What HISTORIC studio does

HISTORIC studio is a full-service interior design firm headquartered at 275 Lake Street East #101 in Wayzata, Minnesota, serving residential and commercial clients primarily in the regional Minnesota market. The company was founded in 2008 by brothers Robb and Mike Whittlef as a family interior design business and has undergone two ownership transitions: first to Angela Alvig in early 2021, and most recently to Susie Wittine in early 2024, who now operates the firm alongside designer Sharon Seitz. Under Wittine's ownership, the studio transitioned away from a prior retail component to operate as an appointment-based, full-service design studio focused on full-home renovations, new builds, furniture planning, selections, sourcing, and virtual or in-home consultations.

The studio's service portfolio spans custom furniture design, lighting design, finish selections, space planning, surface and material selections, blueprint review for function and flow, interior editing, home organization, personal shopping, and moving coordination. There is no proprietary technology, software platform, or digital product; the offering is delivered entirely through human designers as a professional services engagement. Revenue is generated through professional service fees quoted on a per-project basis, with no publicly disclosed pricing or subscription model. Go-to-market is sales-led and appointment-driven, supplemented by organic social presence on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Houzz, and earned media features in Artful Living, Midwest Home, and MPLS St Paul Home & Design. The firm maintains minor co-marketing relationships with regional custom home builders and architects including John Kraemer & Sons and Joy Martin Architecture.

Historic Studio is privately held with no disclosed external funding, no parent company, and no institutional investor backing. Control is concentrated with owner-operator Susie Wittine following a founder-to-designer succession model. The firm holds one regional industry award — the Lake Minnetonka Magazine "Best of '22 Interior Design" recognition — and operates from a single Wayzata location with a team that, based on named personnel, is small.

Name

HISTORIC studio

Legal name

HISTORIC STUDIO

Website

https://historicstudio.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

HISTORIC studio is a Wayzata, Minnesota-based full-service interior design firm delivering custom furniture, lighting, space planning, and renovation design services to residential and commercial clients via an appointment-based professional services model.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Interior Design Services

NAICS

Interior Design Services (54141)

akta.pro primary industry

Interior Design Services (BPAHAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Whole-Home Interior Renovation (Non-Structural) (HSAPAEAC)

Keywords

• Interior design services
• Residential design
• Custom furniture design
• Space planning
• Lighting design

Headquarters

HQ city

Wayzata

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Interior Design Services: Full-service interior design firm providing custom services including custom furniture, lighting design, finish selections, space planning, and related professional services. Revenue is generated through professional service fees for design consultations, project management, and sourcing services.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Full-service interior design firm providing custom furniture design, lighting design, finish selections, space planning, surface and material selections, blueprint review, interior editing, home organization, personal shopping, and project management. The studio serves homeowners undertaking full-home renovations and new builds, with a secondary commercial interior design practice. Services are delivered via appointment-based consultations at the Wayzata studio, in-home meetings, or virtual consultations.

Product overview

Historic Studio is a full-service interior design firm offering a comprehensive suite of design services. The core offering consists of interior design consulting and execution for residential and commercial projects, including new construction, renovations, remodeling, custom furniture and lighting design, space planning, and surface/material selections. The firm does not operate a software product platform but rather delivers personalized design services directly to clients.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Interior Design Services Full-service interior design offerings including custom furniture design, lighting design, finish selections, space planning, surface and material selections, blueprint review for function and flow, interior editing, home organization, personal shopping, moving coordination, and project management. Delivered via appointment-based consultations at the Wayzata studio, in-home meetings, or virtual consultations for residential homeowners (primary) and commercial clients (secondary).

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• John Kraemer & SonsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFeatured collaboration on a Mediterranean-style home project in Edina, showcased in Artful Living Magazine. The project combined John Kraemer & Sons' custom home building with Historic Studio's interior design expertise.
• Joy Martin ArchitectureminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on OHC interiors project with architect Joy Martin Architecture. Historic Studio provided interior design services in partnership with the architecture firm.
• Cynthia O'Conner (Architect)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInterior design collaboration with architect Cynthia O'Conner on the OHC interiors project.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Bria Hammel Interiors: Minneapolis-based interior design firm serving residential clients with full-service design and styling. Direct geographic and service overlap with HISTORIC studio in the Twin Cities luxury market.
• Linda McDougald Design: Residential interior design firm offering custom design, renovations, and project management for luxury homes. Comparable service scope, custom design emphasis, and high-end residential target.
• Studio McGee: Residential interior design firm offering full-service design, custom furniture, and styling for high-end residential projects. Directly comparable in service offering, target market, and full-service model.
• Marie Flanigan Interiors: Award-winning interior design firm providing full-service residential design, custom furnishings, and project management. Comparable in design philosophy, full-service model, and luxury residential market.
• Carla Aston: Interior designer specializing in full-service residential design with a focus on functional, beautiful spaces. Comparable in residential focus, custom design services, and one-on-one client work.
• Amy Storm & Company: Luxury residential interior design firm serving high-net-worth homeowners with full-service design and renovation coordination. Comparable in target client, service breadth, and custom design focus.
• House of Jade Interiors: Full-service residential interior design firm with a custom furniture line and direct-to-consumer offerings. Comparable in custom design emphasis, full-service model, and luxury residential focus.

Emerging players

• Modsy: Online interior design service combining 3D visualization with human designer guidance. Different delivery model and price point from HISTORIC studio, but adjacent in the residential interior design category.
• Havenly: Online interior design platform offering design services at lower price points. Same category but distinct delivery model — tech-enabled, lower-touch, mass-market — versus HISTORIC studio's full-service, in-person luxury approach.
• Decorilla: Online interior design marketplace connecting clients with designers for virtual design services. Adjacent category participant with a tech-enabled delivery model targeting a more mass-market segment.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/HISTORICstudio
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/historic-studio
• Instagraminstagram.com/historicstudio

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about HISTORIC studio