Interior Design for the Individual: Incorporating the Client's Lifestyle

After Photos:

Get a virtual tour of Joe's man-cave designed by Deb Reinhart Interior Design Group through our feature on Open House or read the full article in Modern Luxury Interiors.

After photo: custom mill work with red top cabinets

After photo: pool table area converted into lounge

Our client asked us to design a masculine man-cave to provide more comfort and function. For Joe, this meant highlighting his love of hunting. We took this former pool table room and added a seated bar, TV, and comfortable seating with indoor/outdoor fabric making it dog-friendly.

Before Photos:

Before photo: bar area

Before photo: pool table area

A bedroom was created in the adjoining room and a new lounge allowed for entertaining and relaxation. Our design team (with a skilled general contractor) added a custom bar for seating and in doing so, added more storage and function. We then eliminated the top cabinets for a more open feel.

Unique Individuals, Unique Spaces: 6th Floor City Beach House

"What does comfort look like?" To this jet-setting family, comfort looks like a place to get away without having to head to the airport again, a vacation home in their home town. Comfort was key; this needed to be place you could kick off your shoes after a long week but also luxurious enough to 'wow' out of town guests, and practical enough to stand up to teenage sleepovers.

What does style look like?

With it's mix of elegant materials, fun pops of color, comfortable upholstered seating , this home reflects both the relaxed yet upscale atmosphere the homeowners desired.  Indian inspired art and accents reference the family's heritage.  It's a home that truly reflects who they are and how they live.

This project was featured in TCW magazine's June 2013 issue. Check out even more pics from this urban retreat here. 

Unique personalities, unique spaces: Interior design with the individual in mind

What does comfort look like? To a sophisticated urban bachelor who divides his time between the worlds of finance, international travel, and outdoor adventuring, comfort looks like a home that reflects his luxurious tastes while being squarely focused on relaxation and refuge.

What does style look like?

It's a space where he can be surrounded by antiques collected during his world travels but where the dog is still welcome on the sofa, a careful mix of hearty materials and luxury details.  It's a home that reflects his lifestyle and his personality.

"This is where Joe can be Joe."

Grab the Fall edition of Modern Luxury Interiors for a close-up tour of this Streeterville townhome designed by Deb Reinhart Interior Design Group.

Stay tuned for another great piece of press on a Deb Reinhart project, from the clients needs, the designers challenge to the finish product!

Indoor/outdoor fabric for interior upholstery; kid-friendly, pet-friendly, style friendly!

When presented with the challenge of creating a space that can stand up to the demands of an active family with five children or a bachelor with a love for labrador retreivers, we don't sweat. At Deb Reinhart Interior Design Group we want the spaces we design to be both stylish and livable. Over the past few years the availability of designer indoor/outdoor fabrics has exploded and the quality has become so great, they're comparable to luxury  interior fabrics. Those old stiff coated cottons of the past have been replaced with acrylic fabrics with the look and feel of plush boucle, elegant linen plus tons of on-trend patterns.

Feel free snuggling up to your pups on this striking sofa...

 

And don't fret if pasta sauce drips on these dining chairs.

 

In these living spaces our clients asked for functionality without sacrificing style. We know that thanks to new jacquard weaving techniques, innovative yarns, and advanced finishes durable no longer has to mean utilitarian and chose to upholster these pieces, which are used everyday, with indoor/outdoor velvet.  The quality of these new fabrics is so excellent, no one needs know our little secret.

Earlier this summer our team attended the launch of Holly Hunts new collaboration with Sunbrella, one of the oldest and most trusted names in outdoor fabric. We were wowed by the new collection, especially the loopy boucle Breathe Easy and the plush, almost shaggy Lionheart.

The line also features classic nautical stripes and geometric patterns in shades of on-trend teals, blues and grays...on fabrics of course, and for this special launch printed on cookies!

Designing Indoor/Outdoor Living Space

This humble unfinished basement is about to undergo a massive transformation. What is now storage, utility access and empty space will soon become a contemporary, comfortable basement for a family of four to include:

• home office
• art studio
• theater
• wine cellar
• poker and ping-pong area
• full kitchen and bar all with easy flow to a landscaped backyard and patio.

It's a major project that will dramatically change how they live in their home! Where do we start with such a large undertaking?

Our team is developing a space plan and supplying CAD drawings that will carve out rooms in this vast open space, as well as designing all bathrooms, the kitchen, and built-in cabinetry, and selecting materials, furniture and accessories.

The clients mandate was for the design of a comfortable and welcoming space for family and friends that appeals to both adults and teenagers, is easy to maintain and has a unique and stylish look. In order that we create a space that's not only beautiful but functional, there were some space planning challenges we need to solve.

•  The art studio needs natural light, which means it has to be placed on an outside wall.

• The homeowner was concerned about noise from the television drifting up to the first floor master bedroom so we'll be creating a state of the art home theater that's placed on an inner wall far from the bedroom. Since it doesn't need light, this was a natural choice.

• A big focus on this project is creating a unified indoor/outdoor living space. The double doors above will be eliminated and a new entrance will be created where the bay window is now. That new entrance will lead from the bar to the outside dining space, creating the perfect flow for entertaining.

In addition to overseeing all aspects of the decor and installation of the finished basement, we're thrilled to be working with the client, their builder and the designers at Chicago landscaper company Christy Webber to plan the ultimate in family-friendly indoor/outdoor living space. The client property features and large yard and they've asked for an easy to maintain landscape plan as well as a screened-in porch, hot tub, and patio with an outdoor kitchen, dining and lounge space.

This past week we took a trip to Christy Webber's headquarters on Chicago's west side to review the landscape designers master plan with the client. Since we want to create a unified space, communication and collaboration with landscape designer is vital. It's a pleasure to be working with their renowned team of designers. Not only are they behind some of the cities most beautiful residential and civic spaces but their own headquarters is an award winning, LEED-platinum certified marvel that  has yielded numerous awards for it's design and commitment to sustainable design, recycling and reuse of materials.

We're thrilled to be working with Christy Webber to create a cohesive indoor/outdoor design and help our client achieve their landscaping dreams.

Be sure to check in as well be keeping you updated as this massive project develops. The next step...designing a full kitchen that works on its own and as an extension of the outdoor living space.