Interior designer in Kenilworth, IL
Kenilworth is a place where the architecture often sets a high bar before an interior project begins. Marshall Erb Design works with homeowners on major renovations, custom residences and fully furnished interiors, bringing architecture, cabinetry, lighting, furniture and art into one coherent plan. The goal is not to make an established home feel newly decorated, but to make it feel more resolved, more personal and more natural to live in.
Marshall Erb Design · Residential interior
A new interior should strengthen what is already good about the house
Kenilworth was conceived as a carefully planned residential village, with generous lots, landscaped streets, setbacks and attention to sunlight built into its original development. That physical structure still shapes the experience of many homes today. Rooms often have a clear architectural hierarchy, long views toward gardens and exterior proportions that deserve an interior response with equal discipline.
For an established residence, we begin by separating character from inconvenience. A gracious stair, original woodwork or a well-scaled living room may be worth protecting, while kitchens, circulation, storage and private rooms may need a more substantial rethink. The strongest result is not a house frozen in its original period, but one whose history and present-day use feel convincingly connected.
Two approaches to layered, highly personal interiors
Lake Front Retreat and Modern Mix are very different in mood, yet both begin with the same premise: the room has to be composed around the architecture, the client’s routines and the things that give the home identity. One is calm and view-oriented; the other is more art-driven and eclectic. Together they show how a rigorous design process can produce interiors that feel distinctive rather than formulaic.
Photography: Lindsay Roecker
At Lake Front Retreat, the kitchen and adjoining living spaces are handled with a restrained palette and carefully scaled millwork so the interior supports the light and broader setting. The rooms feel composed without becoming formal, with cabinetry, materials and furnishings working quietly together. It is a useful reference for homeowners who value refinement without visual excess.
Photography: Andrew Miller
Modern Mix takes a more expressive route, combining significant artwork, antiques, saturated color and contemporary furniture within a controlled architectural framework. Instead of smoothing those differences away, the design gives them structure through proportion, placement and custom detail. The result feels collected and sophisticated without looking overly coordinated.
Interior design services for Kenilworth homes
In a substantial home, interior design is most effective when decisions that are often treated separately are considered together. Our work in Kenilworth, Illinois can extend from plan review and architectural detailing through kitchens, baths, lighting, custom millwork, furnishings and art, with the scope calibrated to the property and the project team.
Custom homes and pre-construction planning
On a new residence, interior decisions should begin before the drawings become difficult to change. We review room dimensions, door and window relationships, furniture layouts, kitchens, baths, millwork, lighting and finish transitions while there is still time for those choices to inform the architecture. Early coordination with the architect and builder can make a large home feel more deliberate and can reduce costly revisions later in construction.
Renovations for established and historic homes
Kenilworth has many century-old and architecturally significant residences, so renovation often requires more judgment than replacement. We study what gives the house authority, such as its room proportions, millwork, fireplaces, stair details or window rhythm, then identify where daily life is being compromised. New work can be clearly contemporary or quietly traditional, but it should feel intentional beside the parts of the house that remain.
Kitchens, baths and tailored millwork
Kitchens and bathrooms have to perform precisely, especially in homes where cabinetry and trim contribute strongly to the architecture. We consider appliance and plumbing locations, storage, work clearances, stone, tile, hardware, lighting and custom millwork as one composition. The same thinking can continue into libraries, dressing rooms, bars and built-ins so practical rooms feel fully integrated with the rest of the residence.
Furniture, lighting and art with a collected point of view
Once the architectural framework is clear, furniture and art determine how the rooms actually feel. We plan seating around conversation and movement, select lighting for both atmosphere and practical use, and build depth through textiles, rugs, antiques and custom pieces. Existing collections are welcomed into that process. A successful room should look as though its contents belong to the people who live there, not to a catalogue or a single season.
Marshall Erb · Principal & Lead Interior Designer
An architectural education behind every interior decision
Marshall Erb founded the studio in 1998 after earning a Bachelor of Architecture degree from the Illinois Institute of Technology. That training shapes how the firm reads a house before specifying what goes into it. Proportion, circulation, openings, lighting and millwork are considered alongside furniture and finishes, allowing the decorative layers to grow from a clear spatial idea.
Kenilworth rewards this kind of thinking because many properties already have a strong architectural identity. Before proposing change, we look at room sequence, ceiling conditions, natural light, original details and the views that make the house distinctive. That gives later choices, from cabinetry to upholstery, a more convincing foundation and helps the finished interior feel connected to the building rather than simply placed inside it.
As the project moves forward, we coordinate with architects, builders, fabricators, lighting specialists and installers so the interior remains consistent from the drawings to the final placement of art. The process is detailed, but the objective is straightforward: a home that feels considered without feeling overworked. Learn more about our approach to residential design.
Planning an interior design project in Kenilworth
You do not need to know every finish, room or furnishing before reaching out. A useful first conversation is usually grounded in the house itself, what you want to improve, how extensive the work may become and who is already involved. The questions below address several practical considerations for Kenilworth homeowners planning a renovation, custom residence or full interior project.
Marshall Erb Design also works with homeowners in nearby communities and across the greater Chicago area, including Glencoe, Winnetka, Lake Forest, Hinsdale, the North Shore and Chicago. The character of each home and neighborhood helps shape the design process, with decisions guided by the architecture, the project scope and the way the client wants the finished spaces to function.
What types of residential projects do you take on in Kenilworth?
Marshall Erb Design works on custom residences, substantial renovations and full furnishing projects for Kenilworth homeowners. The studio is particularly well suited to homes where architectural planning, cabinetry, lighting, materials and furnishings need to be coordinated as a whole rather than handled as unrelated phases.
How do you approach a historic or architecturally significant Kenilworth home?
We begin by identifying the features that give the property its character and the parts that no longer support the way the owners live. Original millwork, fireplaces, stair details, room proportions or other elements may deserve to remain, while kitchens, baths, circulation and storage may need meaningful change. The intention is to make new work feel credible beside the existing architecture without turning the house into a period reconstruction.
Should we involve the interior designer before our architectural plans are final?
For new construction and major renovation, earlier involvement usually creates more options. Furniture layouts can affect room dimensions and electrical planning, cabinetry can influence circulation, and lighting or plumbing requirements may change architectural details. Bringing those questions into the drawings before construction begins helps the architect, builder and interior designer work from the same set of priorities.
Can Marshall Erb Design handle both construction selections and furnishings?
Yes. Depending on the scope, our work can move from interior architectural decisions, kitchens, baths, lighting and millwork into furniture, rugs, window treatments, art, antiques and final installation. Keeping those layers connected is especially useful on whole-home projects because decisions made during construction often establish the proportions and opportunities for the furnishings that follow. You can introduce the project through our project inquiry form.
Is Marshall Erb Design located in Kenilworth?
Our studio is in Chicago at 1332 N Halsted St, Suite 100, Chicago, IL 60642. We serve clients in Kenilworth and throughout the North Shore from that location. When you contact us, include the Kenilworth property address, the type of work you are considering and any architects or builders already involved.
Tell us what you are planning for your Kenilworth home
If your Kenilworth home is entering a new chapter, whether through a major renovation, new construction or a complete furnishing plan, tell us what is changing and what you want the finished house to make possible. A brief description of the property, the anticipated scope, your timing and the project team gives us enough context to begin a useful conversation about how the interior design should move forward.
