COLLECTIVE COOL

Some people just know how to dress. Others are great at making a home look picture-perfect. But great style, whether in fashion or decor, doesn’t usually spring forth full blown. Even raw talent needs to be nurtured, to be shaped and directed. When Elizabeth Krueger decided in her final year studying communications and marketing at DePaul University that what really interested her was design, she knew she had to get some solid training. “Because I come from a family of builders, I understood that if I was going to be taken seriously as a designer, then I at least needed to gather some technical skill.”

Krueger, whose eponymous interior design firm has executed projects around the country, from Lake Forest to Sarasota, enrolled at the Harrington College of Design and interned at Holly Hunt, the legendary furniture showroom in the Merchandise Mart. She later upped her game with a stint at Hickman Design Associates.

“I learned so much at both places,” says Krueger. “I learned about quality and craftsmanship from Holly Hunt and that design is a business. I learned about customer service and sales at the highest level and what it means to advocate for your designers. A trait that has served me well from my time there is how to keep things moving. Your output is related to your input, so you need to make decisions and follow up. That has been a key to keeping my business growing. With Tracy Hickman, I learned about the pressure of timelines and all the different elements that go into a design project, from making product selections to managing clients, builders, and architects. She was the best person to learn from because she was fun and kind, had no ego whatsoever, and was willing to share. She was the reason I knew I could start my own business.”

Krueger did just that in 2012 and over the years, has helped clients surround themselves with environments that reflect their tastes and lifestyles. While every project is different, Krueger approaches each with a fundamental philosophy: give each room a sense of purpose. “This can be achieved in a simple and serene design, or a maximalist one,” notes Krueger. “And it is achieved through the harmony of architecture, lighting, furnishing, art, and accessories. That is why our service goes from start to finish. Building a beautiful home and not finishing it is like wearing a great dress, but ignoring your hair and makeup.”

Finishing a room often comes down to the little things—a chair positioned just so in that otherwise forlorn corner, a painting hung above a console table to increase the sense of height in a foyer. Krueger, who is comfortable working in a clean contemporary vein as well as a more layered traditional style, is a master at rounding out the essence of a room. So perhaps it’s only natural that she launched Opame Collective, a keenly curated offering of furniture, art, accessories, and textiles named after the Tibetan word for “infinite light.” “I was standing in the kitchen of my client, art collector Sid Parakh, as we were renovating his house,” shares Krueger. “He just threw the idea out there and I said, ‘Sure!’ He has manufacturing connections and an incredible eye. He’s really the heart of the operation.” In addition to featuring their own designs, Opame showcases a range of work from various artists and artisans, including the stoneware of Boyan Moskov, decorative objects in various materials from Los Angeles-based Parts of Four, and Atelier Nue’s highly textural wall pieces spun of suede and leather by Danish artist Benedicte Maria. What unites the Collective, whether it be a vintage loom spindle reimagined into a decorative accent, a Ugandan stool woven from banana leaf stalks, or a custom cashmere rug, is a deep appreciation for natural materials, craftsmanship, and global connections.

Like a home that evolves as it is lived in, Krueger has seen her own talent expand and deepen over time. “We’ve been fortunate to work with wonderful clients who are trusting and who push us,” says Krueger. “I started this business when I was 30, and I’ve grown up a lot over the last 11 years. And our level of professionalism reflects that.”

For more information visit, elizabethkruegerdesign.com and opamecollective.com.