Kenneth is a true gem. I came by on small business Saturday because I knew the store would be…read moregorgeous and I wanted to see if they had a baby's first Christmas ornament. Reader, he remembered us from a month ago--the only other time I've been in this store. I know he wasn't just saying that because he cooed over my baby and specifically remarked about the fact that she was awake this time instead of sleeping through the shopping trip (which was true). This is what makes shopping at local businesses so much fun; you get to established a rapport with someone who lives what they do, lives their neighbors, and wants to make sure that you enjoy shopping with them. Again as I came through I thought about how I wish I could hire an interior designer with Kenneth Ludwig on the shortlist. They didn't disappoint with their Christmas decor. They have lots of ornaments, all beautiful, and other holiday items. I REALLY love the stocking holders they have. They look like those old ceramic Christmas trees that lots of our grandmothers had, and it even lights up. I am almost certainly going to be returning before Christmas to pick up a couple. If you're in the neighborhood, I highly encourage a drop by.

I was searching for a small couch for my new house. I was dealing with a small, kind of awkward…read morespace and am a picky furniture shopper. I stopped by Kenneth Ludwig Chicago because I learned he sells CR Laine furniture and that is the brand I had my eye on. Upon arriving, Kenneth was welcoming and listened to what I wanted. He's so knowledgeable about furniture and design, not pushy at all, and patient. I've been in his store a few times and each experience was great. I did end up purchasing a settee from Kenneth and that was about 1.5 years ago. The buying process was simple. The small couch is still in great shape, easy to clean, and looks great in my house. It was on the pricier side of furniture, but I not a shocking price. I will consider going back to Kennth Ludwig Chicago when purchasing my next nice piece of furniture.

Our real estate team has worked with Julie to stage multiple properties and she's as good as it…read moregets (not to mention just a general pleasure to work with and be around!) Not only does she have a keen eye for this stuff, but she's incredibly flexible in the type support she provides. If clients have the budget and need for full-on staging, she can do that (and she does it WELL!). But for those who just need a little help refreshing their properties with a more modest budget, she also provides really valuable home styling services, using the stuff they already own. And whatever service she provides, the results are beautiful/fresh/on-trend/welcoming/and all those other good things. Our clients are happy, which makes us happy, and it's why we continue going back to Julie again and again and again!

I am so thankful that I found Julie! With small kids and pets, I had no interest in purchasing…read moreexpensive or designer furniture. So, I assumed no interior designer would be interested in me (and my budget). Then I found Julie! Julie came to our home and helped us figure out a very functional and sophisticated use of our space - one that is kid and pet friendly. She charges hourly for her services, so she can work with any budget - and found some really incredible new pieces for my home from Ikea, Target, Wayfair and Macy's. She also incorporated as many of our old pieces as she could into the design to help us save money. Julie does anything from basic design (sending you a floor plan design with a link to the items she suggests you purchase) to full service (accepting deliveries at your home, installing, constructing, styling, etc). She also does home renovations. With Julie's design, our home feels brand new and we have gotten countless compliments on how beautiful it looks. I am happy we were able to stay in budget and felt very comfortable buying the nice, but not over-top-expensive, pieces that she selected. Her styling was excellent and gave it all a really polished look. I just wish I would have hired Julie sooner!

I have to admit that I haven't (YET) purchased anything from MegMade but have inquired and visited…read morethe shop over the past couple of years ever since I saw her pieces at the Randolph Street market. Meg and her team are super creative and helpful. Her pieces fit into any home and interior style. I also feel like their marketing and space is just really genuine and friendly! I saw someone mentioned they took stars off for items not being on 'sale' during this time. I gladly will support local and handcrafted any day. Thanks Meg and team!

I would like to update my review. I did have the sofa redone at your shop. We discussed ad nauseam…read morethat it would be a comfortable soft sofa and that the velvet would not attract as much dust and lint as it does. You said it was specifically a better product. I had another chair recovered in velvet at Calico Corners in Wilmette and it does not attract dust and lint at all so it is not necessarily a function of all velvets. You were not nearly as helpful as you sound here on yelp when I had these complaints after the sofa was done. You' were completely unresponsive and refused to assist any further. At minimum, the sofa should've been comfortable and you definitely did mislead me on your product.

Proprietress Kim Chapman is a marvel. We have collaborated…read moreon a dozen projects over the past five years, and she gets. It. Done. The service that she and her workroom provide is exemplary. If you are looking for window treatments, look no further. As an interior designer in the industry for 30+ years, I have yet to meet a more professional, dedicated, honest, and talented individual.

Fourteen years later, my curtains continue to be beautiful and durable! Recently, a minor fix was…read morerequired. Kim's installer came and fixed it right away. Thank you, Kim! (Photo from summer)

Great selection of plants. Good with recommendations. Plants live a long time…read more They really know how to Get Down with plants.

As my profile says, I'm a plantita, a plant shop connoisseur... this one has been on my list since…read moreI learned about it a few months ago and when I drove by last weekend and realized how close it is (about three miles), I made a mental note to visit soon. The parking situation is questionable. There's street parking in some areas along Western and probably on Grace as well. The large parking lot is for the pizza place next door which maybe won't get mad at you when they're not open? Not sure, but you can live on the wild side! There is a step up to get into the shop so bear that in mind if it's helpful. The shop is small, not overcrowded at all, but doesn't feel empty either. I'm not sure if I'd call it a plant shop or a florist... there's a bit of a difference there. I would say this shop is equal parts both. There are a good selection of plants, not an overwhelming number, and some varying plant accessories (books, pruners, watering cans, etc.). They have some dried flowers, dried bouquets, and various floral accompaniments; they also have an overflowing flower bar where you can create your own bouquet. They'll arrange one for you for an additional price, too. I asked if they have classes or workshops and the woman said they do, which I'll be notified of because I'd signed up for their mailing list. The flowers they had were beautiful and they had some unique ones that will make some beautiful arrangements. I bought a pre-arranged mini bouquet that has brightened my weekend! Oh, and possibly my favorite part of the shop: Percy the pup! (Now I'm wondering, was it Percy or Perry? I think the former.) As I was browsing near the entrance, a small little friend trotted out to greet me and was so friendly. He let me pet him immediately, tail wagging and ready to show me some love. I'm a cat person and don't have any pets at the moment but now I'm thinking, should I get a little puppy AND a cat??

We loved working with Chelsey and her team on our home renovation. We completely redid an outdated…read morebasement to make it a more functional and comfortable space for our family and update a fireplace in our family room. The spaces are now beautiful and modern. Xced made everything super easy, quick and smooth. Since it is 2020, our family had to live here through most of the work and their entire team was very considerate and clean. Chelsey took care of everything so we had little, if anything, to handle on our own.

Proceed carefully and document everything We engaged Xcēd…read moreDesign Build for a residential project, but the contract was ultimately canceled before construction began. We were unable to reconcile the deliverables we received with the portion of the design retainer that was kept. Based on our experience, we recommend approaching the process as a structured business relationship with clear documentation at every step. While early conversations were collaborative, relying on verbal discussions instead of written confirmation led to misalignment and, ultimately, disappointment. We expected Chelsey to lead the design based on early discussions, but the project was assigned to a different designer. Documenting decisions, preferences, and changes after each meeting would have helped ensure expectations were aligned. Recommendations for homeowners: *Request visibility into design hours, specify how you want those hours prioritized, and require notification at defined milestones *Confirm the specific deliverables for each design review *Confirm who the assigned designer will be and ask to see their portfolio *Require confirmation that proposed designs would reasonably pass permitting * Ask how dimensions, clearances, and usability are validated * Even if budget alignment is confirmed upfront, document it clearly in writing *Follow the contract closely and keep all decisions in writing A consistent, well-documented process from the beginning helps set clear expectations and accountability.

Great work!! I recommend and will hire Chicago Handy for future projects. I like they were…read morepunctual, neat worker and kept me informed as he worked on the project. Very pleased with their work!

Chicago Handy was very responsive to my inquires and have come out to my home to take care of my…read morehandyman needs very quickly. Norbert even came out to help me resolve a small issue free of charge. Excellent company with reasonable prices, I definitely recommend.

This review is long overdue!…read more We bought a new home and needed window coverings throughout. It was a pretty big job. While Jerger was not the cheapest nor were they the most expensive of the quotes we received, I enjoyed working with Michael Jerger and his team of installers, Glenn and Jeremy. We had Mike create custom shades and curtains in our kitchen/family room, master bedroom, kids bedroom, guest room and home office. They also created custom velvet curtains with sheers for our living/dining room, sheers for our family room. Like I said, it was a big job! I uploaded many pictures; feel free to peruse. Overall we are delighted with the finished products, especially our master bedroom. The turnaround took a bit longer than expected, probably 3-4 months total from start to finish. The velvet curtains in our living room and the cotton curtains in my son's room don't quite hang right but I know if I called them to come back out and fix it, they would be right here, so I'm not worried about it. Disclaimer: the curtains all sit along vents so they are constantly being blown out when the heat or air is on. If you have your own fabric choices, as I did for 2 rooms, Mike is happy to use whatever you want him to use. You aren't just confined to what they have to offer, which is still a pretty big selection. We receive compliments all the time and people often ask who did we use. All in all, forget the big box stores. Infuse some cash in your local neighborhood and call Jerger for your window coverings.

They did a great job for us from consultation to installation. I would highly recommend.read more

On moving day the movers kept asking about where they'd be moving our couches, mater bedroom…read morefurniture, tables, etc in our new house. My answer was always pretty much the same- the basement! We basically moved our tiny city condo into the basement of our new house. And guess what that means...we need to buy a lot of furniture to fill up the actual house! I didn't even know where to start when it came to decorating my new house, especially with 2 little ones and a FT job. Just looking around all the empty rooms after we bought it really stressed me out. I decided what I needed was an interior designer. I reached out to a bunch of friends who had moved recently and did a bit of research on Yelp..and started making some calls. As soon as I chatted with Erin from EEB Interiors I knew I'd found my woman. It helped that my friend who was currently using her for a complete house renovation couldn't stop raving about her. On top of that Erin was super personable, professional and seemed to "get" the European decor I wanted for my house. It sealed the deal when I found out that her hourly rate was way below all the other designers I had "interviewed." Erin also passes on the majority of her discount for furniture to her clients, which actually makes up for the hourly fee we paid her. It's by no means a bargain to use EEB Interiors (let alone any designer), but I do feel like we were able to get much more quality furniture thanks to Erin's discount. Months later I can say I made the right choice by hiring Erin. . Her communication skills are unbelievable. I'm known to be pretty fast when it comes to answering emails, but I think Erin may be respond even faster. I rarely have to follow-up with her on anything because she's on top of every little detail...and from furniture to paint colors to window treatments to tracking shipments there sure are a lot of details to keep track of. Details that I'm very happy to pay her to take care of so I can focus my time on my little ones and job. I typically tell Erin what I'm looking for and then she narrows it down to a few options for me to choose from. She has incredible taste and always gets it right. There have been a few times that I've asked her to go back to the drawing board for less costly items and she always comes back with something great. I really like that she's OK working with any budget because that didn't seem to be the case with all the other designers I chatted with before hiring Erin. We're furnishing our house slowly room by room and just had our first big shipment for the 3 main rooms. Everything piece of furniture looks even more gorgeous in person (if possible). I can't wait for Erin to come over this week to help me complete the look with accessories...and then on to the rest of the house. Decorating your new home should be fun, not stressful...and it's guaranteed to be a good time (and result in a beautiful new home) with EEB Interiors.

We have been at our place for two years, and hadn't had a chance to really make it "ours". I knew…read morethat it was time for an update look from the style choices of the previous owners. I also wanted to make one of the rooms into a home office that looked as if it had been a baby's room before. I found out about EEB Interiors through a coworker that was really happy with their work, and looked at the website because I wanted someone who could mesh with my personal style. I really liked the residential design photos, so I gave them a call. Erin, the owner, was really personable on the phone and when we met. She was also really good at honing in on my style and offering me choices and ideas I hadn't thought of before. Before we called EEB, we had been around to other stores in the area looking for something not so run-of-the-mill, and had a hard time finding something that didn't look like all the others. I wanted something that was higher quality and more unique than what I had been finding at the standard retail stores. EEB had access to all these amazing sources that aren't open to the public that had really different stuff that I just loved and hadn't seen before. The knowledge and designer sources helped us create the high-end look we were trying to achieve. I am a person who prefers quality and work well done over a strict schedule, but everything got done in a very timely fashion, and we are really happy with the new look! Definitely worth it.

Top commercial design firm in Chicago! Nicole & Susan handled the design and oversaw the build out…read moreof our new goldplaited river north location and it exceeded our every dream and expectation! They found amazing vendors for custom pieces such as a consultation booth and mirrors that are anchored into our bay windows to maximize interaction with people walking by. Definitely highly creative team with innovative big picture ideas. They also have designed several of Chicago's top restaurants and bars!