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
View project
FEATURED PRESS
FROM THE BLOG
Indoor-outdoor flow brings the outdoors in while extending your living space outward. By blending interior and exterior areas, you create more room to breathe, connect with nature and enjoy your home in new ways. Discover how this approach can transform the way you live. The Power of Indoor-Outdoor Living Transitional design blends modern and traditional styles into something cohesive and inviting. Here, it means mixing conventional indoor living with biophilic design principles that connect homes to nature. The result is a home that feels both functional and refreshing. Indoor-outdoor living first became popular in the early 20th century , when sleeping porches were all the rage. Fresh air was thought to help combat tuberculosis, so these spaces were an early example of designing a home to value nature's healing properties. Modern research supports this intuition. Connecting with green spaces reduces stress and anxiety , improves focus and lowers blood pressure. Indoor-outdoor flow also offers extra square footage, a more unified look and extra entertaining possibilities. Here are six ways to make it happen in your home. 1. Make Better Use of Your Garage Your garage is an often-overlooked transition space that is literally the border between inside and outside for many homes. It doesn’t have to be dark or feel closed-in. Modern garage doors are typically best for this look, which can include clear or tinted glass that heightens the connection to the outdoors. This also makes the space more usable and attractive. Streamline the interior aesthetic with the rest of your home, and consider installing flooring that harmonizes with your driveway. If you want full customization, professional installation and extensive energy-efficiency options, Clopay® has several affordable modern garage doors that would work well for establishing a modern look while reinforcing the indoor and outdoor flow of your home. Its Avante® door has real architectural impact, with a clear full-glass option to let natural light stream into your home. 2. Build a Sheltered Retreat With a Pergola A pergola frames an outdoor space, keeping it airy and open while providing shade, purpose and visual interest. You can use it as a designated gathering area while still feeling connected to the indoors. You can do more than just dine or entertain under a pergola. Consider creating a DIY outdoor cinema by hanging a white sheet as a DIY projector screen and setting up comfortable seating. This transforms your backyard into an experience, perfect for movie nights under the stars. For durable, stylish pergola kits you can assemble and install yourself, many homeowners like Heartland Pergolas ’ options. You can add a rainproof roof, customize your shade levels or have a fully custom kit designed just for you. 3. Extend Your Space With an Outdoor Kitchen An outdoor kitchen effectively extends your home's functional space and flow, making it easier to host gatherings without constantly running between indoors and out. Guests can gather around the cooking area, creating a natural social hub. This upgrade also delivers strong returns. Outdoor kitchens can generate an ROI of between 55% and 200% , attracting luxury buyers while making your daily life more flexible and enjoyable. You don't necessarily need a lot of space or a huge budget to bring your exterior kitchen dreams to life. RTA Outdoor Living provides customized kitchen kits tailored to your space, budget and preferences. 4. Set the Mood With Strategic Outdoor Lighting Proper illumination makes it easier to use your outdoor spaces after dark and enhances their attractiveness. Layered lighting with task, ambient and accent elements transforms a patio into a seamless continuation of your living area. If you're imagining gorgeous landscape lighting with smart controls and hundreds of color options at your fingertips, Outdoor Lighting Perspectives can make it happen. When you can easily adjust the lighting to match the weather, your mood or a gathering, outdoor spaces start to truly feel like an extension of your home. 5. Unify Your Space With Continuous Flooring Using the same or visually similar flooring materials inside and out is a core principle of seamless design. It removes the visual threshold, creating the impression of one continuous space that flows naturally from room to patio. Durable materials, such as porcelain tile, work well for both indoor and outdoor applications across various climates. Suppliers like Daltile offer porcelain pavers in dozens of marble, stone or wood looks to suit all tastes. By extending your flooring, you can dissolve a psychological barrier to indoor-outdoor flow. 6. Cultivate a Living Green Wall While most indoor-outdoor enhancements focus on making exterior spaces more livable, a living green wall does the opposite. It brings the garden inside, creating a powerful visual connection to nature. To see what's possible, take a look at how Plantwalldesign has transformed some homes with green walls of all shapes and sizes. You could also choose preserved moss designs that don't need any maintenance. Designing a Home That Breathes Understanding indoor-outdoor flow can help you design a home that feels connected, flexible and joyful. Whether you start with lighting, flooring or a dramatic glass garage door, each step brings you closer to a home that truly breathes. Imagine the possibilities for your own space and take the first step toward a more open, nature-filled way of living.
Colorful kitchens continue to appear in both modern and traditional home renovations. Deep greens, navy blues, warm terracotta and muted pastels can all change the overall feel of the space. While colorful kitchens can add personality and visual contrast, they also require careful coordination between flooring, cabinetry, countertops, lighting, hardware and appliances. Before committing to bold colors, homeowners should think about how each material and finish will work together throughout the kitchen. Planning ahead can create a space that feels cohesive rather than busy. 1. Consider Flooring Before Choosing Kitchen Colors Flooring often sets the visual tone for the entire kitchen. In spaces with colorful cabinetry or backsplashes, neutral flooring can create balance, while patterns can bring additional contrast and texture. Homeowners should also think about the installation requirements tied to different flooring materials before beginning a renovation. Floating flooring systems, for example, may require additional materials beneath the finished floor surface. Underlayment for Floating Flooring Systems Several types of flooring that require underlayment include laminate, engineered hardwood and floating luxury vinyl plank systems. Underlayment requirements may vary depending on the product, subfloor conditions and installation method. floorMuffler® manufactures underlayment products designed to provide acoustic performance, moisture protection and compression support that may help minimize flooring system damage over time. They work with the different types of flooring that need underlayment to make sure floors maintain their longevity. You can compare product specifications based on flooring, installation methods and subfloor conditions, along with flooring assembly and installation requirements across residential applications. 2. Select Cabinet Colors That Fit the Overall Design Cabinet color is often one of the most noticeable elements in a colorful kitchen. Dark green, navy blue, muted gray and earth-toned are common in both contemporary and transitional kitchen designs. When comparing cabinet colors, you may want to view samples alongside flooring, wall paint and countertop materials. Lighting conditions can also affect how paint colors appear throughout the day. Cabinetry With Multiple Finish and Storage Options KraftMaid manufactures kitchen cabinetry with painted finishes, wood styles and customizable cabinet configurations. The company offers cabinet door profiles in traditional, shaker and contemporary styles that can work with a variety of colorful kitchen layouts. Compare painted finishes, wood stains, storage accessories and cabinet organization features during the planning process. The company also offers options for kitchen islands, pantry storage and cabinet hardware coordination across different kitchen designs. Modular Kitchen Cabinet Systems Modular cabinet systems can also appeal to homeowners looking for adaptable storage layouts and interchangeable design elements. These systems may offer flexibility for both small kitchens and larger open-concept renovations where color coordination plays a central role. IKEA offers modular kitchen cabinet systems with interchangeable fronts, storage options and color selections. The company’s kitchen collections include wall cabinets, base cabinets, drawer organizers, and shelving systems for kitchens of varying sizes and layouts. 3. Coordinate Countertops With Cabinet Finishes Countertops can either contrast with colorful cabinets or blend into a more neutral overall palette. Quartz countertop surfaces are known for their heat resistance and low-maintenance durability, while natural stone surfaces often provide more unique patterns and organic texture variations. Quartz Surfaces With Multiple Design Styles Caesarstone manufactures quartz countertop surfaces in a range of colors, finishes, and patterns for kitchen applications. The company offers collections with marble-inspired veining, solid-color surfaces, and textured finishes that can coordinate with colorful cabinetry and backsplashes. Property owners can compare countertop thicknesses, finish styles and edge profile options across different product collections. Caesarstone also provides surfaces in lighter neutrals and darker tones that may fit both bold and understated kitchen palettes. 4. Harmonize Appliances With the Kitchen Color Palette Appliances can influence the overall appearance of a colorful kitchen just as much as cabinetry or countertops. Finish selection, appliance placement and overall design style can help determine whether the kitchen feels cohesive or visually disconnected. When selecting appliances, you may want to compare finish options, appliance dimensions and coordinated product suites to ensure they complement surrounding materials and color choices. Coordinated Kitchen Appliance Collections GE Appliances manufactures residential kitchen appliances, including refrigerators, cooktops, ranges, wall ovens, and dishwashers, designed for a range of kitchen layouts and renovation styles. Samsung also produces kitchen appliances with multiple finish and configuration options for residential kitchens. The company’s appliance collections include refrigerators, ranges, dishwashers, microwaves and wall ovens designed for contemporary kitchen layouts. Both companies also offer appliance collections with coordinated finishes intended to work across different kitchen design palettes. Bringing Colorful Kitchen Designs Together Colorful kitchens can create a bold visual statement, but successful designs often depend on how well each material and finish works together. Flooring, cabinetry, countertops and appliances all contribute to the overall balance of the space. By comparing colors, finishes, storage options and installation requirements before beginning a renovation, homeowners can create a design that feels coordinated, functional and visually consistent over time.
All-white spaces have been prominent in corporate and clinical settings, renowned for their minimalist vibes. When homeowners try to adopt them for their interior design, though, it often falls flat and feels too one-dimensional. Thankfully, there are other options, like lime wash and Roman clay paint, that can maintain that simple home design while adding a little more character. What Are Lime Wash and Roman Clay Paints? Lime wash is a relatively popular paint option known for its chalk-like texture and matte finish. This style refers to the limestone mineral used, which often produces a pale color, though some replicate the textured effect with other neutral or muted colors. Meanwhile, Roman clay is an elegant paint that offers a plaster-based finish. Compared to lime wash, some people describe Roman clay as having a more cloud-like appearance after application. While this technique primarily uses off-white paint, there are other earthy and deep colors that you can use to spice it up. Different Ways to Utilize Lime Wash and Roman Clay Paint In color psychology, white can come off unwelcoming and bland at times, especially in a large room. Both lime wash and Roman clay paints are fantastic in deviating from it without going into maximalist territory. Here are several ways to use them in your home. 1. Highlight Architectural Features Modern design can feature many beautiful architectural elements, such as archways or divider walls. Texture highlights these unique inclusions in the space. Portola Paints has a lime wash series that can provide a subtle and suede-like finish to these areas. The paint formulation itself blooms over time, revealing elegant streaks as it ages. If you have inset shelving in the kitchen or bathrooms, go with the Roman clay route with a more natural color. The shadows created throughout the day would contrast beautifully with the cloud-like finish. 2. Create an Accent Wall It’s a common misconception that accent walls need to be loud and bright. In actuality, textured paints like lime wash and Roman clay can act as an accent that contrasts with other walls , especially when applied properly and executed well. You can pair the wall with other eye-catching elements, like metallic trim or art prints. Think of the paint job as a great base for your decor and main focal point. Most people position the accent wall by the fireplace or television, but you can also use furniture, such as a sofa or bed. 3. Color Drench Your Cozy Corners Color drenching is a design trend that involves painting everything from walls to ceilings to woodwork in the same shade. This technique is meant to add depth to compact spaces while fostering cohesion. It can be nice to use for little reading nooks or hobby rooms. Both lime wash and Roman clay paint are among the best options for color drenching, as their textured finishes add a bit of variation that ties the whole look together. Try exploring different shades of the same hue for different parts of the room. 4. Try a Tone-on-Tone Look Take a page from color-drenching and try a tone-on-tone approach with your lime wash or Roman clay paint. The idea is to use a color that’s a few shades darker or lighter compared to the rest of the room. That way, you have a sophisticated and layered look to your space that transcends the one-dimensional look of an all-white space. 5. Create a Beautiful Half Wall Another way to use lime wash and Roman clay paint is to create a half-wall design. Paint a geometric shape on half of the wall to add visual interest. You can also make this feature by adding beadboard paneling, since it can create a personalized and built-in feel to your home's overall architecture. Say Bye-Bye to Boring, All-White Interiors Lime wash and Roman clay paint add texture to take your space to the next level while keeping a more minimalist vibe. Take your favorite ideas and spruce up your home to be more aesthetically pleasing than ever.
