Books are the heart of any home, and I spend hours going through books for design inspiration.

I don't believe in having spaces in the home that don't get used. We pay so much for square footage that to waste it is criminal.

Your home should tell the story of who you are.

I live in a beautiful vintage building that was built in the heart of downtown Chicago.

I always want objects in my home that have a connection to me or something I've loved. It's still stuff, but it's stuff that has meaning.

I got my first Charvet knit tie when I was 15. I actually stole it from my father. I love them because you can wear them day to night. They're French and preppy and have been around since the 1800s.

My favorite thing about decorating is mixing different periods and styles. If you have something that's old, and you really do want to mix those styles, then you have to add something that's obviously modern with it. You can't put a kind of a mediocre thing in the middle.