When should I hire an interior designer for new construction?

Before construction documents are finalized. Outlets, lighting, millwork, cabinetry, and plumbing locations are far cheaper to decide than to change once framed and drywalled.

Can you help with builder selections?

Yes. Cabinets, counters, hardware, tile, plumbing fixtures, lighting, flooring, and paint selections are handled on your builder's deadlines and delivered in the format their team expects.

Will you work with my builder and architect?

Yes. We integrate with your existing team and work on their schedule, or we can review plans early while changes are still inexpensive.

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.

New Construction Interior Design in Chicago, IL

New construction interior design in Chicago, IL from Sarah Jacquelyn Interiors brings a designer onto your build team early, coordinating with your architect and builder on floor plans, millwork, cabinetry, lighting, plumbing locations, and every builder selection. Starting during design rather than after drywall protects both the budget and the finished result.

Get a Designer on the Team Before the Slab

The best time to hire an interior designer for new construction is before construction documents are finalized. The second best time is today.

Everything that makes a new home feel custom is decided early: where the outlets and switches land, whether the island can seat four, how deep the built-ins are, whether the primary bath has room for the vanity you want, where the sconces go, how the ceiling detail resolves. Once those are framed, wired, and drywalled, changing them costs multiples of what it cost to decide them correctly.

We work with high-quality tradespeople and reliable vendors, and we integrate with your builder and architect on their schedule.

What We Handle on a New Build

Review of architectural plans for furniture fit, flow, and sightlines
Furniture layouts confirming every room actually works at scale
Kitchen and bath layout refinement before plumbing locations lock
Cabinetry and millwork design, including built-ins, mudroom, pantry, and closets
Lighting plans, fixture selection, switching, and dimming
Electrical and outlet placement review
Tile layouts and stone selection for every wet space
Plumbing fixture and hardware specification
Interior door, trim, and stair detail selection
Paint, stain, and wallcovering schemes
Flooring selection and transitions
Appliance specification and clearances
Custom furniture, drapery, and rugs
Installation, styling, and final walkthrough

Builder Allowances, Spent Well

Most builders include allowances for tile, lighting, plumbing, and cabinetry. Left alone, allowances get spent evenly across a house. That is rarely the right answer.

We help you spend where it shows and save where it does not. Splurge on the powder room wallcovering and the kitchen lighting that everyone sees; hold the line on the guest bath tile nobody notices. That reallocation regularly buys clients a better-looking home for the same total number.

Working With Your Builder and Architect

Builders move fast and ask for decisions in batches. Missing a selection deadline stalls a trade, and stalled trades cost money. Our job is to keep you ahead of those deadlines with selections already made, approved, and documented, delivered in the format your builder’s team expects.

If you are earlier in the process, we can review plans while changes are still cheap — before permits, before framing, before you are living with a layout for twenty years because it was too late to move a wall.

New Construction in Chicago and Beyond

We provide design and project management services for new construction throughout Chicago, including new single-family builds, teardowns, and developer condo units in Lincoln Park, Bucktown, Wicker Park, West Loop, Lakeview, and River North.

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

Before construction documents are finalized. Outlets, lighting, millwork, cabinetry, and plumbing locations are far cheaper to decide than to change once framed and drywalled.
Yes. Cabinets, counters, hardware, tile, plumbing fixtures, lighting, flooring, and paint selections are handled on your builder’s deadlines and delivered in the format their team expects.
Yes. We integrate with your existing team and work on their schedule, or we can review plans early while changes are still inexpensive.