Senior Project Designer Shelby Thompson details Kuchar’s hospitality-level wellness spa for a Chicago financial firm It’s unusual for a finance office to feature a sauna — but should it be? When we talk about bringing people back to the office, wellness is almost always part of the conversation — but too often, it shows up as a box to check. A few plants here, a softened color palette there. When we began working with a Chicago-based financial firm, they knew they wanted some

The line between residential and commercial design has never been more blurred — or more beautiful. Here, Kuchar Creative Director Sarah Kuchar-Parkinson answers burning questions about the textures, materials, and moods redefining luxury in commercial spaces this fall.  Let’s start with the big picture. What’s the defining aesthetic or mood shaping luxury commercial interiors this fall? The biggest shift we’re seeing is the continued blurring of lines between hospitality, r

In an era where you can virtually place a sofa in your living room with a few taps on your phone and scroll through endless digital lookbooks, you might wonder: do showrooms still matter? At Kuchar, the answer is a resounding yes. While digital tools have revolutionized how we preview, research, and shop for interiors, they haven’t replaced the impact of a thoughtfully designed, in-person showroom . In fact, the role of the showroom has only become more essential — not just a

Emily Osborne, Project Designer at Kuchar, reflects on her favorite finds from Copenhagen’s annual design festival — and the enduring...

From timelines to long-term goals, Sarah Kuchar-Parkinson shares six key steps to kicking off your commercial interior design project the right way — with less stress and more confidence. The DARRAN showroom is physically located in Chicago but draws ample inspiration from the brand’s North Carolina headquarters — a design choice that allows the brand’s story to be visually told in subtle ways. Starting a commercial interior design project can feel overwhelming, especially a

Lighting by Bomma featured at Euroluce 2025 at Salone del Mobile From tried-and-true lighting brands with fresh iterations to...

Jumping over the pond to the UK city of Bristol, Kuchar had to opportunity to work on an office for a financial firm. Weaving in inspiration from not only what the employees are going to create, but from the sites and textures of the surrounding city. Bristol also has a unique connection to airplanes, with it being the final landing place of the Concorde. Below is a page right out of our presentation showing the imagery that inspired the space. We were also afforded the chan

Muse Community + Design is a fellow woman-owned local company who offers inventive and inspiring solutions to help communities manage change. Recently they moved to a new office in Wicker Park, tapping Kuchar in the process to help bring their space to life. We were very inspired by the mission of the company and really wanted to create a space that reflected their ethos - and also their new branding! They had recently rebranded, bringing a fun and bright visual identity to t

They say good things come in small packages. That seems the best way to describe this small but mighty showroom. We had less than 300sf to make an impact. At about 40 feet wide and 7 feet deep, we needed the product finishes to shine and find the right placement for the brand’s message. We selected a spiced orange tone for the walls and a contrasting warm white for the handwritten font that walks clients through what a Nook is and the benefits it creates. It's a principle tha

If a client were to ask for a design and construction schedule we would recommend about six months. We met with the Framery team in their new space just five weeks before the first day of Neocon and quickly realized they were in need of a complete showroom design. "Quickly" doesn't begin to describe our next steps . Framery's product line includes pods and booths which give users a quiet place to work and meet. Their needs were simple, they needed ample floor space to displ

This office design incorporated the vintage nature of the classic NYC building with modern design moments.

Project tour of the interior design of an office located in Amsterdam, inspired by the city itself.

The Kuchar office was designed to represent our culture and who we are as designers. We always push creative ideas, aren't afraid of color and welcome the ideas of everyone on the team. The color combinations are opinionated but the overall warmth of the space makes users comfortable and typically elicits a smile on our visitors' faces. Scroll down to get the background of how we found this office, the before photos and the inspiration behind the design. One of the main rea

Kuchar teamed up with the hip new furniture line called Etc to study how the pandemic is changing how we work. We surveyed and talked to...

When we first toured this office space, we noticed that the previous tenant's office had a similar layout to what our client was looking for. After studying the floor plan further, we decided to keep a large portion of the office lobby and conference rooms which would save our client time and money. It's rare that an old space fits today's office standards, but in this case, we got lucky and capitalized on the idea. The design for this Chicago office space was inspired by t

This unique coworking space was designed for the young startup company that has yet to build their own office. We created a space that is vibrant, yet purposely lacks a brand so it can suit any company's culture. Working within a smaller budget, we used creative ways to make the interior design dynamic - bold paint transitions, painted light fixtures and bright furniture. Inside the small breakroom, we designed two areas for both the lunch hour as well as daily meetings. T

I first visited this building in 2007 for my first ever design lead project. Only a few years out of school, it was my first opportunity to design a space on my own. Now, 13 years later, my design studio has designed an expansion to that space - blending today's trends with my original design. I couldn't be more excited to tour this project for you all! Located in a 100 year-old building on the Chicago River, the industrial charm inherent in the architecture is impossible

Open Office When Farmer's Fridge reached out to us to design their headquarters, we were excited to hear they were only a few blocks away from our own office in West Town! Farmer's Fridge makes packaged healthy meal options available in vending machines across Chicago, as well as at their space in Revival Food Hall downtown. Their company was expanding rapidly and they needed a low-cost, high-impact, adaptable office that would flex and grow with their team. We worked with t

Covid-19 Lifestyle + Workplace Survey Results Thank you to everyone who participated in our recent survey. We received over 320 responses...