectional sofa for the adults and a long table for kids to eat pizza. The space also includes a fireplace and a few cozy reading spots. It's truly a destination, creating a journey through different experiences. You can't get that level of detail and immersion from big box stores; this basement has become the neighborhood's favorite hangout all winter.

When I design a home, the first step is to do a deep dive with my client into their aesthetic loves and hates, hobbies, favorite travel destinations, favorite artists, etc… Then, based on this deep study of who they are, I develop a truly personalized design plan.

Big box stores like Wayfair, Restoration Hardware, Home Depot, etc… do not take this approach. Instead, they brainwash customers to believe that the small number of boring, beige variations and standardized shapes currently available are their only options and any personality or creativity will have to somehow be wrapped around these monolithic options.

As a result, people's homes are starting to look the same—all variations of the same uninspired cabinetry and fixtures, each room a page out of the same catalog as their neighbor's house. This phenomenon also makes homes look like the owners are just trying to make it acceptable enough to sell—not the vibe people should be paying hundreds of thousands of dollars for.

Even though everything looks the same, like an army of stormtroopers - from the furniture to the chandeliers, it must be high quality to be more expensive than smaller, higher quality vendors, right? Nope. A simple Google search will support the fact that most big box options are priced too high for the lack of craftsmanship, quality, and longevity. Most vendors I work with are less expensive than these options, and I only work with those who build the highest quality items.

**About Photo**: Full Steakhouse Industrial Kitchen, **Lincoln Park Wonderland**. Project Details: This kitchen was created to essentially be an industrial steakhouse kitchen. It is a super customized space, featuring a stone sliding backsplash with spice racks behind it. Every detail of the cabinets was meticulously designed, from the illuminated interiors to the metal-wrapped drawer fronts. The front of the island is embossed leather, adding to the bespoke feel. We used AutoCAD to perfectly align the ceiling beams with the windows, creating a rhythmic pattern across the ceiling. We also selected all the furniture, ensuring it matched the look and feel of the entire space. This project exemplifies our commitment to creating unique, cohesive environments.

Okay, so if these options are not highly customizable or high quality, they must be convenient solutions, correct? Is that why people work with them? Sadly, no. Their delivery times are notoriously unreliable and delivery time for single item can span upwards of six months for a single item in some cases. I've yet to meet a client who received all their products on time. They never do an entire home (only specific sections), often creating a disjointed design.

Most importantly, they do not oversee project execution. Once these stores have crushed any fun or uniqueness that their customers initially had in mind through decision fatigue and a general lack of support, they throw them into the deep end of installation and project management, which can become a full-time occupation. Often, this is when I am called in for a rescue job! I'm always happy to help, but the final results are so much better and often cheaper when I start from the beginning with clients.

When clients start from the beginning with Inspired Interiors, they receive the white glove treatment. Once we have a plan, I hold their hands every step of the way, manage all the vendors, and act as a translator between my client's creative spark and my vendors' need for specific instructions. From product and furniture ordering to labor and installation, I manage projects from A to Z, overseeing and coordinating every last detail. Clients only need to be as involved as they want to be. Together, we make truly bespoke, unique homes that make my little designer heart sing.