Interior Beauty
By Naperville Magazine
May 2022 View more Shop
By Annemarie Mannion
Lauren Fasolo grew up in a family of six kids in Naperville where she discovered she had a knack for using design to carve out order in the busy household. “I always wanted to have my own space amid the chaos,” she says.
With a 20-year career in interior design under her belt, Fasolo is now bringing an array of beautiful and functional household items to customers through her new store, Ellce Design Studio + Shop, in downtown Naperville. She describes the style of the shop’s interior as classic modern. It features exposed brick walls and a neutral palette that enables clients to envision how items they may purchase will look in their own homes.
Fasolo has stocked the store with a curated selection of items from vendors she has come to know, rely on, and appreciate throughout her career. These goods include lighting, art, rugs, window treatments, and bedding, plus accessories such as trays, candles, kitchen and bath accessories, and seasonal items. The store also represents 50 lines of furniture, rugs, artwork, upholstery, and other household items. “These are my go-tos for installs for interior design clients,” Fasolo says.
She studied at the Harrington School of Design in Chicago and went on to work for such top-name furniture vendors as Henredon Furniture and Ralph Lauren at the Merchandise Mart of Chicago, where she got hands-on experience working with products, furnishing spaces, buying, accessorizing, and helping clients complete high-profile projects.
Although Fasolo now has a store, she is continuing to work one on one with clients on interior designs for new home constructions and renovations. An hourlong in-home consultation with Fasolo is $175. An hourlong in-store consultation is $125, and a half-hour in-store is $75. For projects of more than one room, Fasolo puts together a contract that covers such options as three different furniture layouts for clients to choose from, materials boards, and palette selections.
Of course, customers are welcome to browse the store, and the staff can help them choose a product to enhance their homes at no additional cost.
Interior design is a passion that Fasolo enjoys sharing. “I love making order in a space, working with beautiful colors and textures, and helping people to have a space that is really beautiful and works for them,” she says.
Photos courtesy of Ellce Design Studio + Shop