Hi, I'm Elyse. I am a Chicago-based interior designer.

I grew up in Iowa City, Iowa, influenced by the fresh, open scenery and anti-stuffy aesthetic of Midwestern living. I was raised near the so-called "field of dreams," but my Egyptian immigrant grandparents instilled a cultural fascination which would lead me on journeys to faraway places and an unceasing desire to explore the world and to learn from it. I approach each of my Interior Design projects through a wealth of research fueled by my innate curiosity about the impact of our environments on human life and good living. I take great care in solving design problems down to the last detail, and I take pleasure in exploring every inch of a project alongside my clients to provide the greatest possible result.

I seek and find design inspiration everywhere, from the dynamic architectural landscape of my Ukrainian Village neighborhood to the history lessons gleaned from a recent trip to Colombia, and I apply it in a rigorously considered, fresh, and stimulating method. Clients, employers, classmates, and teachers have remarked at my ability to positively embrace the hard work behind my method; rolling up my sleeves and working through the night to meet the high standards I set for each project. My industrialism, creativity, and passionate belief in the ability for design to positively shape the world - combined with the finesse of on-the-job, client-focused experience - makes me a unique force in the design community.

By immersing myself in the art of Interior Design after years of political work on the Hill in Washington, D.C., I carved a career path for which I now know I was cut. I haven't looked back once.

Below: A Windy City photo shoot atop a West Loop apartment building. Photo by Dan Trimarco