Working with Dawn was amazing! I reached out for help selecting a paint color for a tricky room in…read moreour house (the kitchen). During our 2-hour consultation, Dawn not only found a color that perfectly matched our style, counters, and backsplash but also spotted opportunities to refresh the colors in the dining room and entry to bring the whole design together. Her color savvy is fantastic, and she asked great questions and listened carefully to incorporate our preferences and ideas. She left us with paint swatches for all three rooms, and the new colors look incredible. Dawn's color consultation more than exceeded our expectations, but she didn't stop there! She also suggested ways to update the kitchen and dining room lighting to be more functional and coordinated. Her after-visit email summary included links to all of the ideas she had offered, including multiple options for fixtures that were very affordable and perfect for our spaces. We love the new lighting. To top it all off, when we told Dawn about our longer-term goal of renovating our kitchen, she offered fantastic ideas for reconfiguring the space to make it more functional and appealing. She followed up with detailed recommendations in her after-visit email summary and included rough drawings to help us visualize thew space. The 2-hour consultation with Dawn was an incredible value, and we definitely want to work with her on the kitchen renovation project!

"I had an absolutely amazing experience working with Dawn Bach on my apartment layout and design. I…read morereached out to her before moving from Colorado to Illinois, and she took the time to schedule a call and clearly explain her role as an interior decorator and how she could help based on my space and preferences. Dawn provided detailed layout plans along with furniture, bedding, electronics, and artwork recommendations--all of which perfectly matched my style and lifestyle. Her guidance not only made the process easy, but it also saved me over $900. I truly got everything I asked for and more. Thank you, Dawn! I will absolutely recommend you to anyone looking for an interior decorator."

I took Julea's multiple day jam Packed interior stylist…read morecertification course. The itinerary covers all of the basics you need to get started. Four years later I have relocated to Florida and have brought on 3 design associates to accommodate the growth of my design business. If you are wanting a career in interior design or are a realtor wanting top dollar for your listings, take Julea's class. Don't hesitate!

Had my first consultation with Julea and she's great so far! Obviously knowledgeable as well as…read morepersonable. In addition all signs point to her as an astute business woman as she didn't let a little snow make her miss our appointment. She was on time-maybe a little early.So far so good!

Natalia came out to meet with me for a consultation at my home which was very informative and I was…read moreable to see a lot of the work that her and her team have done. She was able to look at my space and give a lot of helpful advice about Reno/design/layout ideas. She explained that they do high-end, modern clean, looking designs, but they also do all other designs as well ( like my traditional looking home). They do big and small projects and continue to work with the homeowner even after the project is done. I would highly recommend!

I've been working with Natalia on designing our new rental. Yes, you heard that right, a rental!…read moreWe'll be here for about three years, but I still wanted our place to feel like home. Natalia has been incredibly helpful in guiding us through big, impactful design decisions that are practical and thoughtful, while also keeping costs reasonable since we don't want to invest too much in a rental property. I also didn't want an interior designer to fully design every detail of the place. I wanted to be involved in choosing pieces myself, but have someone I could trust to advise me on whether things would actually work in our space, and Natalia has been perfect for that. I'll text her with questions about furniture purchases, design ideas, or even quick installation decisions when our maintenance guy is here, and she always responds right away. My husband is also very picky, but he has been genuinely impressed with her advice and with how our place has come together. I know Natalia takes on much larger and more expensive projects than ours, but I have never once felt like we were wasting her time. She has always been responsive, kind, and very professional. I highly recommend Natalia to anyone looking for practical, thoughtful design guidance that respects your time and budget. We'll definitely be working with her again on our next home project whenever we move.

We were in London when Martins did the rennovations on our home. We didn't know exactly what we…read morewere coming back to. We opened the door . . . and walked into paradise. We felt like we were in someone else's home. Someone who had a lot more money than us! Martins isn't just a builder, or a designer. He's an artist. When you bring someone into your home to change it forever, you have to trust that person. When Martins came by for our first free consultation (something other people had charged us for), he stayed for two hours. He wanted to get to know us, and figure out exactly what kind of home we wanted. To say he cares about his work is an understatement! Other people we looked at charged us for that first visit, came in, took measurements, were out in 30 minutes, and then provided some cookie-cutter recommendations. Besides his off-the-charts talent, he is honest, flexible, responsive and easy and fun to work with... not to mention reasonable. He even provided us with guidance and recommendations to bring the overall costs down. If you're looking to do renovations on your home, that not only are beautiful, but also unique and specific to you and your family, your search is over. Martins Buka will not only deliver, but exceed your expectations!

My family hired the Martin family to do some work on my aunt's house in the suburbs. They were a…read morepleasure to deal with. Reliable and honest. Phone calls were returned and we always felt we were in the best hands. We remodeled our aunt's basement down to the studs and when the job was done, it was AMAZING. Highly recommended for remodeling jobs!

Just an update, they have moved upstairs. Now, this is a dilemma. To enter, you can come in the…read moreback door, in the alley across from the library, and go right, not into the dog wash place, and head up the stairs. During regular business hours for the business on the first floor, in front, you have to go through their space to get to the stairs to get up. Confusing, I know, but, if you are looking to improve the feel and/or look of your home, worth the effort. They now focus on the design component so the wonderful smelling candles, Christmas decorations, Halloween decorations, accessories, and beautiful gifts are all history. Hours are now Monday through Friday, 10 to 5. Other hours by appointment.

What an interesting store. They are to retail what a bistro is to fast food…read more I don't care for chain restaurants and always seek out privately owned, one-of-a-kind, type places so I should not have surprised myself when I found this place. They were in full Christmas splendor when I visited and I found some really nice things that I doubt I could have found anywhere else. The people there could not have been nicer and the prices reasonable. If you like something other than run-of-the-mill retail shops, this is the place for you. They may not have exactly what you're looking for, but if you are looking for ideas, they'll have them.

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)

This review is for our experience with Kim @ UE. She was amazing flat out. She was prompt, willing…read moreto work - take calls - texts at non working time hours as she gets it done! We have a new construction home so we needed drapery suggestions. So she came 2 days later, took measurement and made amazing suggestions. While we opted not to utilize her services and order drapes, that is the only reason she gets one less star because I can't speak on the finished project/products. Kim was amazing and I wish her the best! She has an amazing eye and brings suggestions to to the table! SUPPORT LOCAL BUSINESSES!

Joanna was excellent! She designed three of our main floor rooms including the family room, formal…read moredining room, and front sitting room. It was my first time using an interior designer and I couldn't be happier with the experience. She was very professional, easy to work with, flexible, and patient when we weren't ready to make a decision. She adapted our style beautifully and we love the result. I will definitely use her again in future when we're ready to redo other spaces in the house.

I was a bit nervous about working with an interior designer for the first time, but Joanna has made…read moreme a convert! When I enlisted her to redecorate my dining room, she came over to hear my ideas. She collaborated with me and was also direct when she thought I was going astray- which was just what I needed! Within days, she had a Pinterest board with recommendations and partnered with me to narrow down the purchase list. I love the results!

I used to think an interior decorator was an artistic person who knew about color, design and all…read morethat artsy stuff. Lexi Nielsen is that and whole bunches more. I told her that I wanted a "zen" bathroom that had a calming, spa-like effect, and that I wanted it to be as eco-friendly in design and materials as possible. She not only came up with a beautiful design but she spent countless hours (even while on vacation) to source all the materials for high quality, low cost, and sustainability. She worked closely with our contractor and was here constantly to check on progress. One story of how she goes the extra mile: The day our bathtub was to be delivered, she offered to come by and meet the truck. I didn't see why she wanted to, but I said, sure, knock yourself out. She had the brains to get on the truck and inspect the tub before it disembarked -- and sure enough, it had a huge gouge in the porcelain. She told the driver to take it right back. I never would have known to do that. In addition to the bathroom job, Lexi helped pick out colors and wallpaper for two rooms that were switching from bedroom to office, and they came out great. A great value added with Lexi is that she knows all about Feng Shui and can direct your home's Chi into it's proper place. She is a delightful person and a really great listener. I am very glad our bathroom remodel is almost done, but I'll miss having Lexi around! I wonder what needs remodeling next?

My husband and I were so fortunate to have found Lexi to help us make key decisions with our home…read moreaddition. Although, we knew our design esthetic, we needed help with choices that made proportional sense, had functionality and at times, compromising. Lexi was very professional and efficient in coming to our space, envisioning what we wanted and what would be best. She helped us with final decisions in our master bath with tile design and lighting (so important). She also assisted with other aspects of our home remodel that we are so happy with the results. Hiring Lexi saved us time and money in making some important design decisions. We highly recommend her company.

My wife and I worked with Michelle Polay from the beginning stages of having our house built up…read moreuntil the furnishing and decorating process. She understood our vision and enhanced it with her own great ideas along the way. When we first set out to hire a decorator I was afraid they would try inserting their own taste or push a style we didn't like, but with Michelle that never happened. Of course, there were times where I wanted a particular look, and she gently made it clear that "it doesn't work." Moreover, she gave very thoughtful logical reasoning on why it doesn't work, which I would then understand and agree with her. So thankful that she stopped us in those instances! Overall, our ideas and vision were supported and enhanced. She definitely knows what she is doing. Little tricks here and there that make a world of difference. Although Michelle can get very busy, she would always try and squeeze us in somewhere. Due to building process I was forced to make some quick decisions and I could always count on her to get her opinion in time. She gave us as much autonomy as we wanted and guided us when we were clueless. Not only did she have great ideas, she had contractors that she works with and trusts to do the work. Aside from her design skills, Michelle is super nice, friendly and fun! Best of all we felt that, for her time and expertise, she was quite a bargain!

My painter recommended Polay's Home Decor to me when I was redoing my kitchen. As soon as I met…read moreMichelle, we hit it off. She is very talented, easy to work with and has great ideas. Not only did she help me with the draperies in several rooms, she helped me with my painting, accessories and furniture. I have gone back to use her services on several occasions and continually recommend her to friends and colleagues. Polay's has a new location and it is amazing. If you are looking for a great designer, I would call Michelle!

My wife and I recently chose O.A Construction to fully paint our new home. Oleg, Russel, Roman, and…read moreVitalii were all so fast and detail-oriented workers. Each morning they would come in with a warm greeting and get straight to work. Each afternoon, before heading out, they would communicate the progress made and keep us up to date with the timeline. And they weren't just painting our home- they tackled caulking, sanding, smoothing, and any other repairs needed in the pursuit of doing the job right! We could not have asked for a more high-quality group of guys. Thank you Oleg and the team for transforming our new house into our new home!

Oleh came out the same day to give us a quote to paint awnings and stairs…read more I had 4 estimates and he was on the lower end of them. His communication was excellent and they did a great job!