“Glamour,” said French milliner Lilly Dacheé, “is what makes a man ask for your telephone number. But it also is what makes a woman ask for the name of your dressmaker.” Or, in the case of these stunning rooms, the name of one’s decorator. While there’s a world of ways to make a space sing, nothing is quite so special as an interior that shoots for the top, as these local designers prove—perfectly.

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Gail Plechaty

Gail Plechaty of Old Mill Creek calls her business Real Simple Design. But as she laughingly admits, “Executing real simple design is real complicated.” Yet the beauty of her work, as manifested in this elegant sitting room, is that the effect appears effortless. Inspired by the room’s commodious proportions, high ceilings, and classic millwork, Plechaty fashioned the look of a grand salon, dispersing the furniture in discrete groupings across the space. A fan of monochromatic schemes, she painted the walls a soft gray and dressed the windows in a similar hue. “That creates a tranquility that guides the eye around the perimeter of the room,” she notes, “allowing me to build layers—silks, linens, cotton—that draw you in, like that striking coral velvet damask cloth on that table.”

Gail Plechaty’s Tips for Creating a Glamorous Room

• Don’t go crazy with color on the wall. When you go deep in color on a wall, you lose the ability to build back into the room because your eye already goes straight to the wall. Go white, cream, beige, taupe, or gray.
• Window treatments are a key, key element. And spend the money on the trim, it’s worth it. I force my clients to spend a lot of money on their draperies.
• Lighting fixtures should be architectural, they should be unusual, they should have the same interest as an antique piece of furniture. I always use crystal. Shades should always be cream or white. You can add glamour with trim.
• You can leave a floor bare as long as you have tablecloths, skirted sofas—a play between wood and upholstery.

Real Simple Design
Paint color: custom mix by Real Simple Design with
Benjamin Moore paints
Drapery fabric: Chase Erwin for Zoffany, available at Nancy Corzine, Merchandise Mart in Chicago
Drapery hardware: Brimar Inc. in Lake Forest
Drapery labor: Pat Babcox, The Workroom in Chicago
Sofa fabric: Harlequin/Zoffany at Nancy Corzine
Furniture refinishing: Modi Antiques & Restoration in Highland Park
Fabric trims: Samuel & Sons, Merchandise Mart in Chicago
Greek key trim: Scalamandré, Merchandise Mart in Chicago
Sisal rugs: Design Materials, available at Carpet Colors in Lake Forest
Antique rugs: Minasian Rug Company in Evanston
Artwork/antiques: Real Simple Design
For more information, call Real Simple Design at 847-356-1111.

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Darcy Bonner

For years, we’ve heard that dining rooms are the dinosaurs of design, space-eating monsters we rarely come in contact with. But as long as Darcy Bonner is working his magic, savvy homeowners will be sitting down to dinner in style. “A dining room is the perfect place to create a dramatic setting with fine finishes, sparkling lighting, and luscious color,” says Bonner. He proves that point here with a high-gloss dining table, gilded sconces, and walls painted gray in a satin lacquer finish. And the table is set with exquisite pieces: Bernardaud china, Saint Louis crystal, silk taffeta napkins, and Georg Jensen flatware. While respecting the traditional details of the room, Bonner enhanced the fireplace by installing a vellum-paneled mirror above the mantel, a contemporary touch that adds yet another layer of sophistication.

Darcy Bonner’s Menu for Success

• Create a backdrop with moldings and mirrors.
• Add accents of color with fabrics and flowers.
• Be sure your table and chairs are as comfortable as they are attractive.
• Use sconces and a chandelier for illumination and a glittering effect.
• Include a cabinet beautifully appointed with trays, glassware, and spirits.

Darcy Bonner
Paint color: The Fine Paints of Europe: RAL # 7039, available at Prather Paint & Wallpaper in Wilmette
Auxerre dining chairs: Darcy Bonner for Mattaliano, available at Holly Hunt, Merchandise Mart in Chicago
Dining chair leather and Austrian chandelier shades: Holly Hunt
Luna Grande chandelier: Donghia, Merchandise Mart in Chicago
Rug: Stark Carpet, Merchandise Mart in Chicago
Felix six-arm sconces: Darcy Bonner for Mattaliano
Custom dining table: Darcy Bonner for Mattaliano
Vellum panel mirror: Darcy Bonner for Mattaliano
Decorative painter: Fine Finishes & Restoration, Inc. in Highland Park
For more information, contact Darcy Bonner  and  Associates LLC at 312-853-3470, or visit darcybonner.com.

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Monica Pedersen

Bedrooms, often touted as the ultimate retreat, frequently fall short. Not this sophisticated guest room crafted by HGTV’s Monica Pedersen. “I hit every surface,” says the designer, “painting the walls, bringing in a beautiful sisal for the floor. Basically, I tried to create a very soothing environment, and I think the best way to do that in a guest room is using neutrals. Then I brought in a little bit of energy through pops of color, like the gorgeous silk velvet pillows on the bed.” Speaking of the bed, Pedersen’s utterly luxe cocoon features a custom headboard of silk taffeta, an alluring pelmet spun from sumptuous Scalamandré fabrics, and sinfully satisfying Pratesi linens. And, while she appointed the space with oh-so-proper night tables from Barbara Barry, she went for seductive romance with a richly upholstered folding screen.

Monica Pedersen’s Must-Haves for a Swank Retreat

• Upholstered headboards
• Furniture with soft curves
• Scalamandré fabrics
• High thread count bedding, such as Pratesi
• Sconces and mirrors with distressed, metallic finishes
• Sensuous accessories, such as cashmere throws

Monica Pedersen
Paint color: “Clunch” by Farrow & Ball, Merchandise Mart in Chicago
Fabric on windows, bed, and screen: Scalamandré “Kilfane,” Merchandise Mart in Chicago
Chairs: Scalamandré-upholstered Millbrook chairs, Merchandise Mart in Chicago
Bedside tables: Baker in Deerfield
Bedside ceramic lamps: Baker in Deerfield
Bed fabrication: Universal Upholstering Inc. in Wheeling
Upholstered bed: Scalamandré silk sheer “Lilly”’ fabric, Merchandise Mart in Chicago
Bed linens: Pratesi in Chicago
Artwork: Adam Siegel, adamsiegel.com
Sunburst mirror: Baker in Deerfield
Drapery hardware: Brimar Inc. in Lake Forest
Rug: Stark Carpet, Merchandise Mart in Chicago
Painting and remodeling: The ABL Group in Highland Park
Window treatments and installation:
Richard Schneider, Supreme Novelty Fabrics in Chicago
For more information, visit monicapedersen.com.

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Andre Walker & David Simmons

As the sitting room of this guest suite attests, Andre Walker and David Simmons certainly aren’t afraid of color. And, clearly, purple has never looked this good. Taking their cue from the hue of the Manuel Canovas drapery fabric, the duo whipped up a room whose vivid palette generates a feeling of unmistakable richness—the kind of space Tracy Lord would swirl through in The Philadelphia Story. “Our work is typically English in style, with a little French influence,” notes Simmons. “We do a lot of layering, a lot of little details, like the dark lavender finish trim on the walls and the piping on furniture.” While every aspect of the room radiates glamour—the handsome bronze andirons, the antique mirror, and chandelier—the designers want their rooms to be exciting and inviting. “We always want to make sure a room is comfortable,” says Walker. “You can achieve that by juxtaposing fabrics, say, a silk sofa and a cotton rug. That ottoman has an extravagant fringe, but it’s paired with a cotton plaid that makes it approachable.”

• David Simmons and Andre Walker’s Dos and Don’ts
• Beautiful curtains are a must. They immediately make a room glamorous.
• Use singular accessories, such as the lavender hurricane lamps atop the mantel in this guest suite.
• With wood furniture, the finer the design, the better; stay away from primitive pieces and country.
• Things that shine—glass and gilt—give a room a high-end sparkle.

Walker Simmons Designs
Upholstered walls: “Sarah Lilac,” available at Cowtan & Tout, Merchandise Mart in Chicago; upholstery by Marita Designs in Annandale, VA
Curtains, slipper chair, and skirted table: Manuel Canovas “Melisande Quetsche,” available at Cowtan
& Tout
Trim on curtains: Smith & Brighty Passementerie, Merchandise Mart
in Chicago; Drapery and upholstery by
Marita Designs
Wing chair: from client’s collection; covered in Manuel Canovas “Asinara Mauve,” available at Cowtan & Tout
Cloverleaf ottoman: Walker Simmons Designs; covered in Pierre Frey “mauve” (pierrefrey.com); bullion fringe, Smith & Brighty Passementerie; built and upholstered by Marita Designs in Annandale, VA
Rug: The Mitchell Denburg Collection, mitchelldenburg.com
Mirror, bronze chandelier, and artwork: from client’s collection
Lavender hurricanes: John Rosselli & Associates, Chicago
Lamp/shade: Vaughn, available at John Rosselli & Associates
For more information, visit walkersimmons.com.