Style Your Summer: Covered Porch Makeover!
Is your exterior ready for maximum summer enjoyment? Here in Chicago, our porch sitting days are limited! I am so excited…
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Claire Speaks on Style/Library Panel @ NYC Design Week
I’m thrilled to be attending NYC Design Week for the very first time! I will be speaking on a panel with…
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DESIGN SCHOOL: French & French Interiors
Hello and welcome to our Design School series! If you are new to the blog or the series, this is where…
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Style Library Announces Partnership with Centered by Design as 2019 Brand Ambassador
Style Library Announces Partnership with Centered by Design in Chicago as 2019 Brand Ambassador MARCH 2019 (New York, NY) –…
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Marble vs Quartz: The Great Countertop Debate
Should you choose marble, quartz or granite in the kitchen? The great countertop debate begins right here! Put on your scientific…
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Modern White Kitchen Reveal featured by Monogram Appliances
We are lucky to have the Merchandise Mart here in Chicago and the ability to easily visit and partner with incredible…
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Getting Organized with NEAT METHOD
It’s a brand new year – happy 2019 friends! In honor of starting the year off on the right foot (and…
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Design Blog Hop Holiday Cookie Swap
Get ready for a serious does of delicious my friends. Today I’m sharing how to make mini tea cakes for your…
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This Chic Holiday Brunch is Beautiful and Delicious
Happy Holidays friends! Christmas music starts playing in my head just looking at these gorgeous images. It was so much fun…
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“Metropolitan” Color of the Year 2019
Benjamin Moore, my personal go-to paint company, just announced Metropolitan AF-690 as color of the year 2019. I usually don’t pay a…
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MORRIS & CO x H+M
“Think first of the walls, for they are that which make your house a home.” – William Morris (1832 – 1896)…
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DESIGN SCHOOL: Lauren Nelson
Welcome to another edition of DESIGN SCHOOL. If you are new to the blog DS is a question and answer interview…
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How to Baby Proof Your Home with Style
How To Baby Proof Your Home with Style Hello friends, it’s been awhile since I’ve written a personal post or house…
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CS Magazine | Modern Luxury Feature October 2018
We are thrilled to announce our latest press feature in CS Magazine | Modern Luxury, Om Home, is an article chronicling…
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DESIGN SCHOOL: Josh Young Design House
Happy day design lovers! I’m thrilled to have Josh Young Design House on the blog today. Josh is a recent Chicago…
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Design Chicago 2018 – Save the Date
SAVE THE DATE. I’m honored to be speaking at the Midwest’s largest residential design conference, Design Chicago, which takes place this…
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Starting An Art Collection: What You Should Know
Hey, hey, hey! It’s my birthday today and there’s nothing that excites me more than sharing great design inspiration and knowledge…
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DESIGN SCHOOL: Kevin O’Gara of Thou Swell
DESIGN SCHOOL: INTERVIEW WITH KEVIN O’GARA Kevin O’Gara of Thou Swell blog and Kevin Francis Design hails from Atlanta but is…
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Color Therapy: We’ve Got a Crush on Powder Blue
We have seen pastels popping up in fashion and interiors in a big way over the last five years. Different shades…
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Chicago Design Alliance + St. Jude Fundraiser
Chicago Design Alliance + St. Jude Walk/Run 2018 Fundraiser This is a personal post, but also a post topic that impacts…
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Window Treatments: Roman Shades & Drapery Panels
One of my very favorite ways to transform a room is window treatments. When I started the blog back in 2015,…
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DESIGN SCHOOL: Summer Thornton Design
There’s no better time than the first day of SUMMER to share my interview with Chicago designer Summer Thornton. I’m really thrilled…
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Color Therapy: Decorating with Yellow!
Decorating with Yellow: Chances are you have a specific opinion on yellow, you like it or you don’t. There are so…
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High Point Market Spring 2018: Tres Chic Cocktail Tables
It’s my last post in the High Point Market series! I participated in a wonderful sponsored blogger trip to High Point,…
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The No Makeup Home Tour
I will be the first to admit that I’m a perfectionist and that my Instagram feed is curated and planned. The…
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DESIGN SCHOOL: Lynn K. Leonidas
I first came across Lynn K. Leonidas through Sunset Magazine. Lynn’s firm was hired for a complete gut renovation for the Editor-in-Chief…
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Powder Room Makeover with Ferguson Showrooms
I’m so excited to be revealing our Powder Room Makeover Challenge with Ferguson Showrooms today. This little room has gone from…
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Color Trends at High Point Market 2018
One of my favorite parts of visiting High Point Market is looking for color trends 2018 or validating what seems to…
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Spring Home Tours Update!
If you’ve been reading the blog for a little while you might remember my HOME TOUR last year. I partnered with…
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Insider’s Guide to High Point Market
An Insider’s Guide to High Point Market: My first visit to High Point Market was quite the trip! I attended a…
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Color Therapy: The Evolution of Blush
It’s no secret that pink has been huge for the past several years. It surfaced as Blush and was then coined…
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Modern Luxury Interiors Feature
I am thrilled to announce our most recent press feature and cover line (!) in Modern Luxury Interiors Chicago. The spring…
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Design Bloggers Conference: High Point Tour Announcement
I’m excited to announce that I’ll be participating in the DESIGN BLOGGERS CONFERENCE – HIGHT POINT MARKET TOUR, this coming weekend!…
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Bar Styling Inspiration
Centered by Design worked on quite a few home bars in the last year. I wanted to update this old post…
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DESIGN SCHOOL: Katie Hackworth
I don’t know Katie Hackworth personally but I’m certain she is one badass lady. You can tell from the absolutely stellar…
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Color Therapy: Lagoon
If you look up the most popular interior colors after neutrals, blues and greens are consistently at the top of the…
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PROJECT REVEAL: Bright & Airy Open Concept
This bright airy kitchen makes me so happy! Today’s project reveal is the entire first floor — open concept living, dining,…
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The Warwick Reno: Spring Home Tour #2 – FULL REVEAL
I am SO EXCITED to finally be writing this post! Our upstairs remodel has been in the works a long time….
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Color Therapy: Vermilion
Whether you know a name for every shade or call a spade a spade, color has a huge impact on us…
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Kitchen Design Trends 2018
Before we get too far into the year, I want to share a few predictions for kitchen design trends 2018. I…
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Modern Bulletin Board DIY
It’s hard to find a classy looking bulletin board! And it can be even more difficult to find a nice big…
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How To Pitch & Get Press For Your Interior Design Business
Interior design inspiration and education are my main focuses here on the blog (with some personal updates sprinkled in of course)….
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The Warwick Reno: Nursery Reveal
With only 10 days until baby girl’s due date, I’m excited to finally be revealing the before and after of our…
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DESIGN SCHOOL: Natasha Habermann Studio
Hello there! We are back with a new edition of DESIGN SCHOOL, this time with a designer who comes from a…
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Year in Review: 2017 Highlights
As I write this post at more than 8 months pregnant, I can no longer balance my laptop on my stomach…
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The Best of High Point Market Fall 2017
I was not able to make it out to North Carolina for High Point Market this year, but luckily for all…
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The Warwick Reno: Baby Girl’s Nursery
I can’t believe I’m finally writing this post. Designing the nursery has honestly been tough! I think it’s a lot of…
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Chicago Design Studio Reveal!
We are SO DANG EXCITED to announce the opening of our design studio and cabinetry showroom in the Lakeview neighborhood of…
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Studio Grand Opening + Powder Room Giveaway!
What started as a small sub-lease on little storefront this spring has now become an official INTERIOR DESIGN STUDIO! I am…
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The Warwick Reno: Master Bedroom Design Plan
It’s time for an update on #thewarwickreno and I’m very excited about how far we’ve come upstairs! We are nearing the…
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Design School: Lindsay Speace
A Cape Cod native now based in Raleigh, North Carolina Interior Designer Lindsay Speace’s work originally caught my eye due to…
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CBD on Million Dollar Decorating Podcast
The interior design podcast community is growing (see my list of favorites below) and we’re honored to be featured this month…
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Before + After: Using Neutrals with Style
If you are consistently drawn to decorating with neutrals and bright or bold colors are just not your thing, fear not,…
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My Favorite DARK Paint Colors
DARK paint colors scare a lot of people. Typical concerns you get from clients sound something like: “Will dark paint colors…
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Home Tour with Room for Tuesday Blogger Sarah Gibson
Last winter, while traveling to an influencer event in Minneapolis I had the good fortune of meeting Sarah Gibson of Room…
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Design School: Logan Killen Interiors
Thanks for tuning back in for our second Design School interview! I’m thrilled to have the New Orleans duo, Katie Logan…
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Ch-h-hanges! A New Baby & A New Design Studio
I’m sharing a little secret we’ve been keeping for about 20 weeks – we’re pregnant with our first child! While it’s…
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Find Your Personal Sanctuary
We’ve got a VIDEO! Scroll down to watch and here’s a little backstory: You may not realize that Centered by Design…
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Design School: Studio LIFE.STYLE.
Welcome to the launch of DESIGN SCHOOL. This monthly interview series is chance to get inside the minds of our favorite…
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Color and Pattern for a Family Home
Excited to share a recent project that involved a lot of my favorite – color and pattern! I get extra excited…
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The Warwick Reno: Master Bathroom Planning
Last month I shared our plans for the new bathroom upstairs, including some before photos and the fabulous rendering Deckor helped…
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10 Best Apps for Your Interior Design Business
Everyone has a different path to walk when opening their interior design business and beginning the journey of entrepreneurship. We all…
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Lake Forest Showhouse 2017: Before and After
A big heartfelt THANK YOU to all those who came out to visit The Lake Forest Showhouse 2017. It was an…
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10K Giveaway – Join the Instagram Party
It was a milestone moment for CBD this month when we reached 10 thousand followers on Instagram !! If you follow along…
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Outfit to Room: May Edition
It’s always fun to see what our resident stylist, Alyssa of Cochic Styling, comes up with when she creates “the outfit” to match…
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Spring Home Tours Week Five: Meredith Rodday
Today I’m excited to introduce you to Meredith Rodday of View From My Heels. Meredith’s home is just outside Boston and…
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Women Who MAKE: Zoe Pawlak
Centered By Design: Women Who MAKE Interview – Artist Zoë Pawlak This month, I’m thrilled to introduce you to Canadian artist…
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The Warwick Reno: Spring Home Tour – FULL REVEAL!
It’s week four of the #SpringIntoHome series – and the home tour of our Chicago bungalow renovation is up this week!…
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Spring Home Tours Week Three: Farmer’s Daughter Interiors
Alrighty! By now you know the drill, it’s Friday and that means it’s #SpringIntoHome home tour time. This week it’s my…
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Outfit to Room: April Edition
With wedding season in the Midwest quickly approaching I thought that this month’s Outfit to Room post could stand to go…
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CBD Interviewed on our first PODCAST!
Hello there friends, Excited to have made it through my very first podcast interview!! I was recently interviewed by LuAnn Nigara…
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Spring Home Tours Week Two: Bria Hammel Interiors
It’s week two of #SpringIntoHome and this week’s home tour is courtesy of Bria Hammel Interiors. Bria and I were first…
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The Warwick Reno Featured in The Chicago Tribune
It was an exciting week at the Staszak household. Our little renovation story made it into the Chicago Tribune, and on…
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Spring Home Tour Week One: Doreen Corrigan
Today is the first of the Friday home tours this spring! It’s always thought provoking and inspiring to see how someone…
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Spring Home Tours Announcement
To welcome springtime this year and share our love of interior design, I’ve collaborated with fellow blogger gal pals (many of…
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Women Who MAKE: Angela Chrusciaki Blehm
The wide world of Instagram led me to the work and home of artist Angela Chrusciaki Blehm. Her profile read, “Obsessed…
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Outfit to Room: March Edition
Spring has officially sprung! At least at Chicago’s Garfield Park Conservatory it has. I took a visit there yesterday and it…
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Highlights from the Design Bloggers Conference
Thank you, thank you, thank you! You guys I cannot believe it, but this little blog WON BIG at the Design…
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The Mood Board: How to Create A Feeling
For some, creating a mood board comes naturally. You save bits and pieces of your life; a card from a friend,…
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MyDomaine Features New Work
I am very excited to share some new work with you today! A project that began last July and finished just…
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Outfit to Room: February Edition
It’s time for a monthly does of fashion with guest contributor, Alyssa Doorhy, of CoChic Styling. Alyssa and I both love…
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Design Blogger Conference Awards 2017
Hi friends and readers! I need your help and votes : ) I’m super stoked to be nominated in two categories…
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The Warwick Reno: KITCHEN REVEAL
Woohoo!! The big moment has finally arrived. It’s our classic black and white kitchen reveal! Remember the before photos and the DESIGN…
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Fashion and Interiors with CoChic Styling
Hey there, I’m excited to share a new monthly post concept and my latest collaborator! Alyssa Doorhy is a Chicago-based stylist…
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Save the Date: Lake Forest Show House 2017
I’m thrilled to be participating in the Lake Forest Show House 2017, along side Relativity Textiles! We are co-designing the back…
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Before & After: Family Room Remodel + White Washed Fireplace
This dated family room got a big update! I’m excited to show you the before and after. I think there are…
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2016 Review: Popular Posts, Inspiration & What’s Your Mantra?
Happy New Year friends! I’m not one for resolutions per say, but my yearly tradition seems to center around the notion…
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New Work: Portfolio Update
Holy moly, it’s almost the end of the year!! Web site updates usually take a back seat around here, as just…
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The Warwick Reno: Living Room Reveal
Sit back, relax and get ready for a long post folks! We are going back to the beginning at The Warwick…
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Living Room Sneak Peek & Black Friday SALE
One of the best parts of being a designer is sharing the “reveal” photos. There is so much creative energy, planning,…
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The Warwick Reno: Kitchen Sneak Peek
Ahh! I am so excited to share a few little peeks at our black and white kitchen renovation with you. Carolina…
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One Room Challenge, Weeks Five and Six: The Big Reveal
I finished my first One Room Challenge (and only a day late!). I jumped on this train very last minute, so…
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Shopping Vintage like a Pro
I’m excited to be featured on my friend Erin’s blog today! Erin is DIY maven behind Francois et Moi, and it’s…
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Women Who MAKE: Hapi Art and Pattern
Today, I’m so excited to bring you into the bold and colorful world of Kristi Kohut of Hapi Art and Pattern….
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The Warwick Reno: Entryway Reveal
With the One Room Challenge in full swing, I’ve gotten a little distracted with my other posts. I realized I never…
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One Room Challenge: Week Two, Painting & The Plan
Hiya! If you’re following along with The Warwick Reno, you know my husband Luke and I are slowly renovating our 1932-built…
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Women Who MAKE: Rehabitat Interiors
Have you ever had a design crush? For me, it’s a situation where I look at the work of said designer/s…
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One Room Challenge: Week One, Home Office Makeover
I’m ten seasons late, but I’m joining in the One Room Challenge for the first time! Have you heard of this…
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The Warwick Reno: Blue Bedroom Reveal
The very first room in the new house #thewarwickreno is DONE! I’m so happy to report that it’s the blue bedroom…
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The Warwick Reno: Mudroom Planning
I am loving how recently it seems mudrooms and laundry rooms are taking on a design life of their own. They…
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Before and After: A Charming Bedroom Makeover
Hiya! Quick post today with a great before and after WOW factor. I was thrilled when the stylish and sweet Maya…
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The Warwick Reno: A Chic Entryway
One of my favorite spots to decorate in a home is the entryway. This often overlooked space has tons of potential,…
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Blue Bedroom Design Dreams
Blue is most definitely my favorite color. But I’ve been slightly distressed, because as I solidified designs for the main rooms…
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Easy Bathroom Updates
We are currently living with some super vintage bathrooms (yet to be seen here on the blog), and I’ve been thinking…
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Looking For the Perfect Settee
My middle name as been settee this week! I’ve been looking for a streamlined settee or bench for my own living…
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Design Advice for a Kitchen Renovation
It’s been everything KITCHEN these past two weeks as we gear up for demolition! Luke and I have had a lot…
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Behind the Photo Shoot with Unison Home
Hello friends, sorry for the delay in posting! Summer has really picked up with client projects, the house renovations are underway,…
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The Warwick Renovation: Modern Romantic Design in the Living Room
I’m most definitely a romantic. Actually, I think there is almost nothing I like better than LOVE, but when it comes…
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The Warwick Renovation: Wallpaper Panels in the Dining Room
I’m crazy about wallpaper! But wall-to-wall wallpapering can be a long-time style commitment (not to mention financial commitment). Often you will…
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The Warwick Renovation: Picking Greige Paint & Planning
It’s been almost two months since move-in day, and for the most part the house looks totally the same. I keep…
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The Warwick Renovation: Hollywood Regency Style Dining Room
Let’s start from the beginning. If you’re new to the blog or this series, welcome (if you’re not, thanks for reading…
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Favorite Thrift & Vintage Shops in Minneapolis and Chicago
You guys! I’m excited about this post for so many reasons, but primarily because it means summer road trip season is…
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CBD on Style Me Pretty Living: Gray Living Room Decor
It’s always exciting to see your designs shared online, and my favorite part is reading the article titles and headlines the…
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Our Home Tour: BEFORE PHOTOS
Hello Friends! For those of you who have been following along on Instagram or sign-up for the monthly newsletter, you might…
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Rue Magazine Feature with Relativity Textiles
You may remember textile artist and wallpaper designer, Erin Chlaghmo, from my Women Who MAKE interview series, when I featured her…
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Damn Good Design Articles: Edition 3
It’s a holiday weekend, and hopefully you’ve got a little extra time with friends, family or to check up on your…
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Design*Sponge Interiors Feature: Project Coach House
It is always a thrill to have your work shown on the web, and I’m very honored that one of my…
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Shopping for Vintage with South Loop Loft
Alright friends, if there is one topic I geek out over it’s vintage clothing and furniture. A few of you may…
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Creating A Home Office You’ll Love
*This post first appeared as a guest post on Wandeleur.com where I occasionally write interiors focused articles for their Nest column. When…
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Damn Good Design Articles: Edition 2
Two articles for price the price of one today friends! For this second edition of Damn Good Design Articles, I’ve paired…
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Damn Good Design Articles: Edition 1
Today I’m starting a new kind of post, my first “round-up” of sorts! I’m always scouring the web for all things…
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DIY Wall Art Projects with Wallpaper
There is no denying that wallpaper is back in vogue big time. This month on #WomenWhoMake, I featured artisan textile and…
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Women Who MAKE: Relativity Textiles
I’m really excited for you all to meet Erin. This woman is making it HAPPEN with her own two hands! She’s juggling…
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A Quick Look Back on 2015
It’s been quite the eventful year and my top nine posts on Instagram sums it up pretty well – design, design,…
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Decorating Inspiration: A Bohemian Hideaway
Hi Friends! It’s been over a week since my last post, so sorry! I’ve been busy with a few projects, and…
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Bohemian Style Studio Makeover
I’m excited to share a project with you today that has been in the works for several months. I teamed up…
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Create a Personal Sanctuary that Keeps your Travel Memories Alive
Using the written word to tell a compelling story is a definite art. Gifted writers seem to always find eloquent words…
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Affordable Nursery Design with Target and buybuy Baby
Alrighty! Today I’ve got a short and sweet post all about decorating an affordable nursery. I find that lots of people…
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The Ross House is featured on Design Sponge!
Today I’m really excited to share that a project I was a large part of, The Ross House, has been featured…
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Apartment Therapy Feature
Last week our apartment tour went live on Apartment Therapy! I was really impressed with how well our AT editor seemed…
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High-End Design on a Budget
This post first appeared on Wandeleur.com. A lovely and inspiring lifestyle site based in Chicago, where I occasionally contribute design focused…
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The Art of Layering Rugs
Layering rugs isn’t exactly a new trend, but with the recent explosion of bohemian decorating options for the masses, my pinterest…
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Centered By Design is featured in Germany!
I was pleasantly surprised to get an email from German design blogger Maria Spassov a few weeks ago. Through the wonders…
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Flea Market Fabulous
Summer flea market season officially opens this weekend! Here in Chicago, it’s marked by the Randolph Street Market taking their festivities…
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My Favorite Art Resources
There comes a moment in most 20 or 30 somethings lives when you realize that you need art, you need art…
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Photoshop Tutorial: Create Your Own Color Palette
I’ve been slowing building my Photoshop skills. Digital design skills are very important for interior design work today and there are…
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Bedroom Design: Splurge or Steal?
I am always a fan when fashion magazines do the splurge vs. steal page layout for an outfit. It’s not always…
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Colorful Exteriors & Wanderlust
Lately I’ve been dreaming about two things, 1. My client’s homes (there are many days I wake up debating paint colors)…
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Wallpaper Resources and Trends
Wallpaper is making a huge comeback, and I mean HUGE! You can’t look at any interiors focused site today without an…
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Tips & Resources: Great Interior Design Books
I am definitely a book lover. These days with my Kindle, Iphone and Amazon it’s rare that I actually get to…
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Design Ideas for a Stylish Entryway
The entryway to our homes can often get overlooked. Like a sturdy handshake or friendly smile upon meeting someone, your entry…
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Centered By Design is featured on The Everygirl
For those of you who may not be familiar with The Everygirl, here’s a little introduction. The site is run by…
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Best of Houzz 2015 Award
I’m excited to share that Centered By Design received a Best of Houzz 2015 badge in the SERVICE category for our…
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Colorful & Modern Kitchen Decor Update
I’m working with a client who has recently moved into their first single family home and it’s three times the size…
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Perfect Palette: Color Inspiration
Hello there, I hope everyone had a lovely holiday celebration, and got a special gift you love! I have been inspired…
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Oak Park Living Room Transformation
Woohoo! I have my first before and after project to share, and this room was a dream to decorate. This living…
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How to Refurbish a Vintage Clock
DIY Project – Repurposing a George Nelson inspired clock in six easy steps. I originally wrote this post for KRRB.com they are…
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