Blog

In a recent interview, our own interior designer Brandy Rinehart was asked about pricey kitchen upgrades that aren't worth it. Brandy argues that certain kitchen upgrades, such as pot filler faucets, steam ovens, built-in coffee systems, and professional-grade ranges, often come with high costs that outweigh their benefits and frequently remain underused or unnecessary. She also highlights that specialty features like single-slab Italian marble countertops and elaborately designed custom...

In a recent interview with House Digest, our own interior designer Brandy Rinehart spoke on the design secret behind why wood and marble complement each other perfectly. Brandy emphasized the ideal material usage ratio in design. According to Brandy, 60% of your space should feature a dominant material, such as wood. For the secondary material, which makes up 30%, options like marble are recommended. Finally, the remaining 10% should be reserved for an accent material to complete the design...

While big-box brand couches may appear appealing due to their affordability and availability, they often come with notable downsides. One major issue is the lack of durability and quality, as these couches are frequently made with lower-grade materials and mass-produced construction techniques. Over time, this can lead to uncomfortable seating, sagging cushions, or even structural issues. Additionally, big-box options often offer limited customization in terms of fabric, size, and design,...

One of our lead interior designers, Brandy Rinehart, recently was interviewed by House Digest on what things to consider when adding curtains to your kitchen. From the article, Brandy mentioned: "At the end of the day, there are no hard-and-fast rules when it comes to window treatments in the kitchen," Rinehart said. "Whether you choose to blend styles — like a Roman shade over the sink paired with flowing drapery on other windows — or keep things simple with blinds, the goal is to create a...

In a recent article by House Digest, our interior designer Brandy Rinehart was interviewed and shared her thoughts on how open design concepts designs feel more modern. If you would like to read the full article, please click here.

Habitar Design was recently selected as The Best Interior Designer in Chicago, Illinois by Quality Business Awards. Habitar Design achieved an overall quality score of 95% or greater. You can view our award by clicking here. If you are looking for a Chicago interior designer to help with your home, learn more about our services. Our team of designers can help give your home the design you have been wanting!

As a designer of 29+ years, I personally have seen many items that start out as “luxury” designer item, that seemingly only the elite can afford – but has become cost-efficient and very accessible to us all.  Fabric Steam units are officially part of that list. So this linen-pants-wearing maniac mom loves it! Whether you’re one who needs crisp ironed clothes & bed linens or steaming out the occasional wrinkle on a dress shirt, there are plenty of options for all consumers.  Both stand-up...

With the Kitchen and bath market trending towards well-being and respite from the outside world, fitting kitchen and bath spaces with tools engineered to make your home experience more enjoyable is well worth the investment. Kohler is one brand of Kitchen and bath products that never ceases to amaze with innovative fixtures and intuitive design since 1873.  While visiting their showroom and taking a tour with their team, we went through some exciting items. Here are 5 things we found in...

Habitar Design was recently awarded "The Best Interior Designer in Chicago for 2022" by Quality Business Awards for achieving an overall quality score of 95% or greater by our clients. If you are looking for an experienced interior designer in Chicago to help with your project, contact us today. Read More.

The cost of kitchen design in Chicago according to Home Advisor is $4,331 to $22,610 dollars. That's a pretty wide range, but since it comes from Home Advisor's data, I suspect it's true for kitchen designers hired through Home Advisor. It's a commonly held idea that design should cost 10 to 12% of your project. If your project costs $40K, which would be the cost of a small condo kitchen entirely redone, design work according to this formula should run $4,000 to $5200. Many interior designers...

All great interior design starts with understanding your needs first.   Creating your perfect home office is no exception.  Many of the seven steps to a perfect home office are about understanding your needs. Open vs. Closed Do you want your office in the middle of the action or off in a quiet corner of the house?   If you live alone, finding a quiet corner of the house is less of an issue because any part of the house can be quiet.  If you have young kids, you...

You just moved into a new place with your pet and you’re wondering what your options are to make it more functional for both of you? Here are 7 design solutions to give your pet a place to meet their needs while also meeting your needs to have a beautiful, functional home.   1. Cabinetry for Food Bowls and Food Storage Pets’ food bowls almost always look like an afterthought. They’re often located against a wall in or near the kitchen where all aesthetics of a cleanly designed room...

You love the look of your kitchen but what do you do if you don’t have enough storage space to keep things organized and functional?  Here are 5 kitchen storage solutions to create space, better use kitchen space and make your kitchen more functional.  They might even give your friends “kitchen envy.” Add a Pantry Add a matching pantry to the end of your existing kitchen cabinets or on a separate available wall.   Done in combination of painting kitchen cabinets, it can...

You’re renovating your bathroom in Chicago and you’re wondering do I need an interior designer, an architect, a design/build firm or just a good builder to guide me through the process.   It’s the first question to ask when doing any renovation and the answer is not one size fits all.  Much depends on your budget, the size and complexity of your renovation, and the choice professionals available to you that you might hire. Let’s start with your budget.  If you’re looking to...

With updated photos, we'll show you this remarkable home renovation designed by one of Chicago Top Designers, Karl Sponholtz of Habitar Design.  For those who ask: Can home renovation increase the value of your home above the cost of the renovation, here's one example where we believe that happened.   Keep reading to see the before and after pictures, and click here to view a virtual home tour. The home started out as 1985 contractor special with basic finishes and poorly...

This Mies van der Rohe condo interior design and remodel in Chicago was so stunning that the final result was much like a butterfly born from a caterpillar.  Done by Habitar Design Senior Designer Kapan Shipman, it was the creation of a unique unit unlike any of the parts it came from.  The bones she started with were two units previously combined by eliminating the party wall.  The result was a large central space and numerous small outdated rooms including 2 small...

You have made all the major decisions for your new bathroom and kitchen renovation and now it is time to pick the grout color! At first consideration, the grout color does not seem particularly important, especially when compared to all the larger items you need to decide on in a renovation. In fact, you might not even realize that it can add another level of impact in your new space. Grout can blend in with your tile, create high contrast, or fall somewhere in between. Here are three things...

Subway Tile; the most classic choice of all tile materials. To no one’s surprise subway tile was originally designed for subways. Simple, white and keeping spaces light and bright, over the years it has become one of the most desired and cost-effective tiles you can incorporate into your home. We have rounded up 8 of the most popular layout designs to inspire you to break free of standard patterns and create a unique look in your own bathroom or kitchen! 1. Offset Pattern – Horizontal Starting...

You just had a beautiful built-in created in your home, now how do you perfectly style your bookcase to capture the great look you want and carry your personality into the corners of your bookcase? To find out, we interview Hannah Lewick and MacKenzie Cain of Habitar Designer. Here are their 6 tips to style beautiful shelves. 1. Start by clearing the shelves and stepping back It is the obvious first step. It’s best to start with a blank slate, get everything down and then look at your shelves...

Mid-Century Modern has a lot of grays, whites, and rectilinear shapes, which can create some very clean lines and cool spaces.  Succinctly put, less can be boring. (Sorry Meis!)    So what to do?  Now a days, it's possible to mix in contemporary elements to add more visual interest into your interior design.    "You can't be afraid to use different styles that work together.  A home, means clients have their individual tastes and the...

When the D's moved to Chicago, they wanted their new River North condo to have clean lines and be warm enough to spend days in cozily reading and playing board games.   Husband and wife, together since high school, hail from upper New York state on the water just south of Canada, so rustic elements and the color of water on sunny and cloudy days were a natural fit.  These colors along with photos of water near their old home tied all those homes together making their new place...

We just had to share a few more of MacKenzie's amazing photos from her wanderings.  Hey, we're lucky she came back!   Don't you wish you were on this adventure?  MacKenzie Cain of Habitar Design, is a Chicago based residential interior designer specializing in kitchens, bathrooms and built-ins. 

You want to make your kitchen look great (or at least better) and you don't have much of a budget, no problem. I have about 20 years of experience in construction and renovation and some amazing transformations can be done on a tight budget. Here's a few to give you the most bang for your buck.   1.  Painting Cabinets Painting is always a great bang for your buck whether it's on the walls or to rejuvenate cabinets.   Painting cabinets is much less expensive than...