Testimonials
“Our experience with Barb Ince has been nothing short of wonderful. Our very first meeting to create a modern, upscale, state-of-the-art kitchen left us breathless and dazzled by her brilliant design and masterful reconstruction of workflow in the space. Barb captured the essence of our home and personal taste perfectly and was able to create a new and functional environment that integrated seamlessly with the other rooms in the house.
Throughout the design process, Barb demonstrates an impressive level of expertise and professionalism. She is always prepared for our business meetings, equipped with a fine tuned selection of aesthetically appropriate design choices. She's calm, poised and focused. Her clarity on what the space requires for the best outcome is educational, inspirational and invigorating. Barb is steadfast in the execution process and demonstrates an exemplary attention to detail, a welcome attribute appreciated by the discriminating client.
Barb is gracious and kind, intelligent and tasteful. She interacts with her colleagues in a respectful and thoughtful manner. The younger associates in the firm regard her as a role model, an honor she richly deserves and cherishes.
My husband and I look forward to a very long and mutually rewarding relationship with Barb Ince and Susan Fredman Design Group as they continue to transform our living spaces into beautiful, inviting and memorable spaces.”
- Lisa Laurent Peckler, MD - Riverwoods, IL
"We’re so glad that this project has been as rewarding for you as it has been for us. We are *thrilled* with what you’ve helped us to accomplish, and often find ourselves falling in love with the enhancements all over again (e.g. in the middle of making dinner, realizing for the umpteenth time that our new island is perfect for us, both in form and function). You have our most sincere thanks for your effort, creativity (especially with the budget), kindness, and attention throughout this process -- we’ll absolutely turn to you as new needs develop."
- Heather and Eugene
"
I've got to come up with some new adjectives. Stunning, beautiful, gorgeous... I'm using them too often. I just wanted to tell you that I just finished walking through the bathrooms (again.) They finished putting in all the sinks and faucets and some of the towel bars and paper holders and Randy is finished with the stone. In every bathroom I said, "This is the most beautiful one." Then I walked on and said, "No, this one is even more beautiful." That went on and on. Each one is its own little work of art and yet, each is so different, and yet, each belongs to the whole. I once said that I wanted to use different doorknobs and hardware in each room and you told me (and you were absolutely right) that it would take away from a cohesive look. But you were able to do sosmething like that by giving me completely different finishes and stone and colors and sinks so there's no boring sameness and yet they belong to the same house so perfectly. I'm astounded by the beauty of this house and ever so grateful that I found you.
I just wanted to express my gratitude for your incredible talents."
- Warmly,
Jenell
“I never hesitate to send our clients to Susie Fredman and her design team. It's always a win/win situation. The ideas of the design team are innovative, creative, and really bring out the individual style and personality of each homeowner. Susie and her team are great partners with our clients because they are open communicators and know how to make a client feel comfortable about all the decisions that are made in the design process.”
–Orren Pickell, Orren Pickell Designers and Builders
“With Susan Fredman Design Group, I'm part of the creative process. So not only is my interior design unique, it's also uniquely me. The end result is not merely a design statement, but a reflection of my identity - from the things that I like, to the way I want my friends and family to feel.”
–Thom Wyatt, San Francisco
We have had Susan Fredman Design Group design two different living spaces for us – one with a contemporary Asian theme and one a country, craftsman second home. The choice of colors was extraordinary, capturing the feeling we wanted in each house. Furniture, layout, and accessories complemented and enhanced the sense of space. After nearly three years, we still find ourselves drawn into the feeling of serenity that the architect and the Susan Fredman Design Group were able to create. We like to say that the architect built us a house, but the Susan Fredman Design Group made it into a home. Working with Susie and Kathy Hoffman in particular was a delight and so easy from start to finish. We just marveled with mouths agape at the way they transformed our vacation home from an eclectic mishmash of rooms and furniture, into a perfect cottage retreat. The Susan Fredman Design Group magically transformed both of our houses and we can't imagine anyone having a better experience than we have had with Susie and her team.
–Beverly Rossman
“You are, as I tell everyone, the best. That you came up with such brilliant solutions as quickly and painlessly as you did continues to dazzle me-even as the solutions themselves elicit an ongoing chorus of oooh and ahhhs. Blessings on your singularly talented head, Susie. When I marry the benign version of Ted Turner, you will be on retainer, the better to render all our houses home-in the most beautiful sense of the word.”
–Lucia Blinn, Chicago
“We wanted to drop you a short note to thank you for the excellent job done on our new home. Your interior design services were outstanding and very complete. We were particularly pleased with your recommendations for our fireplace-we could not have done it without you- the granite counter tops, the unusual treatment for our powder room. We love the shutters and the recommendations for the den! Again, Susie your services were excellent and very complete.”
–JBL, Glenview
"We want to write and tell you how much pleasure we are experiencing in our home and thank you for making such a significant contribution to that pleasure. We think it is one of the wisest decisions to have involved your firm in the building of our new home from the very beginning of the planning stages. The project team exhibited a knowledge of materials and space and architecture that was very important for our thought process about how the space would ultimately feel to us. We appreciate the fact that you spent so much time on the details of our collection of contemporary studio glass so that we could most effectively light and display the art. We also appreciate your attitude toward our decision to use an oriental rug in the rug room despite your advice for a solid rug. Your team proceeded to enthusiastically search for the right fabric for the upholstered pieces. You respected decisions we felt strongly about just as we respected your ideas and choices. When we had problems with the black granite in the kitchen, you worked very hard to solve the difficulty and we felt a very strong commitment on you part to satisfy us. When we wanted to build a curved glass shower, you researched and found the company that could do it and the glass fireplace. You enjoyed challenges and saw the project through all its phases. We would be happy to show our home to any perspective clients and offer a strong recommendation."
–NK & PK, Glencoe
"We wanted to take the time to let you know how much we enjoyed working with you throughout the past year. Our house, although structurally sound, was truly a blank slate when you first met us. Your ideas, great taste, and attention to detail turned our house into a warm, well-appointed, functional place to live. One of the nicest and most refreshing things about your company is you approach to design. You do not subscribe the usual method of traipsing through the merchandise mart for countless hours in search of fabrics, furniture, etc. Initially, you spent time learning my tastes, likes and dislikes. After that, you made it easy by providing me with many choices of furniture pieces, fabrics, etc.; all within my price range and taste requirements. I can assure you that your service made my life much easier! Since we began working together, I have passed your name onto several of our family friends. I know that they too are very pleased with the way their homes look. You did a wonderful job and I hope we can work together again in the future. The kids’ rooms are next!"
–HS, Deerfield
“Oh, my husband would love a country house! However, he is not the "taking care of the home front" kind of guy, so we have a 3 bedroom condo in a wooded area of New Buffalo. The lake view is spectacular, the amenities and 25 acres of woods are phenomenal, but it is compact enough for me to keep clean. Susie and her team swooped down like buzzards and emptied the contents by donating to charities, and then they re-constructed a place that bears no resemblance to the former disaster. They are seamless and optimistic in their "can do" perspective. It was built 23 years ago (with thrift as its guiding design element) and furnished in cast offs and Spiegel outlet junk- but Susie showed no fear or disgust at the accumulation of debris. She spent time with us, as did the project manager, Kathy Hoffman, to "get" us. She was not interested in building a show house; she wanted us to live easily and naturally in every square inch of the condo. Walls were moved, views were maximized, and furnishings were chosen that can take sand, dogs, company, and beach life in general. The colors we arrived at melded indoors with outdoors, so the beauty of Lake Michigan and the woods is annexed to our living space. The colors are subdued and calm- they tell us to relax and slow down. Susie and Kathy were not afraid to say NO to things that would not be indigenous (bamboo flooring, my idea due to double dogs) and she was never oppositional to our ideas (coat hooks for dog leashes and jackets) even when they were not high-line. The finished product (hope you can see it) is an oasis where we can escape the cluttered anxiety of daily life. It is soothing and welcoming. Within the clean lines, they integrated technology which enables my husband to do his show remotely, and see his beloved White Sox on satellite TV. We can relax there, we can work there, we can entertain there- the design supports many options. Susie and her crew do not decorate a place; they create an environment to celebrate life in. I have never abdicated so much control to an outside source, and the results tell me I should have! We are not just clients; the process has made us friends. The change in our place was apocalyptic.”
–Janet Dahl
"It was clear from the beginning that you and Susie are a winning team. Barb Ince, after all the experience I've had with designers you are by far the most talented and professional artist I've worked with. Let me add that Susie and her calm, competent ability in both design application and business style is a perfect backup, providing the kind of environment and support in which your creative skills have flourished. You enhance each other. It has been fun to be a participant with your team and to receive the exciting benefits of your hard work and talent."
–DD, La Jolla, California
"Over the past year, our project has presented some interesting situations and you have handled each one with a calm and reassuring manner. Having worked with other professionals in your business, we have a unique appreciation for the attention that you have provided us. You are not only thorough, but timely, and we often found ourselves relying on you and your staff to remind us of items and deadlines and not vice versa. You have made the distances between your office in Northbrook, our project in Michigan and our home in Chicago all but disappear, and your respect for our schedules has made meetings very easy to schedule. Most importantly, we are truly excited to begin living in the spaces which you have created."
–SF, Chicago and Harbor County
"We finally received our last pieces of furniture - the recovered club chair and ottoman for our living room. Everything in the house looks great! Stuart and I want thank you for the terrific job that you did in assisting us with decorating our new home. It could not have been easy for you to pull together our 30 years worth of collectibles and miscellaneous furniture against a new backdrop, and somehow integrate it with new ideas to create a beautiful home that truly reflects our tastes. It is both comfortable and elegant. We love your choice of fabrics and finishings, our new bathrooms, and appreciate how you were able to figure out how to effectively display all of our pictures and other accessories. It was also a pleasure doing business with you. You were always professional, timely and organized, in addition to being creative and flexible. Thank you again for making this a pleasurable and fun experience with truly fabulous results!"
–JF, Chicago
