
Chicago interior design firm Design Inside is run by husband-and-wife team Kathryn and Bill Cherne. They're transparent about prices, posting them online and charging a flat rate of $50 for an on-site consultation and $100/hour for design work. Services include green design, layout plans, materials selection, shopping, and installation. Click below for a few examples:


According to their website, they founded the firm "in response to a growing need for reasonably priced interior design consulting services for residential and commercial properties in the Chicago area."

Kathryn studied at Harrington College of Interior Design and Bill has a degree in business from the University of Wisconsin at Madison.

Their portfolio features a range of spaces, from living rooms to bathrooms. To see examples of their work, click here. For more information, including pricing details and services, see their website.

We've never worked with Design Inside and only recently discovered them through their website, where we appreciated the up-front attitude about pricing. Any first-hand reviews to contribute?
I need to get a rug for our living room- is the one in the first picture too small for that space, or is that the correct size-space ratio? It looks too small to me, but I'm no expert...
view canadian in swedish clothing's profile
it's horribly small!!
view smdesign's profile
Those photos all look like great.... waiting rooms. Very 'upscale cosmetic dentist' looking, or perhaps, 'plastic surgeon to the C-list'.
view nuni's profile
wow.............. .................. .................
what a flash back, under her concept work its all the same projects i did at harrington, we even had the same instructor, as seen on her presentation boards
view E.M.H's profile
Anybody have any suggestions then as to a reasonably priced interior decorator (ok, so I live in the southwestern suburbs)? I would like to turn my small living/dining room into just a living room and have absolutely no talent as to decorating. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated!
view kimm's profile
Yes, that rug is too small. But, I happen to know the client and it was what he had wanted. ~maybe he can get another one and double it up?~ Here is a good link to appropriate sizing for rugs. http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=howTo&p=BuyGuide/ChsIntRug.html#4
view kmwc's profile
Hi, what is the name of the wall paint color used on the living room pic. I love it.
view Shaygirl's profile
I worked with Bill and Katy and they were absolutely fantastic. They did a great job of identifying my style and blending it with their initial vision. They did an incredible job of staying within my set budget and allowed me to make my own purchases, saving me a ton of money versus other designers.
They interfaced with the contractor where necessary and stuck with the project to the very end. At the end of the day, obviously the owner has final approval on everything so if something looks 'waiting room' like someone else commented, its because the owner made that final decision.
I really can not speak highly enough of not just their design work but the designers as people. Emails at all hours of the day/night are common because they will do what it takes to meet a deadline. They will also do whatever it takes to get the project completed - no matter what it means.
If you are designing on a budget as I was, I HIGHLY recommend Design Inside and quite frankly, can not speak highly enough of them.
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