J. Peterson Design Chicago · Atlanta · Southwest Michigan

Chicago · Services

Furnishing & Styling in Chicago

Furnishing & Styling focuses on selecting and arranging furniture, lighting, textiles, and art for your home. We help you select the specific pieces that make your rooms comfortable and personal.

What we do

Our work begins with a design consultation to understand your home and preferences. We then create a Presentation of your design, including furniture layouts and material selections. We provide Construction documents that detail furniture placement and electrical needs. We also make Material selections for all furnishings and decorative items. We conduct Jobsite inspections to ensure proper placement and installation of items, and we add Finishing touches to complete your space.

Who it suits

This service suits homes in Chicago, Southwest Michigan, and Atlanta that need new furniture and decorative elements. It is ideal for refreshing a single room in a historic bungalow or furnishing an entire new-build condominium.

Questions

What is included in Furnishing & Styling?

This service includes a design consultation, presentation of your design, construction documents for furnishing, material selections, jobsite inspections, and finishing touches for your home.

What do I receive at the end of the Furnishing & Styling process?

You receive detailed construction documents for furnishing, specifications for all material selections, and a fully furnished and styled room or home.

How does Furnishing & Styling differ from your other services?

Furnishing & Styling focuses on furniture, lighting, and decor, without the structural changes of Kitchen Design, Bath Design, or Full-Home Design. It provides more comprehensive selections than Color Consultation and focuses on specific rooms rather than general Living Space design.

How long does a Furnishing & Styling project take?

The timeline for Furnishing & Styling projects varies based on the scope and the availability of selected items. We will discuss a projected timeline during your initial design consultation.

Can I use my own contractor for installation?

Yes, our construction documents and material selections are provided for your contractor to implement. We conduct jobsite inspections to ensure the design is executed as planned.

In Chicago

Homes in Chicago

Chicago's housing stock includes many 1920s brick bungalows in neighborhoods like Portage Park, often featuring galley kitchens closed off from dining rooms. We often address these layouts with Kitchen Design services. In Lincoln Park, 19th-century greystones frequently have primary baths split into two small rooms, which we combine and reconfigure with Bath Design. Many 1980s townhomes in areas like Lakeview have unpainted oak trim and cabinetry, prompting requests for updated Furnishing & Styling or Color Consultation to modernize these spaces. We also work with 1950s ranch homes in Beverly, where low basement ceilings are a common challenge during Full-Home Design projects.

What homeowners in Chicago ask for

Homeowners in Chicago often seek Kitchen Design to open up 1920s bungalow kitchens. Bath Design is frequently requested for combining small, split primary bathrooms in 19th-century greystones. Many projects involve Full-Home Design for 1950s ranch homes, addressing challenges like low basement ceilings. Furnishing & Styling updates are common for 1980s townhomes to refresh dated oak finishes.

Led by Jennifer Peterson

Jennifer Peterson and Jill Kearns, the sisters behind J. Peterson Design

About the studio

Two sisters, one studio

Jennifer Peterson founded J. Peterson Design in 2008 and leads our work in Chicago and Southwest Michigan. Her sister, Jill Kearns, leads the Atlanta studio. Together, we design homes that feel considered and beautiful, but also comfortable, functional, and personal to the people who live in them.

Although we work in different cities, we operate as one studio. We talk through plans, share ideas, question each other, and bring another experienced set of eyes to the decisions that matter. Being sisters makes that collaboration especially natural — there is a shorthand, an honesty, and a shared standard that has been there long before the studio.

More about the studio

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Ready to talk about Furnishing & Styling in Chicago?

Tell us about the space and what is not working in it.

Jennifer Peterson and Jill Kearns — the designers you'll be talking to

Chicago

Led by Jennifer Peterson