“A friend-of-a-friend posted on Facebook that they were looking to sell their apartment in Chicago just as I was moving from D.C. in the middle of the pandemic. One look at the floor-to-ceiling windows of this corner unit and I knew immediately that this was my new home. The wall of windows and high ceilings create a light and airy feeling, which is refreshing after living in my share of basement apartments,” writes condo owner Stephanie Hengst, who says that this home is really the first time she’s been able to let her personality “out in full technicolor. I’ve been holding on to artwork for years, too afraid to put holes in the walls of rentals; now I can showcase my photos, art, and trinkets wherever I want!”

Stephanie commissioned her sister, Melissa Griffin of Indigo Ink Designs, to design a tropical custom wallpaper mural, and the pair worked together on the home’s interior design, which actually ended up inspiring a collaborative design partnership between them that they’re calling Haus of Hengst.

Homeowner Stephanie’s style: Bohemian, botanical, and bright modern maximalism.

Homeowner Stephanie’s inspiration: The bright sights and rich textures found on extensive world travels.

Homeowner Stephanie’s favorite element: I love it all! I found bright plexiglass, floating picture frames online and created a rainbow gallery in my hallway to show off some of my favorite travel photos.

I also love taking a pause at the end of the day to watch the sunset from the living room. These south- and west-facing windows let me catch a sunrise in the morning and sunset in the evening!

Designer Melissa’s inspiration: Mixing playful colors and patterns in unexpected combinations is an exciting challenge I strive for in every project. Doing so for a client with such a keen eye is tough, but even more rewarding.

Designer Melissa’s favorite element: My favorite element is the custom wallpaper! But even more, I love how naturally it fell into place with everything else Stephanie had to work with. It felt like her.

Designer Melissa’s biggest challenge: We designed this wallpaper before she had really even moved into the condo. So it was a different process than I would normally go through, but she had a clear vision of what she wanted and directed the design very well.

• Living Room — Valspar “Snowcap White”
• Dining Room — Valspar “Deep Indigo Coal” paint color matched to the background of wallpaper mural
• Bathroom — Rust-Oleum tile paint in “Ultra White” base and clear matte coating, and Valspar “Someday” (blue)
• Bedroom — Valspar “Deep River Green” and “Utterly Pink”
• Office — Valspar “Blaze Orange”
• Entryway — Valspar “Golden Flame”

• Wall-Mounted Shelf and Bike Rack — ​CB2 (no longer available)

• Floating Picture Frames — Wexel Art

• Sloan Sectional — Interior Define
• Pillows and Fabrics — Collected from global travels
• Peekaboo Coffee and Side Tables — CB2 (coffee table discontinued)
• Ladder Bookshelves and TV Stand — West Elm
• Armless Chairs — CB2 (discontinued)

• Stone Ivory Dining Table — ​CB2
• Assorted Tasmin Dining Chairs — Anthropologie
• Antique School Desk — Personal from childhood

• Desk — IKEA
• Desk Chair — Craigslist find
• Hanging Lights — Color Cord Company

• Midcentury Dressers — CB2 (discontinued)
• Bed with Storage Drawers — IKEA
• Rug — Wayfair
• Mirror — Etsy

• Mirror — AllModern
• Hardware — CB2

Thanks, Melissa!

This tour’s responses and photos were edited for length/size and clarity.
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