Interior designer serving Chicago's North Shore, IL
From lakefront houses to long-established village residences, homes along Chicago’s North Shore often ask for more than decorating. They require decisions about architecture, circulation, cabinetry, lighting, furnishings, art and how all of those pieces work together. Marshall Erb Design provides full-service residential interior design across the North Shore, guiding custom homes, major renovations and fully furnished residences from early planning through installation.
Marshall Erb Design · Full-service residential interiors
Designing for houses with presence, history and room to evolve
The North Shore is not defined by a single architectural language. Historic estates, shingle-style houses, mid-century residences and contemporary new construction can sit within the same broader region, often with mature landscapes and a strong relationship to Lake Michigan. That range calls for an interior designer who can read the house first, then decide where to preserve, edit or introduce something entirely new.
Our work begins with the way the property is actually used. Long sightlines, natural light, family circulation, entertaining and the transition between interior rooms and outdoor spaces can all shape the plan. In some homes the architectural envelope is the anchor; in others, a renovation creates the opportunity to establish a clearer identity. The objective is not to impose a signature look across every North Shore project, but to make the architecture, materials and furnishings feel convincingly related to one another.
North Shore residences with distinct points of view
Modern Mix and Shingle Chic show two different ways of designing for substantial residential architecture. One leans into contrast, art and a more eclectic composition; the other uses tailored millwork and traditional references with a lighter hand. Together they reflect the range that is possible when the house and the client, rather than a preset aesthetic, establish the direction.
Art, antiques and contemporary furnishings
Modern Mix is built around contrast without losing coherence. Contemporary furniture and saturated color sit alongside antiques, architectural detailing and a personal art collection, allowing the rooms to feel collected rather than coordinated by formula. It is a useful example of how an established North Shore residence can support a more expressive interior while the proportions and character of the house remain legible.
Custom millwork and refined traditional detail
Interior design services for North Shore homes
North Shore residential projects often involve many layers and many specialists. Architectural drawings, construction details, cabinetry, lighting, furniture and art all affect one another, especially in larger homes. Our role is to keep those decisions connected so the finished interior feels intentional from the structure of the rooms to the objects placed within them.
Custom homes and design-team coordination
For new construction, the interior design process is most useful when it begins before the architecture is fully resolved. Marshall Erb Design has documented experience collaborating on major North Shore residences, including a 12,000-plus-square-foot Winnetka home and new construction on three acres in Lake Forest. Working alongside architects and builders allows furniture plans, lighting, kitchens, bathrooms, millwork and finish transitions to inform the drawings before those decisions become expensive to change.
Renovations that respect original architecture
A substantial renovation should improve the way a house performs without erasing the qualities that give it identity. We study circulation, room proportions, additions, fireplaces, stairways and existing millwork before determining where a stronger intervention is needed. The result may include a reworked kitchen, a more functional family zone, a new primary suite or a broader reorganization of the plan, but the new work should still feel as though it belongs to the property.
Kitchens, baths and whole-home millwork
In a large residence, cabinetry is part of the architecture as much as it is storage. Kitchens, libraries, dressing rooms, bars, baths and utility spaces need their own functions while still belonging to the same house. Marshall Erb Design has collaborated on extensive cabinetry programs for large homes in Lake Forest and Winnetka, balancing fully custom work with other solutions where appropriate to the room, budget and overall design.
Furnishings, lighting, art and final installation
The final character of a home develops through scale, texture and the pieces chosen over time. We plan furniture around conversation and circulation, develop lighting for both atmosphere and practical use, and layer rugs, textiles, art, antiques and custom pieces without making every room feel alike. Installation brings those decisions together so the interior reads as a complete home rather than a sequence of separately decorated spaces.
Marshall Erb · Principal & Lead Interior Designer
A Chicago studio with deep North Shore residential experience
Marshall Erb founded the studio in 1998 after earning a Bachelor of Architecture degree from the Illinois Institute of Technology. That training continues to shape the firm’s residential work. Interior architecture, cabinetry, lighting and furniture are considered as parts of one environment, which is especially valuable when a project moves between architectural planning, construction documentation and the details of furnishing a completed home.
Across the North Shore, the studio has worked on projects involving large custom residences, significant renovations and highly detailed cabinetry. The firm’s published work includes collaborations in Winnetka and Lake Forest where the interior designer, architect and builder were involved together, allowing client priorities and interior requirements to influence the project early instead of being addressed after construction decisions were fixed.
That collaborative approach continues through the more personal layers of the house. Materials are evaluated in relation to light and architecture, furniture is selected for the dimensions and use of each room, and art or antiques are integrated as part of the composition rather than added at the end. The goal is a North Shore home that feels specific to its owners and settled in its setting from the first room to the last.
Planning an interior design project on the North Shore
North Shore projects can range from a fully furnished existing home to a multi-year custom build involving architects, builders and specialty trades. The best starting point is to understand the property, the extent of the work and where the project currently sits in the planning process. These questions cover the practical issues clients most often need to resolve before design begins.
Which North Shore communities do you serve?
Marshall Erb Design serves residential clients throughout Chicago’s North Shore, including Winnetka, Glencoe, Hinsdale, Kenilworth, Lake Forest and surrounding communities. The studio is based in Chicago, and the scope is determined by the property and project rather than by a fixed distance from the office. For a new inquiry, include the home address and a brief description of the work you are considering.
Do you work on large custom homes and estates?
Yes. The firm has documented experience with substantial North Shore residences, including a custom Winnetka home of more than 12,000 square feet and a new construction residence on three acres in Lake Forest. Projects of that scale benefit from early interior design involvement because cabinetry, lighting, furniture planning, finish selections and consultant coordination affect many parts of the architecture and construction process.
Can you join a project that already has an architect or builder?
Yes. Marshall Erb Design regularly works as part of a broader residential project team. If an architect or builder is already involved, we can coordinate interior planning, cabinetry, lighting, material selections, plumbing, furnishings and other interior requirements with their work. When possible, bringing the designer into the conversation before drawings and budgets are finalized gives the team more flexibility to solve issues on paper rather than during construction.
Can one firm handle the interiors from construction selections through furnishings?
That is often the most cohesive way to approach a full residence. Our work can extend from interior architectural decisions, kitchens, bathrooms and millwork through lighting, furniture, textiles, art and final installation. The exact scope is established for each project, but keeping those layers connected helps avoid a situation where the constructed rooms and the furnishings feel as though they were designed independently. Our project inquiry form is the best place to outline the property and the level of involvement you are considering.
Where is Marshall Erb Design located?
Our studio is located at 1332 N Halsted St, Suite 100, Chicago, IL 60642. From Chicago, we work with homeowners across the North Shore on residential interior design, renovation and new construction projects. Initial project details can be shared through the inquiry form before the first design conversation.
Begin a North Shore interior design project
If you are planning a new residence, reconsidering an established home or looking for a single design team to carry the interiors from construction decisions through furnishings, tell us about the North Shore property and what you want the project to accomplish. The address, approximate size, current plans, timing and professionals already involved will help us understand the scope and identify the most useful way to begin.
