ARMOUR Sq. — There are few Black inside designers — but Marissa Nelums hopes to make the industry more accessible and inspire many others by opening her studio, Glasshouse Inside Layout.
Nelums celebrated the showroom’s opening Saturday at 2910 S. Wentworth Ave. The area of her store — the 1st brick-and-mortar showroom she’s experienced — is intentional: It’s right off the expressway and on the South Side, the space she fell in adore with as a college student at the Global Academy of Design. It’ll permit her to encourage much more Black Chicagoans to get into interior layout, and she’ll provide products and services for consumers who may possibly not assume they can afford a designer.
“I constantly wished to preserve my community at the forefront of how we construction factors,” Nelums explained. “I began this due to the fact there wasn’t a good deal of illustration for individuals who appear like me in style and design. We’re exceptionally happy to get to extra than just the individuals who can pay for design solutions.”
But Nelums’ aspiration studio almost didn’t materialize.
Nelums was intrigued in interior design for a very long time, but the former visible merchandiser didn’t pursue that passion until eventually she got a force from the universe — in the type of yet another studio thieving photos of an apartment she’d decorated.
“I believed, ‘If I’m good more than enough to steal from, it’s possible there is a little something to this. Probably this is a little something I can do longterm,’” explained Nelums, whose work can be witnessed in Architectural Digest and Coming Residence magazines.
Now, what begun as a passion to continue to keep Nelums active after her father’s loss of life has turn out to be a profession, permanently transforming the trajectory of her everyday living.
Nelums mentioned she loves to merge components of glamour with deep hues: Jewel tones and metallics for people who appreciate a minimal aptitude, neutrals for straight-laced clientele who desire to hold it uncomplicated.
As Nelums commenced setting up her portfolio, people today commenced to choose discover.
And Nelums released a property furnishings line for individuals with more compact budgets. Six years later, her tailor made pillow line is a strike, she mentioned.
Nelums has expanded the assortment to include personal label material, artwork and home furnishings — samples of which are on display in her Armour Sq. showroom. Readers can verify out Glasshouse’s virtual assistance, which offers 3D renderings of clients’ desire areas, along with directions on how to employ the layout.
That services — coupled with the home furnishings line — has permitted the company to arrive at customers throughout the state, Nelums reported.
Glasshouse Interiors is open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday and by appointment Saturday-Sunday.
Listen to “It’s All Excellent: A Block Club Chicago Podcast”: