Elevated interiors, tailored for Chicago’s finest
AWARD-WINNING INTERIOR DESIGNER
Meet Anthony Michael
Anthony is regularly named as one of the top interior designers in Chicago and various metropolitan areas such as San Francisco, NYC, Naples, New Buffalo, Scottsdale, Miami, Los Angeles, Belair, Nassau Bahamas and more in addition to numerous other projects in Chicago and the suburbs.
With offices in Chicago and Los Angeles, he works with bicoastal clients. His work has been featured in LUXE as a LUXE Gold Designer, House Beautiful, Traditional Home, The Wall Street Journal, Architectural Digest, Modern Luxury and more.
With over 35 years of experience, Anthony Michael is to interior design what Sir Alec Guinness was to acting— able to handle radically different roles, his talent comfortably manifesting itself behind many faces. While hard to typecast, he dares to cross the lines of convention to try what is visually bold and dramatic , but never jarring.
FEATURED PROJECTS
Buckingham Place
Breathtaking colors of our planet
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Sheffield
Portraits of people from around the globe
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Greenview
Stark beauty of desolate dunes
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FEATURED PRESS
FROM THE BLOG
Your home is more than a place to sleep or store your belongings. It can be a safe environment that resets your mind and body after a tedious day. A peaceful, well-designed space grounds you, slows your mind and makes everyday life just a bit lighter. Whether renovating or simply refreshing your favorite room, utilize these design elements to transform your residence into a serene retreat. Why a Peaceful Home Is Your Secret to Wellness Your environment shapes how you feel. Studies show that clutter, harsh lighting and noisy surroundings can increase stress levels , while natural light, soft color palettes and order can lower anxiety and promote calm. A peaceful living space helps you think clearly, rest more deeply and feel balanced while looking beautiful. When your residence is your sanctuary, it supports your overall well-being. That might mean more focus during the day, better sleep at night and a steady sense of comfort in between. 6 Serene Tips to Transform Your Home You can create a serene home environment that suits your needs and makes you feel at ease. These effective strategies will help you create a living space that nourishes your mind, body and spirit. 1. Build a Soothing Color Foundation Color has a powerful effect on mood. A calm interior often starts with muted, balanced tones that evoke a sense of peace. Think earthy greens, sandy neutrals, soft blues and warm grays. As a general rule for creating a cohesive palette, balance three core tones across elements of your home — the main “field” for architectural details, a secondary “trim” color and a subtle “accent” shade to add depth. This approach ensures harmony between materials and finishes, whether you’re choosing wall paint or exterior details. Balance the three colors using the 60-30-10 rule , also known as the golden ratio, to achieve the optimal balance for managing your pigment palette. Essentially, 60% of surface area is reserved for the dominant tone, while 30% of surface space is painted in secondary hues and the remaining 10% adds interest with accents. Ensure harmony with soft matte finishes for the main colors and tone down brightness or limit accent colors to reflect light more naturally. 2. Maximize Natural Light and Airflow Light instantly affects your mood. Bright, airy rooms may feel larger, cleaner and more uplifting. Keep window spaces clear and use sheer curtains. Hang mirrors opposite windows to bounce light throughout the room. Air circulation matters too. Open windows when possible to let in fresh air, as doing so improves indoor air quality and refreshes your mind as much as your lungs. Fresh, clean air is a subtle way to keep your space balanced and serene. 3. Layer Your Evening Lighting As evening falls, harsh overhead lighting can disrupt your sense of calm. Layered lighting — which combines light source types — creates ambience and flexibility. Opt for warm bulbs instead of cool white ones and install dimmers to adjust brightness throughout the evening for a peaceful effect. Table and floor lamps can replace ceiling fixtures to create a cozier, more serene atmosphere. Combine the following types for the best effect: Ambient light: Use smaller light sources for general illumination. Task lights: Focus on functional beams for reading or cooking to make tasks easier. Accent lighting: Highlight artwork or architectural details for a soothing effect. 4. Declutter for a Clearer Mind Your surroundings mirror your thoughts. When your home is cluttered, your mind feels crowded, and you may begin to feel the effects of cortisol and depression. Decluttering restores mental clarity and creates breathing room. Stylish baskets, lidded boxes or built-in shelving can hide everyday items while keeping everything accessible. Adopting a “less is more” mindset allows you to appreciate the items you truly love and quiets the visual noise that adds to stress. 5. Weave in Natural Elements Nature’s materials instantly add depth and warmth. Incorporate wood, stone or woven accents to ground your space. Consider furniture and finishes in rattan, oak and marble. Textiles that breathe, like linen, cotton and wool, increase comfort, and a splash of greenery from houseplants introduces biophilic design. 6. Carve out a Relaxation Zone You don’t need a whole spa room to unwind — a peaceful corner will do just fine. Designate a low-traffic area and style it intentionally to be a relaxing space. Add a cozy armchair with a reading lamp, a floor cushion with a meditation mat or a small bistro table near a sunny window. The key is to keep this zone free from screens, work and clutter. When you sit here, your body will know it’s time to slow down. This is a space of silence, where you come to reflect and evaluate your day. The quiet is vital to mental well-being , and you can return to it daily in this designated spot. Your Reimagined Home A serene residence is built through thoughtful layers of color, texture, light and intention. When each detail supports calm, your space becomes more than a backdrop for daily life. It becomes the place where you recharge and reconnect with yourself.
Lighting has a big impact on your home’s coziness. Think of it this way — how comfortable do you feel somewhere with harsh light-emitting diode (LED) bulbs exclusively in overhead fixtures? When the colder months start rolling around and the sun is less present, how you brighten your space could help keep some of those seasonal blues at bay. Explore some modern trends and the science behind why lighting temperature and materials matter. 1) Picking a Statement Fixture One of the best ways to make your house cozier with lighting is to include a unique fixture. Have you had your eye on a gorgeous paper lantern or a large piece with an impressive shade? Go for it! Want to put a chandelier in your fireplace to mimic a roaring blaze without the cleanup? Why not? A decorating columnist from House & Garden says the best interiors are autobiographical , meaning you should surround yourself with items that have meaning and value to you. Your home should be a place you know you can relax in, so including something you love that may be a little “out there” can help it feel more like you. 2) Switching up Outdoor Lighting When you think of outside lights, you probably picture small yet bright fixtures that can throw their glow across a lawn. These are valuable for safety, but you can also include some smaller, softer options to make your outdoor space feel more like a comfy oasis. Utilize little lanterns and string lights for a more intimate setting rather than an exposed one. 3) Adding Smaller or Vintage Elements Overhead lighting is great for brightening an entire room. However, the principal of a New York City interior design house says layered lighting can create a soft glow , as well as allow occupants to control the brightness. Plus, many have observed that they find overhead lighting irritating, uncomfortable or unflattering. If you want to make your home cozier with lighting, consider switching from a single large overhead fixture to a few smaller ones. A couple of floor lamps, alongside shelf lamps and candles, offer a soothing vibe that allows you to see without being overwhelmed. Vintage lighting elements, such as antique lamps or candle holders, add meaning and history that can make a space feel more like home. Plus, you can add decorative shades for small pops of cozy texture. If you still prefer a large light, consider adding a dimming switch to adjust the illumination level. 4) Trying Shelving Lighting Rather than placing small fixtures on shelves to illuminate their contents, consider adding warm-toned LED strips on their undersides or backs. Doing so creates the illusion that the shelves themselves are glowing, providing unobtrusive, cozy lighting. You also save a bit of space for more knickknacks, antiques or books that make a room feel more like home. Why Lighting Temperature and Materials Make a Difference Before deciding which lighting trend to try, it’s essential to understand how the bulbs and materials you choose can enhance your indoor comfort. Light affects your circadian rhythm , which is your internal clock that tells you when to wake up or when to get sleepy. Soft oranges and yellows can increase production of the sleep hormone melatonin. The bluest, brightest bulbs at a whopping 5,000 to 6,500 Kelvin (K) are great for outdoor security, but their harshness heavily disrupts the gentle vibe you’re hoping to create. They’ll also suppress melatonin by convincing your body it’s still daytime if you use them too much at night. In areas where you want to relax, look for light bulbs with a color temperature of 3,000K or less. Kitchens and bathrooms may benefit from 4,000K and over versions that are soft yet clear. You can also enhance the coziness factor by opting for natural textures over artificial ones. Interior design that mimics nature can improve your stress and creativity levels , and using such materials is better for the environment. Look for clay, wood or cork and lamp bases with cotton, wool and even rattan shades. Beat the Winter Blues in Lighting Style This Season When the cold weather and diminishing sunlight start getting you down, try switching up your lighting. Whether you opt for a new fixture, install a dimming switch or simply switch out the bulbs, you may be surprised by how it changes your mindset.
When you start designing a home or room, it’s easy to focus on the visible things first, like colors, furniture, materials and finishes. But that’s not where great design begins. Design starts long before you make any aesthetic choices. It begins with understanding how you’ll live in the space, how you’ll move through it and how it can best serve your daily life. If you want a space that looks beautiful and feels effortless, the process has to start with function and flow. Understand Your Needs Before sketching a layout or choosing materials, ask how you’ll actually use the space. This means being specific. Who will use each area? What activities will happen there? What problems need solving, such as a lack of storage, poor lighting or awkward traffic flow? For example, if your living room doubles as a workspace, you’ll need different lighting zones and storage solutions than if it’s just for relaxing. A kitchen used for large family meals requires a different layout than one built for a quick morning coffee. Write these needs down. This list will guide every decision to follow, from the size of the furniture to the location of electrical outlets. Plan the Flow Once you know your needs, focus on how people will move through the space. Flow is the invisible backbone of great design. It determines whether a home feels open and natural, or cramped and confusing. Ensure there are clear pathways between rooms to maximize the spaces. Start by sketching rough pathways through the space. Imagine walking in from the front door — where do you go next? Does the space encourage movement, or does the furniture obstruct the path? Are there clear sight lines between key areas like the kitchen, dining and living room? A well-designed flow allows easy transitions between tasks and zones. Think about: Entry points: Are they clutter-free and welcoming? Circulation: Do you have enough space to walk comfortably, even when doors are open? Natural light: How does it move through the space during the day, and can you maximize it? A great test is to physically walk through your plan on paper before anything is built. If something feels awkward now, it’ll feel even worse in real life. Design for Real Life, Not Just for Show Functionality goes beyond traffic flow. It’s about everyday details that make life easier. Plan for outlets where you’ll actually need them, consider how storage fits into your routine and ensure lighting supports your lifestyle. Daily habits drive design. For instance, by the mid-1930s, as much as 70% of the United States population began to have access to electricity, and homes began to change dramatically. Electric refrigerators replaced iceboxes, and new lighting made kitchens brighter and more practical. When you build your layout around how you use your home, it becomes timelessly functional, just like those early modern homes that adapted to new ways of living. Layer in the Beauty Only once the flow and function are right should you focus on aesthetics. This is the fun part where you choose materials, finishes, colors and textures that reflect your personality. Start with lighting. It’s one of the easiest ways to highlight the flow you’ve already created. Use layered lighting to define zones and create mood. Warmer tones can promote calmness and relaxation , and cooler tones can boost concentration. Then think about surfaces. Natural materials like wood and stone add warmth, while metals or glass can add contrast and structure. Use color strategically to emphasize how the space works. Soft tones can make rooms feel bigger, while rich hues can make open areas feel cozy. Textiles, artwork and decor are the final touches that bring soul to the design, but they should enhance the flow, not fight it. Revisit and Refine Designing a functional space isn’t a one-and-done process. Once your plan is in place, walk through it again. Visualize cooking dinner, hosting guests, getting ready for the day or winding down after work. Adjust as needed. If something doesn’t feel intuitive, change it. The best designers constantly refine until the space works effortlessly. Form Follows Function Great design starts with flow. It’s about making the space work for you before making it aesthetic. Once function is built into every corner, beauty naturally follows. Start with how you live, plan around how you move and then layer in everything that makes it feel like home.
