What does an interior designer do?

An interior designer plans how a space works and how it looks. That includes space planning and furniture layouts, finish and material specification, cabinetry and millwork design, lighting plans, custom furniture and drapery, procurement, and coordination with your contractor or builder through installation.

How much does interior design cost in Chicago?

Chicago designers typically bill hourly, at a flat fee per room, or as a percentage of the project budget. Market hourly rates commonly run between $75 and $500. Sarah Jacquelyn Interiors bills hourly with an initial retainer for full service work, a flat fee per room for styling, and time blocks for consultation.

How do I start an interior design project?

Schedule a free 30-minute design discovery call. We review your space, timeline, and budget, recommend the service that fits, and provide a detailed scope of work before you commit to anything.

Do you design Lincoln Park greystones?

Yes. Greystone and brownstone renovations are among our most common Lincoln Park projects, including kitchens, baths, and whole-home work that preserves original millwork, mantels, and detail.

Can you design a Lincoln Park new construction home?

Yes. We work with your builder and architect from early drawings so millwork, lighting, cabinetry, and finishes are planned before framing closes up.

What should I plan for in a Lincoln Park renovation?

Narrow stairs and tight landings limit furniture delivery, existing plumbing stacks make relocating baths costly, and landmark district rules can govern exterior work. All of it is manageable when planned early.

Interior Design in Chicago, IL

Interior design in Chicago, IL from Sarah Jacquelyn Interiors combines space planning, finish selection, custom furniture, cabinetry, drapery, lighting, and project management into one managed process. This award-winning Chicago interior design firm serves homeowners in Lincoln Park, Gold Coast, Lakeview, West Loop, Bucktown, Wicker Park, and River North for new construction, remodeling, and full-home furnishing.

What Interior Design Actually Covers

Interior design is not decorating with a bigger budget. It is the discipline of making a space work — how you move through it, where light lands, where storage lives, what the sightline is from the front door — and then making it beautiful on top of that structure.

At Sarah Jacquelyn Interiors, an interior design project starts with programming: we document what you own, what you need, how many people use the room, and what the space fails at today. Then we plan. Floor plans and furniture layouts come before shopping, because the fastest way to waste money in a Chicago home is buying a sectional that does not fit the room it was bought for.

From there we move into materials. Tile, stone, quartz, hardwood, paint, wallcovering, plumbing fixtures, hardware, and lighting are selected together so that finishes relate to each other rather than competing. We are known for layering color, texture, and pattern, and that layering only reads as intentional when it is planned as a whole.

Interior Design Services We Provide in Chicago

Space planning, floor plans, and furniture layouts
Finish and material specification for kitchens, baths, and living spaces
Custom cabinetry, millwork, and built-in design
Lighting plans, fixture selection, and switching layouts
Paint color and wallcovering schemes
Custom furniture, upholstery, and drapery design
Rug, textile, and art curation
Procurement, order management, receiving, and delivery
Contractor, builder, and architect coordination
Installation, styling, and punch list management

Design That Reflects the People Who Live There

Our client-centric approach makes every project unique, turning your home into an extension of who you are. That is not a slogan — it is why we ask so many questions before we draw anything.

Chicago homes carry history. A 1890s greystone has original millwork and mantels worth protecting. A 1920s Gold Coast co-op has plaster, radiators, and rules from the building. A West Loop loft has concrete, exposed duct, and no walls to hide anything behind. A new build in Bucktown has none of that and needs character introduced deliberately. Experienced design means reading what a home already is before deciding what it should become.

Why Work With an Experienced Chicago Interior Designer

Sarah Jacquelyn Interiors is an award-winning firm with multiple Design Excellence Awards, features in Modern Luxury, Better Homes & Gardens, Good Housekeeping, Metropolis, Design Chicago Magazine, and Designers Today, and memberships in ASID, the Interior Design Society, and the River North Design District.

Credentials matter on a real project. A designer working to CIDQ standards understands clearances, code, egress, and construction documentation, which is the difference between a pretty rendering and a set of drawings your contractor can build.

We also carry trade access — including the Merchandise Mart — which opens product lines and pricing that are not available at retail.

Ways to Work With Us

Full Service Interior Design for renovations, new construction, and whole-home projects, billed hourly with a retainer.
Finishing Touches for flat-fee-per-room styling and accessorizing.
Designer On Call for two-hour and ten-hour blocks of in-person design consultation.

Start with a design Discovery video Call

Every project starts with a Design Discovery Video Call with Sarah.

This FREE 30-Minute Video Call is a great opportunity to learn if we are the right fit for each other.

We’d love to learn about your design needs, budget, and timeline for your new space. We’ll guide you toward the right design package for your project and answer any questions you may have.

Schedule A Design Discovery Call

Frequently Asked Questions

An interior designer plans how a space works and how it looks. That includes space planning and furniture layouts, finish and material specification, cabinetry and millwork design, lighting plans, custom furniture and drapery, procurement, and coordination with your contractor or builder through installation.
Chicago designers typically bill hourly, at a flat fee per room, or as a percentage of the project budget. Market hourly rates commonly run between $75 and $500. Sarah Jacquelyn Interiors bills hourly with an initial retainer for full service work, a flat fee per room for styling, and time blocks for consultation.
Schedule a free 30-minute design discovery call. We review your space, timeline, and budget, recommend the service that fits, and provide a detailed scope of work before you commit to anything.