The pressure was on when Claire Staszak and Sara Gubin spotted the cobalt velvet padding of a pristine Guillerme et Chambron armchair on one of their last stops at Round Top, the Texas antiques fair. “It was one of those moments when you see something from a mile away, and it seems like you’re running in slow motion to get to it,” says Staszak, owner of Chicago-based interiors firm and AD PRO Directory member Centered by Design. “We were dealing with bad reception and sending images to our client that wouldn’t go through.” Though some might find that kind of thing stressful, Staszak and Gubin, her lead designer, were exhilarated. “I joked that our trip to Round Top was more fun than my bachelorette party,” she laughs.
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Staszak and Gubin were fortunate to have a client who shares their love of the hunt. “She lit up when we would look at vintage items,” the designer says of the homeowner, who tasked her with converting a 5,400-square-foot house built in 2003 into something more in keeping with a classic Chicago greystone. “These pieces would often become the starting point or inspiration for a room.” An old French cataloging bureau dictated the palette and mix of materials in the formal living room, where a pair of leather-clad Nielaus and Jeki Mobler chairs sit with a live-edge walnut cocktail table. In the primary bathroom, vintage Barovier Rostrato sconces inspired the aqua-green veining in the Calacatta turquoise Antico marble that adorns the walls and vanity.