Sometimes the advice of someone in the know is worth a fortune in expensive how-to books, countless interviews and endless self-doubt. We asked 30 experts in various fields of design in Chicago and around the country to share some of their secrets.
Holly Hunt
Owner, Holly Hunt Ltd., design showroom, Merchandise Mart, Chicago
The three most important things in decorating are comfort, quality and editing. What you leave out can be almost more important than what you leave in.
Joe Covert
Merchandise manager, Restoration Hardware Inc., Corte Madera, Calif. (four Chicago-area locations)
If there’s a question of going with the classic pulls (round chrome) or the whimsical (fruits, stars, etc.), choose the classic. You don’t want to overpower the cabinet or drawer, so use the fixture as an enhancement rather than the focus.
Timothy Smithe
Vice president of marketing, Walter E. Smithe Custom Furniture Inc., Itasca
Use a designer to save time, energy and money. A designer can start at the blueprint stage. Furniture is lighter and easier to move on paper, and a designer can save you costly mistakes such as selecting an armoire that is too big for the room or fabrics that don’t work together.
Jerry Milewski
Principal, American Gardens Inc., landscape architects and contractors, Warrenville
Consider how big things grow to be, so plants and trees don’t block windows. Pay attention to which areas are shady versus sunny. Also, it’s fine to work in stages, by area or by planting the largest elements first so you see how they grow.
Rita Bucheit
Owner, Rita Bucheit Ltd., antiques shop that specializes in Biedermeier furniture, Chicago
In buying an antique, focus on four basics: (a) aesthetics; (b) authenticity; (c) good construction (that it was handmade with thick veneer, for example); and (d) the right dollars.
Mick De Giulio
Owner, de Giulio Kitchen Design Inc., Chicago and Wilmette
Choose the right material for the right function. A wood chopping block should go outside a wet area yet be close enough to a sink and cooktop for chopping. Marble is great for baking and rolling but will show wear, so be sure you like the patina of age.
Soapstone is good for a sink, tile for a backdrop and flooring. Granite makes a perfect countertop because its grain and pattern show the least wear and it absorbs the least. Limestone is forgiving when it comes to cleaning.
Lynn R. Hummer
Interior designer, Lynn R. Hummer Interiors, Chicago
Too many people look at a magazine and see a beautiful room, but it doesn’t become them. It should, because it’s the thing you wear every day. People with delicate coloring shouldn’t be in rooms that are heavy and dark; redheads look beautiful in soft colors and bad in hard, strong navy blues, greens and reds.
Amy Finkel
Co-owner, M. Finkel & Daughter, antiques shop specializing in textiles, Philadelphia
When you’re trying to learn about a field to start collecting for your home, get to know a dealer who’s a specialist. You can find them through ads in antiques and design magazines and through antiques shows since many participate. Also, read books about a subject, visit museum collections, attend symposiums. If you find a piece you like, know the right questions to ask: its construction, materials, provenance. Price should come in at the end.
Obi Nwazota
Architect, co-owner of the clothing store SoftCore, Chicago
Outlast is a gel that regulates temperature and is being used in clothing for extreme sports, but it has future applications for the home. It can be used in upholstery and paint to regulate temperature and keep it constant without the use of heat.
Nancy Corzine
Manufacturer and designer, Nancy Corzine, Los Angeles (through Thomas Job showroom, Merchandise Mart, Chicago)
If you’re going to buy one sofa, it’s important to invest in a traditional design that can look either very traditional or contemporary and be a chameleon depending on the setting. If there’s one best style, one that’s the most classic that can do this, it’s a tuxedo design. Buy it either 7 feet or 8 feet long, depending on where you live. We sell more 7-foot sofas for the East Coast, where many people live in New York City apartments, and more 8-foot sofas on the West Coast. In the Midwest, it depends. If you live in a Chicago apartment, then buy a 7-foot one; in a house you could go for 8 feet.
Lisa Rosenberg
Co-owner, Arrelle Fine Linens, Chicago
Put things next to your skin that are of the highest quality and softest feel; use the best high-ply Egyptian cotton, the finest duvet cover for an ensemble. Don’t think everything has to match in color, texture or pattern. Build on what you own.
Robert Verdi
Personal shopper and interior expert, ABC Carpet & Home, New York
The biggest myth is that there’s a standard-size window so you can use over-the-counter drapery choices. You may in some cases, but close usually isn’t good enough. You wouldn’t tailor pants 4 inches shorter than they should be. Right now the look is clean, so have curtains go just to the floor or sill.
Ann Nathan
Owner, Ann Nathan Gallery, Chicago
Buy one good piece of art a year and make an arrangement with a gallery or seller to pay it off slowly if you can’t all at once. At the end of 10 years, you’ll have a nice collection. Buy from your heart, just as the artist paints from the soul.
Jay Goltz
CEO, The Goltz Group, specializing in framing, gardening and home accessories, Chicago
Use bigger mats, bigger frames for your art. It’s the more dramatic look now because of the influence of museums. We suggest this style even on smaller pieces since the frame is part of the beauty of the finished work.
Benjamin Noriega-Ortiz
Interior designer, Benjamin Noriega-Ortiz, New York
Shop carefully for a designer. Before interviewing, write down what you’re looking for–what type of relationship you want and what your taste is. If you like to shop for furniture and fabrics, look for that. If you’re busy, select a designer who will get everything to you. Ask how the designer charges. Some charge by the hour and percentage of total cost. What takes the most time is follow-up–checking where fabric is, where the sofa is, getting it delivered.
Alex Jordan and Dan Smieszny
Partners, Bruce Gregga Interiors, Chicago
Slipcover furniture for a seasonal look. In a room with parchment-colored walls and a multicolored rug, we dressed the furniture in chocolate-brown wool gabardine and wool sateen for warmth in winter and sky-blue linen for freshness come spring.
Jeannine Dal Pra
Co-owner, Elements, home furnishings shop, Chicago
Think of accessorizing your home the same way you accessorize your body. Change the look of your tableware and glassware by changing your placemats and napkins and by using different vases or candlesticks for centerpieces. Just because you buy something for one spot doesn’t mean you have to leave it there indefinitely.
Jeff Hester
Painting superintendent, Hester Decorating Co. Inc., Skokie
Good preparation is essential for paint to last, which means scraping or removing faulty paint or plaster, thorough patching and priming, two finish coats. Buy good quality paint; it’s not worth skimping to save $5 a gallon on one gallon of paint.
For a regular finish, use an enamel or semi-gloss on trim so it washes well and lasts longer; it can be latex or oil-based. For the main surface, use a low-luster eggshell enamel, which is washable and won’t highlight imperfections.
Richard Becker
Architect, Becker Architects Ltd., Highland Park
If you’re building or remodeling a multistory home, think about the design of your stairway. A more classic style, such as Mission with a square baluster, will work with most designs–traditional or modern–unless you want to be very authentic.
Jon Himmel
Interior designer, Jon Himmel Decorative Arts, Chicago
Start with the floor. You can always find materials and treatments for walls, windows and upholstery, but once you get locked into a certain color, pattern or texture, it’s hard to back in and select the right floor covering.
Leslie Hindman
Founder, eppraisals.com, an on-line appraisal and auction Web site, Chicago
If you buy at auction on the Internet, be sure you check common misspellings. For example, there’s no “e” in “Wedgwood,” and if you search the wrong spellings, you can often get bargains because fewer people look at those sites. Also, wait until the last day or hour to bid. You can get better deals. Get a second opinion because the owner may not have listed an item properly.
Barbara Oberheide
Lighting consultant, Idlewood Electric Supply Inc., Highland Park
Don’t do just recessed lighting or any single type of light. Your room will be warmer and have more mood and character if you use some recessed, some table lamps, a few chandeliers, some sconces, and so on. Have some lights on dimmers for greater visual depth.
Andrea Cox
Showroom manager, Village Carpets Inc., Chicago
Think of your floor as a fifth wall and the centerpiece of your decor. Although carpet may be one of your last decorating expenditures, avoid the mistake of sacrificing quality to offset other budget overruns. Carpet prices correlate to the quality of fiber and construction. Both influence durability. Wool is great for resisting soil and spills.
Kaki Hockersmith
Interior designer, Kaki Hockersmith Interiors Inc., Little Rock, Ark.
Frequently, clients (the Clintons are among her clients) want to order furniture that is available immediately and are reluctant to special-order a custom item that will take 10 to 12 weeks to arrive. I find if you really love (a piece of furniture), it’s worth the wait. Do not make every decorating decision about a new space until you have lived in it for a while. You’ll be better equipped to make good choices a few weeks or even months after you have moved into your new home.
Victoria Hagan
Interior designer, Victoria Hagan Interiors, New York
Spring is a great time to re-evaluate your home and edit thoroughly so your room speaks better for itself and isn’t as cluttered. Look at what you can’t live without. I have a simple glass vase in my living room that I put branches in that I can’t do without. You might remove some pillows, an ottoman, tchotchkes, photos. Most of us put too many things in a room. Do you need so much? Probably not.
Andrea Easton
Owner, Andrea Easton Antique and Decorative Prints, Los Angeles
Buy a group of prints rather than a single one. This is different from the way you buy a painting. Prints are typically small and look better grouped. Try to buy an even number because it’s easier to hang two on one side of a bed or couch or one above another. Use the same conservation mat and frame for all. The most popular now are botanicals.
Karen Brusic
Owner, Brusic-Rose Inc., custom upholsterers, Merchandise Mart, Chicago
Custom upholstery represents the best in seating because it incorporates the best lumber, springs, foam, down and feathers. It costs more but lasts forever. You also get to choose what you want in terms of comfort and design: the style and size of each part, how tight or loose the cushions are, whether there are legs or a skirt.
Ioannis Davis
Designer, Basil Associates Inc., architects and planners, Northfield
Put ceiling fans in as many rooms as possible; they raise the value of your house and save you energy. You can change the rotation of the blades according to the season. In winter blow the hot air down, in summer draw the cool air up from the floor.
Shelly Handman
Interior designer, Handman Associates, Chicago
If you’re not going to stay put for several years and need good storage, consider a custom free-standing chest or armoire. You can recycle old tansu doors or doors from another period with a newly constructed cabinet that is made to look authentic, then retrofit the interior with space for a TV, stereo, video equipment and room for CDs and movies.
Leslie M. Stern
Interior designer, Leslie M. Stern Design Inc., Chicago
A homeowner who is wheelchair-bound or uses a cane or walker has more choices today. One of the latest trends in bathroom products is wall-hung toilets and sinks, which allow greater accessibility. They’re already popular in Europe and are also smart choices for very short or very tall homeowners.
Showers can be built without a threshold so wheelchairs can roll right in and occupants can transfer to a built-in bench or fold-down seat. Low-glare tiles on floors, walls and other surfaces make it easier for people with impaired vision to see than high-gloss tiles; they’re also less slippery. Another good trick when using tile on floors is to add wider grout lines to provide more traction.
