There was a time when shelter magazines didn’t explain themselves. They didn’t care if you got it.
Rooms in the 1980s were allowed to be weird, personal, even a little hostile. You had to earn your way into them. They weren’t styled for approval—they were built around a life.
Then luxury got nervous.
Celebrity moved in.
And interiors started performing like movie stills instead of private spaces.
Lifestyle used to be the luxury.
Now luxury is a pose.
Design Alchemy isn’t interested in perfect rooms or polite taste. We’re interested in places with scars. With habits. With a point of view strong enough to survive being misunderstood.
If your house explains itself, it’s already lost. I’m not looking for a comeback of the 1980s — just some of the “be home by dark” energy.
FULL ESSAY on Substack.
Link in bio.
#DesignAlchemy #InteriorDesign #TasteOverTrends #DesignCulture #authenticity
"Success comes on whether there are processes that I didn't design" 🎯
The paradox: build systems so good that your team doesn't need you to execute them.
@gilmelottstudio team delivered record-breaking work while he recovered from surgery.
🤝🤝🤝
Custom Leather Workshop @madebyalex
Showroom @johnpompstudios
Production @Gos4
When @gilmelottstudio set out to build his design business, he knew the traditional way of doing things wouldn’t cut it.
“Within a year, I realized there was a better way to get it done - and Programa delivered on those things.”
Gil and his team run everything in one place - giving designers, clients, and collaborators a single source of truth.
This is just a glimpse into our upcoming feature with Gil Melott Studio. Stay tuned.
Collaborators
Custom Leather Workshop @madebyalex
Showroom @johnpompstudios
Beige State of the Union.
We know the algorithmic design is hollow. We feed it. And we keep doing it anyway.
This is the Beige State of the Union. How we agreed, quietly, collectively, to make everything meh. Not because we were forced to. Because the feed rewarded it and we said yes.
Swipe for the provocation. Then read the essay at the link in the bio for the big words.
xG
He says “Gym” (Physical Fitness Focus)
Focus: Aesthetics, strength, and endurance.
Amenities: Weights, cardio machines, and maybe some group fitness classes.
Vibe: Often a “get in, get out” workout environment, suited for self-directed exercise.
She says “Wellness Center” (Holistic Health Focus)
Focus: Overall well-being, including mental, physical, and emotional health.
Amenities: Everything in a gym, plus services like massage therapy, nutrition counseling, yoga, meditation, and sometimes physiotherapy.
Vibe: A “one-stop health shop” aimed at disease prevention, focus and long-term health, not just exercise.
The luxury is having it down the hall. The flex is using it the way you want or need to. My job is to make sweating sexy. No light weights.
[email protected]
#adpro
a sneak peek at the Studiolo - our space at the Mart Showhouse — a respite for the modern luddite.
Grand Opening May 20th
Ongoing open to the public May 26-September 25 @
The Merchandise Mart Suite 137
@themartshowrooms@modernluxury
#theshowhouseatthemart
Show me your saved photos and I’ll tell you who you’re afraid to be.
Every interior designer knows: clients never say what they actually want. They say “calm” and show you burgundy velvet. They say “simple” and bring images of rooms that have lived hard and long and well.
The images don’t lie. The words around them do. Our job is to know the definitive differences.
Swipe for the 3 things hiding in every client mood board — and what they’re really asking you to build.
Full essay (link in bio) | Design Alchemy on Substack
We worked with an amazing family to create this space. Equal parts laid-back dinners for 10, Saturday College Football game days and living library.
We are excited to be included in this year’s THE MART Showhouse — we have designed the Studiolo.
Gil Melott Studio @gilmelottstudio
Gil Melott, founder and creative director of his Chicago-based studio, is known for cinematic, narrative-driven interiors that merge architectural discipline with bespoke craftsmanship. His award-winning work spans high-end residential and boutique hospitality projects and has been widely featured in leading design publications.
image: @aimeemazzenga
developed: @lg__group@themartshowrooms
#showhouseatthemart
I’d like to peek into the living room, where you sometimes see only an open door into yet another room beyond. And I’d like to wonder if they’re sitting in there alone or snuggling up with someone. Layers and comforting complexity.
The best fashion houses never guess. Neither should the best interior design firms.
@hermes built objects meant to outlast their owners. @chanelofficial built tension into every silhouette — softness always answered by something held. @newbottega refused a logo for decades and let quality speak to those who could hear it. These weren’t style choices. They were decision-making systems. House Codes.
Interior design works the same way — and most firms don’t know it yet. In our latest essay, we unpack six codes every design practice needs: Silhouette, Texture, Narrative, Tension, Mood, and Future History. And the three questions every client should ask before they sign anything.
Swipe through → then read the full essay at the LINK IN BIO.
The room that could not have been made any other way starts with the firm that knows exactly what it believes.
let’s connect | [email protected]
