Design Team

Gail and her Design Director, Diane Smitchger, pool their design and project management talents to create the luxurious home interiors sought by discriminating home owners.

Gail's designs, sensitive to the interior architecture, range from Contemporary to Traditional, often with the skillful juxtaposition of opposites in form and eras. Her technical knowledge of color, window treatments and lighting creatively intertwine to create the room's mood. Gail can draw on her degrees in both interior design and fine art to expertly enhance her interior design with appropriately selected and displayed works of art. Her experiences gained as a docent for the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation gives her an appreciation of how to blend architecture, fine art and interior design to create a distinctive one of kind interior.

Gail's fondness for travel through Europe, Asia and Latin America also influences her designs. She frequently brings home furniture, antiques and art to grace the home of one of her clients looking for that special touch to distinguish their home.

One of Gail's most notable designs is an award winning Home Theater featured in Electronic House Magazine. This impressive design was the result of extensive research in the Art Deco era and showcases varied lighting, specialized paint finishes and beautiful architectural detailing along with some creative uses of the Stilestone products.

The Cheney Mansion Living Room also showcases Gail's talents as one of the area's best Interior Designers. Transforming an expansive room by dividing the room into several distinctive areas, each with its own unique sophistication and luxury united by a large area rug selected for it's subtle detailing, brings out the splendor of the home's magnificent ceiling.

Recently, Gail has opened an office in Florida in order to best serve the needs of that state's burgeoning population. She has been splitting her time between offices as dictated by her clients' needs.

Diane Smitchger, a graduate of Harrington College of Design, has been with the firm for over 8 years. Her work has been featured in a number of Showcase Homes in the Chicago area.

Diane's goal as an Interior Designer is to achieve a balanced design that emits a timeless appeal that is both sophisticated and unique. She feels that a successful project is more than just an amazing design; it's about her clients' total satisfaction. "I have always been sensitive to how a room makes you feel - color, light, textures, patterns, space, warmth, smells... it has always been about creating the "experience" of a home."

In order to create extraordinary outcomes, Diane believes in clear and regular communication with you, the client. This approach gives her an explicit understanding of your vision and expectations and allows the project to run smoothly and deliver a finished product that you are delighted to show off to friends and family.

Diane's success can be directly attributed to her ability to listen to the clients' thoughts, ideas and emotions then transform those concepts into creative design solutions that fit perfectly with the clients' personality and style. She believes that each space should be the reflection of her clients' style, making every design an enhanced version of their original concept. Nothing is more fulfilling to Diane than seeing a project through from imagination to reality and when her clients watch their homes transform. Diane says the rewarding part of her job is seeing for herself that she has brought out the best in her clients' own vision and knowing that they have been heard.

Inspired by her clients' treasured belongings, honoring the architectural details of the home, utilizing the latest technology and products and transposing these elements into her designs, all facets of Diane's interiors are thoughtfully constructed. This type of commitment leads to fantastic relationships with both clients and contractors alike.

Gail Prauss Interior Design

Design Team