Inspired Interiors
/Inspired Interiors
Chicago, Illinois
Photography by Brendan Mainini
Since graduating from the Illinois Institute of Art with a BFA in Interior Design, Emily Mackie has steadily gained traction in her field by working at several architecture firms, including Gensler. She’s a professional member of the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID), and was part of the 10,000 Small Businesses program by Goldman Sachs. Her interior design and architecture firm, Inspired Interiors, has been making clients in Chicago and its surrounding suburbs happy for almost twenty years.
Emily’s approach to design is irreverent, experiential, and collaborative. “We try to design around people’s personalities to create a space tailor-made to their unique desires and needs,” Inspired Interiors told us. “We put a big emphasis on getting to know our clients really well, and we focus on understanding what they want out of their space. The resulting residences don’t just look beautiful, but they inspire our clients to take action and make memories in their new spaces.” A three story flat near Mission Dolores Park in San Francisco, CA, demonstrates the design genius of Inspired Interiors.
The clients had previously hired Inspired Interiors to design their home in Chicago, IL, and returned to the firm to renovate their flat in a “San Francisco French industrial style.” As the flat possessed a breathtaking view of the cityscape, Emily and her team knew this feature had to be a focal point. Slicing off the building’s back exterior wall allowed for some unique design plans and ample amounts of fresh Northern California air to flow through the home. One of the extremely special spaces of this flat is the “rain room.” Located in the middle of the home and opening out from the condo’s living room and kitchen, this space brings the outdoors in with unabashed elegance! The NanaWall doors allow light to filter into the main living spaces, a lush garden creates a wondrous backdrop for the room’s café table, and the stunning glass staircase invites one to climb up in order to behold the unforgettable rooftop view.
“The kitchen boldly blends a modern French bakery feel with an industrial aesthetic,” Inspired Interiors shared with us. “We installed antique mirrored doors on the kitchen refrigerator and cabinetry that allow you to continuously see the city views so that you feel like you’re really a part of the city.” Even in the master suite the views are highlighted by a lounge area set by the room’s bay window. For the client, a bibliophile, Emily and her team installed an eye-catching, chevron-shaped bookcase beside the bed. Proceeding into the master bathroom, custom printed triangular tiles featuring snapshots of the homeowner’s favorite books, albums, and other cultural milestones decorate the walls.
This immense project took more than seven years for Inspired Interiors to complete. “There were delays from San Francisco’s building department to COVID to supply chain and delivery delays—any delay you can imagine hit this project.” While the journey to the finish line was long for this home, the result boasted of timeless style and became a testament to the perseverance and dedication Inspired Interiors gives to each of their projects. In the end, this design was worth the wait!