Today we will enjoy the work of a talented designer who lived an entirely different life professionally before her creative pivot. Don’t you love a perfectly profound poppin’ pivot!?! Cari Giannoulias Interview: Layered, Livable, Lovely Luxe will tour some of my favorite spaces imagined by the Chicago interior designer as well as provide the inside scoop on her approach to beautiful design.
Imagine the conversations in this cozy space with dramatic grey walls. Interior Design: Cari Giannoulias Design. Photo: Eric Hausman. Understated sophistication, approachable elegance, and exceptional quality in a room by Cari Giannoulias…certainly lovely indeed. Cari Giannoulias: Layered, Livable, and Lovely as well as Luxe Interior Design Inspiration. Personal elements, antiquities, and a mix of periods, styles, scale and texture result in a decidedly more interesting space with character.
Cari Giannoulias Interview: Layered, Livable, Lovely Luxe
Before interior design became her full-time passion in Chicago, creative dynamo Cari Giannoulias lived in LA and worked for a stretch within the music division of Jersey Films and Records (Danny Devito* and Stacey Sher were at the helm). Later, she oversaw the creative between big brands, talent, the film, and the studio for Universal Pictures in the Motion Picture Marketing Department.
When Giannoulias relocated to Chicago with her husband to build their first home, she ultimately hired herself for the design job (shazam!) and nailed it. The rest is history.
A lofty, classic, coastal kitchen in a home in Glencoe. Illnois. Cabinetry: custom by Highgate Builders. Interior Design: Cari Giannoulias Design. Photo: Eric Hausman. Understated sophistication, approachable elegance, and exceptional quality in a room by Cari Giannoulias…certainly lovely indeed. Cari Giannoulias: Layered, Livable, and Lovely as well as Luxe Interior Design Inspiration. Personal elements, antiquities, and a mix of periods, styles, scale and texture result in a decidedly more interesting space with character.
Cari Giannoulias Interview
A guy walks into a bar…and can’t stop staring. This one’s sleek, sexy and ready to party. Cari Giannoulias Design. Photo: Eric Hausman. Understated sophistication, approachable elegance, and exceptional quality in a room by Cari Giannoulias…certainly lovely indeed. Cari Giannoulias: Layered, Livable, and Lovely as well as Luxe Interior Design Inspiration. Personal elements, antiquities, and a mix of periods, styles, scale and texture result in a decidedly more interesting space with character.
Tell us about your creative process.
My creative process is an organic one. I spend a lot of time in the initial meetings getting to know the client–showing them images and seeing what they gravitate towards. Asking questions about their lifestyle and how they spend time in their home is key. This is most important because making a room look gorgeous is one thing, but making it functional as well is much more difficult.
I think most of my clients would say to you that they really do live in every space of their home.
With stunning architectural details, this dining room is bathed in light and remains lovely before a single place has been set. Cari Giannoulias Design. Photo: Eric Hausman. Understated sophistication, approachable elegance, and exceptional quality in a room by Cari Giannoulias…certainly lovely indeed. Cari Giannoulias Interview: Layered, Livable, and Lovely as well as Luxe Interior Design Inspiration. Personal elements, antiquities, and a mix of periods, styles, scale and texture result in a decidedly more interesting space with character.
Tranquil Interior Design Inspiration
Tranquil bedrooms are underrated, and this sumptuous example is a study in serenity. Cari Giannoulias Design. Photo: Eric Hausman. Understated sophistication, approachable elegance, and exceptional quality in a room by Cari Giannoulias…certainly lovely indeed. Cari Giannoulias Interview: Layered, Livable, and Lovely as well as Luxe Interior Design Inspiration. Personal elements, antiquities, and a mix of periods, styles, scale and texture result in a decidedly more interesting space with character.
How do you provide each client with a truly custom design?
It’s a balancing act to make each project unique through the pairing of precious and conventional.
I always stay true to my aesthetic which I deem as “understated sophistication.” I feel every room must have personal elements, antiquities, and then a mixing of periods, styles, scales and textures to make it interesting.
Rustic, refined, and luxurious, a beautiful space to lounge invites lingering. Cari Giannoulias Design. Photo: Eric Hausman. Understated sophistication, approachable elegance, and exceptional quality in a room by Cari Giannoulias…certainly lovely indeed. Cari Giannoulias: Layered, Livable, and Lovely as well as Luxe Interior Design Inspiration. Personal elements, antiquities, and a mix of periods, styles, scale and texture result in a decidedly more interesting space with character.
SIMPLICITY IS THE ULTIMATE FORM OF SOPHISTICATION.
Symmetry and geometry had a baby, and this dining room popped out. (Just ignore this blogger…I’m tired-high, honeychild.) Cari Giannoulias Design. Photo: Eric Hausman. Understated sophistication, approachable elegance, and exceptional quality in a room by Cari Giannoulias…certainly lovely indeed. Cari Giannoulias: Layered, Livable, and Lovely as well as Luxe Interior Design Inspiration. Personal elements, antiquities, and a mix of periods, styles, scale and texture result in a decidedly more interesting space with character.
Where does your inspiration come from?
It sounds like such a cliché, but I do find inspiration everywhere. I’m constantly taking photos and figuring out ways to reinterpret what I’ve seen into my designs.
Shelf styling is an art, and indeed an artist has been at work here. Cari Giannoulias Design. Photo: Eric Hausman. Understated sophistication, approachable elegance, and exceptional quality in a room by Cari Giannoulias…certainly lovely indeed. Cari Giannoulias Interview: Layered, Livable, and Lovely as well as Luxe Interior Design Inspiration. Personal elements, antiquities, and a mix of periods, styles, scale and texture result in a decidedly more interesting space with character.
Because we need a second look at this foxy drink station. Cari Giannoulias Design. Photo: Eric Hausman. Understated sophistication, approachable elegance, and exceptional quality in a room by Cari Giannoulias…certainly lovely indeed. Cari Giannoulias: Layered, Livable, and Lovely as well as Luxe Interior Design Inspiration. Personal elements, antiquities, and a mix of periods, styles, scale and texture result in a decidedly more interesting space with character.
How do you score those perfect pieces for your clients?
Once I get to know the person, the rest flows pretty naturally. I am in a constant state of search–always looking for that perfect piece.
Every time I find something I love I hold onto it. When I find the perfect client for it, I match the two up. I have piles and piles of interesting furniture, lighting, art, etc. From there, I plug and play for months on making everything come together.
Handsome and harmonious design in an office. Cari Giannoulias Design. Photo: Eric Hausman. Understated sophistication, approachable elegance, and exceptional quality in a room by Cari Giannoulias…certainly lovely indeed. Cari Giannoulias: Layered, Livable, and Lovely as well as Luxe Interior Design Inspiration. Personal elements, antiquities, and a mix of periods, styles, scale and texture result in a decidedly more interesting space with character.
THE HOME SHOULD BE THE TREASURE CHEST OF LIVING. Le Corbusier.
Lofty & Lovely
Collections and personal touches in a unique space for living. Cari Giannoulias Design. Photo: Eric Hausman. Understated sophistication, approachable elegance, and exceptional quality in a room by Cari Giannoulias…certainly lovely indeed. Cari Giannoulias: Layered, Livable, and Lovely as well as Luxe Interior Design Inspiration. Personal elements, antiquities, and a mix of periods, styles, scale and texture result in a decidedly more interesting space with character.
This classic and open concept kitchen hits all the right notes. Cari Giannoulias Design. Photo: Eric Hausman. Understated sophistication, approachable elegance, and exceptional quality in a room by Cari Giannoulias…certainly lovely indeed. Cari Giannoulias: Layered, Livable, and Lovely as well as Luxe Interior Design Inspiration. Personal elements, antiquities, and a mix of periods, styles, scale and texture result in a decidedly more interesting space with character.
Any favorite sources for antiques?
Some of the best ideas come from perusing antique sites such as Decaso, Pamono, and Kairos Collective. These sites are well-curated and can sometimes spark an idea for a modern reinterpretation.
A luxurious home in Chicago’s Gold Coast is a study in Old World charm and modern luxury. In the master bedroom with custom designed millwork, the walls are covered in a textural Phllip Jeffries wall covering. Canopy bed (refinished with a glossy dark paint) and chest: antique; Baker. Flanking the bed are floor to ceiling custom cabinets. Note that lovely extendable shelf for bedside ease! Above bed: antique framed map of Italy. Cari Giannoulias Design. Photo: Eric Hausman. Understated sophistication, approachable elegance, and exceptional quality in a room by Cari Giannoulias…certainly lovely indeed. Cari Giannoulias: Layered, Livable, ad Lovely as well as Luxe Interior Design Inspiration. Personal elements, antiquities, and a mix of periods, styles, scale and texture result in a decidedly more interesting space with character.
LEARN TO LOOK NOT JUST WITH YOUR EYES BUT WITH YOUR HEART. FIND THE THINGS THAT CONNECT WITH YOU. HOW ELSE WILL YOU KNOW HOW TO DESIGN YOUR HOME?
Elegant and Pretty
Pretty rules. Cari Giannoulias Design. Photo: Eric Hausman. Understated sophistication, approachable elegance, and exceptional quality in a room by Cari Giannoulias…certainly lovely indeed. Cari Giannoulias: Layered, Livable, and Lovely as well as Luxe Interior Design Inspiration. Personal elements, antiquities, and a mix of periods, styles, scale and texture result in a decidedly more interesting space with character.
This dining room in a condo within Chicago’s Gold Coast incorporated many of its occupants’ heirlooms. The homeowners’ antique Baker table is a standout in the elegantly chic dining room. The chairs are Italian and circa 1940, scored in London and given a fresh look with new upholstery. Vintage art-deco print hangs above a gentleman’s bar (Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams). Crystal chandelier: Visual Comfort. Cari Giannoulias Design. Photo: Eric Hausman. Understated sophistication, approachable elegance, and exceptional quality in a room by Cari Giannoulias…certainly lovely indeed. Cari Giannoulias: Layered, Livable, and Lovely as well as Luxe Interior Design Inspiration. Personal elements, antiquities, and a mix of periods, styles, scale and texture result in a decidedly more interesting space with character.
Cari Giannoulias: Layered, Livable, Lovely Luxe
In a showstopping penthouse powder room with a Duravit sink and toilet, natural rock face tile adorns the wall. Cari Giannoulias Design. Photo: Eric Hausman. Understated sophistication, approachable elegance, and exceptional quality in a room by Cari Giannoulias…certainly lovely indeed. Cari Giannoulias: Layered, Livable, and Lovely as well as Luxe Interior Design Inspiration. Personal elements, antiquities, and a mix of periods, styles, scale and texture result in a decidedly more interesting space with character.
Old World & Italy Inspired Bedroom
A luxurious home in Chicago’s Gold Coast is a study in Old World charm and modern luxury. In the master bedroom with custom designed millwork, the walls are covered in a textural Phllip Jeffries wall covering. Canopy bed (refinished with a glossy dark paint) and chest: antique; Baker. Flanking the bed are floor to ceiling custom cabinets. Note that lovely extendedable shelf for bedside ease! Above bed: antique framed map of Italy. Cari Giannoulias Design. Photo: Eric Hausman. Understated sophistication, approachable elegance, and exceptional quality in a room by Cari Giannoulias…certainly lovely indeed. Cari Giannoulias: Layered, Livable, and Lovely as well as Luxe Interior Design Inspiration. Personal elements, antiquities, and a mix of periods, styles, scale and texture result in a decidedly more interesting space with character.
RAWNESS AND REFINEMENT ARE NOT OPPOSITE ENDS OF A LUXURIOUS SPECTRUM. THY ARE TWO COMPLEMENTARY FEATURES WITH WHICH TO POPULATE A LUXE ENVIRONMENT. Kelly Wearstler.
The Designer’s Favorite Paint Colors!
For paint colors, a tried and true neutral for me is BENJAMIN MOORE Collingwood. It changes with every room but can waver between Modern and Traditional.
BENJAMIN MOORE Collingwood OC-28. This color is part of the Off-White Color collection. Inherently sophisticated and endlessly versatile, the Off-White collection offers subtle nuances of whites that suit tranquil, serene environments as well as creates color-enhancing accents for dynamic spaces.
Another wonderful color is FARROW & BALL Dead Salmon. It has a handsome rosy hue if that’s even possible.
FARROW & BALL Dead Salmon. No. 28. An aged salmon pink A subtle shade whose name refers to the flat or ‘dead’ finish of an aged pink painted at Kedleston Hall in 1805, Dead Salmon has a magical quality to it as everyone sees it differently. Be it a strong mushroom steeped in history, or a warming buff neutral, this deep salmon pink creates the most subtle and serene of environments suitable as a backdrop in candlelit dining rooms.
I also love FARROW & BALL Parma Gray. It’s the perfect blue grey that makes a big impact on walls.
FARROW & BALL Parma Gray – No. 27. A cool mid blue. Reading as a cool blue, Parma Gray is another color attributed to the great colorist John Fowler. Used as the backdrop to numerous costume dramas, it creates the perfect period feel when contrasted with Wimborne White. Though its cool nature can feel quite formal when contrasted with a bright white, it is a firm favorite for those who prefer a clean and crisp finish.
A City Bedroom
Charming design details in a bedroom. Cari Giannoulias Design. Photo: Eric Hausman. Understated sophistication, approachable elegance, and exceptional quality in a room by Cari Giannoulias…certainly lovely indeed. Cari Giannoulias: Layered, Livable, and Lovely, as well as Luxe Interior Design Inspiration. Personal elements, antiquities, and a mix of periods, styles, scale and texture result in a decidedly more interesting space with character.
*My grown sons have no interest in interior design and are difficult to impress. However, I can now (welllll, sort of) boast just one degree of separation between me and Danny Devito…they are both fans of Danny in It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.
MERCI BEAUCOUP, Cari Giannoulias! For both boosting mama’s cool factor and sharing your expertise with Hello Lovely!
Cozy factor. Cari Giannoulias Design. Photo: Eric Hausman. Understated sophistication, approachable elegance, and exceptional quality in a room by Cari Giannoulias…certainly lovely indeed. Interview with Cari Giannoulias: Layered, Livable, and Lovely as well as Luxe Interior Design Inspiration. Personal elements, antiquities, and a mix of periods, styles, scale, and texture result in a decidedly more interesting space with character.
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Peace to you right where you are.
-michele
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Lovely and inspiring! I love her entire design esthetic.
It doesn’t surprise me that she started in a music field and went into design. Many people who are creative in one genre are also creative in another field of art. I started in music & theatre (got a music degree), studied interior decorating & had a business for awhile, and am now again back into music more. Along the way, a stint in marketing was part of my story too.
Often one area of art teaches us to be more cognizant of all the other areas too because of their wonderful interaction in our world. And oftens artists of all genres have had to learn to market our own ‘wares’ so you’ll find very creative people have also had to learn that field too. They’re all so amazingly connected.
All the lovely facets of the world of beauty at our feet to share. mmmm…….. 🙂
Mmmmmmmmm. Yes. I am nodding. It can be a seamless transition when your heart is that of an artist. For me, baking bread, styling a vignette in a room, painting a picture, and writing a song at the piano are all very natural expressions flowing from the same source. Artists are always the best designers and architects! Happy weekend, beautiful soul.
Bravo Cari! What talent on display here. I love the little dolls in the bedroom windows!! And the powder room, so unexpected in its finishes and simplicity. Love her style!
xo
Holly
Lovely and inspiring! I love her entire design esthetic.
It doesn’t surprise me that she started in a music field and went into design. Many people who are creative in one genre are also creative in another field of art. I started in music & theatre (got a music degree), studied interior decorating & had a business for awhile, and am now again back into music more. Along the way, a stint in marketing was part of my story too.
Often one area of art teaches us to be more cognizant of all the other areas too because of their wonderful interaction in our world. And oftens artists of all genres have had to learn to market our own ‘wares’ so you’ll find very creative people have also had to learn that field too. They’re all so amazingly connected.
All the lovely facets of the world of beauty at our feet to share. mmmm…….. 🙂
Your post has inspired me today! Thank you. 🙂
Author
Mmmmmmmmm. Yes. I am nodding. It can be a seamless transition when your heart is that of an artist. For me, baking bread, styling a vignette in a room, painting a picture, and writing a song at the piano are all very natural expressions flowing from the same source. Artists are always the best designers and architects! Happy weekend, beautiful soul.
Bravo Cari! What talent on display here. I love the little dolls in the bedroom windows!! And the powder room, so unexpected in its finishes and simplicity. Love her style!
xo
Holly
Author
Wasn’t that a whimsical and clever move? Thanks for reading, friend. Happy new week to you.