What Blackline Studio does

Blackline Studio is an Indianapolis-based architecture, planning, and interior design studio operating as a principal-led professional services firm with approximately eight staff, headquartered on the second floor of the Murphy Arts Center in Indianapolis's Fountain Square neighborhood. The firm delivers comprehensive design services organized into four portfolio categories: multi-family residential ("Live"), commercial and corporate ("Work"), hospitality and retail ("Play"), and custom single-family residential, plus an "On the Boards" conceptual pipeline. Its underlying technology is conventional architecture and interior design practice — drafting, documentation, FF&E specification, space planning, and adaptive reuse / historic preservation expertise — with no disclosed proprietary software, platform, or AI tooling.

The studio is led by three principals whose credentials anchor the practice: Scott Perkins (30+ years, multi-state licensure in IN/KY/OH/MS with NCARB reciprocity), Craig McCormick (Rice M.Arch, nationally exhibited fine art photographer), and Craig Von Deylen (15 years of construction management plus property development since 1996, including preservation of the Murphy Arts Center in 2009). Senior staff add depth in code compliance, construction administration, and registered interior design. The business model is project-based professional services: fees are quoted per engagement, secured through direct enterprise sales, referrals, and a regional reputation in the Indianapolis and broader Indiana market, with occasional engagements in Ohio, Wisconsin, and Mississippi. Revenue is not publicly disclosed and there is no external investment. Customer segments are horizontally diversified across commercial, multifamily/mixed-use, civic, healthcare, hospitality, and custom residential, with adaptive reuse and historic preservation as recurring differentiators. The firm has accumulated at least nine AIA or state-level design awards since 2013, culminating in the 2023 AIA Distinguished Firm Award.

Name

Blackline Studio

Legal name

Blackline Studio

Website

https://blacklinestudio.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Blackline Studio is an Indianapolis-based architecture, planning, and interior design studio with approximately eight staff delivering project-based design services across multifamily, commercial, hospitality, civic, healthcare, and custom residential sectors in Indiana and the broader Midwest.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architecture and Interior Design Services

NAICS

Architectural Services (54131), Interior Design Services (541410)

akta.pro primary industry

Interior Design Services (BPAHAKAB)

Keywords

• Architecture design services
• Interior design services
• Adaptive reuse architecture
• Multifamily residential design
• Historic preservation design

Headquarters

HQ city

Indianapolis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Architecture and Design Services: Project-based professional services revenue from architecture, planning, and interior design projects including commercial, multifamily, mixed-use, civic, healthcare, and custom residential design.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Blackline Studio is an Indianapolis-based architecture, planning, and interior design firm that delivers project-based design services across commercial, multifamily, mixed-use, civic, healthcare, hospitality, and custom residential sectors. Engagements span new construction, adaptive reuse, renovations, and conceptual "On the Boards" designs, with integrated interior design services including FF&E specification and space planning.

Product overview

Blackline Studio is an Indianapolis-based architecture, planning, and interior design studio operating as a single unified practice rather than a platform with separate modules. The studio offers comprehensive design services organized into portfolio categories: Multi-Family Residential (Live), Commercial/Corporate (Work), Hospitality/Retail (Play), and Custom Single Family Residential. Projects span new construction, adaptive reuse, renovations, and conceptual designs. The studio is recognized as a laboratory for architecture and modern design, committed to progressive environments for living and working.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Architecture and Planning Services Full-service architecture and planning practice providing design services for commercial, retail, multifamily, mixed-use, civic, healthcare, and custom residential projects, with the studio positioned as a laboratory for architecture and modern design.
• Multi-Family Residential Design (Live) Multi-family residential projects including new construction, adaptive reuse, and renovations, with named projects such as The Mill, The Grounds, Union Square, Ardmore, Saint Lucas Lofts, Passage, Stageyard, Baker Flats, MARQ, FORTE, Pinnex, SLATE, CIRCA, HINGE, Poste, and VITRA.
• Commercial and Corporate Design (Work) Commercial, corporate office, and institutional design projects including corporate interiors, office renovations, and campus planning, with named projects such as The Heritage Group Center, Gershman Partners, TriCo, Speak Easy Downtown, Milhaus Office, Hinge Bureau, IMPA, and 1002 Broad Ripple Avenue.
• Hospitality and Retail Design (Play) Hospitality, restaurant, bar, and retail space design including adaptive reuse projects such as Pinheads bowling alley, Sense Charter School, West Fork Whiskey, North Mass Boulder, Baby's restaurant, Ukiyo, Three Carrots, and Inferno Room.
• Custom Single Family Residential Design Custom home design and renovation services including contemporary residences, modern lakehouses, mid-century renovations, modern farmhouse renovations, prairie-style homes, and historic home renovations, with collaborations including Property District.
• Conceptual and Unbuilt Projects (On the Boards) Conceptual design projects in various stages of development including office buildings, mixed-use developments, transit-oriented developments, event centers, and amenity centers.
• Interior Design Services Interior design services integrated with architectural design, including FF&E specification, space planning, and interior styling for residential and commercial projects.

Named customers10 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Dale Partners ArchitectscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Mirror Lake Headquarters project in Jackson, Mississippi. Blackline worked alongside Dale Partners Architects on this 95,000 square foot corporate office interior architecture, new construction and addition project.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Perkins&Will: Global architecture firm with established Midwest offices that competes for similar commercial, healthcare, civic, and institutional clients as Blackline. Operates as a much larger incumbent across multiple sectors and geographies, including adaptive reuse and preservation work.
• HOK: Global architecture firm with practice areas overlapping Blackline's commercial, hospitality, civic, and workplace design focus. Operates at substantially larger scale and competes for enterprise clients in the Midwest market.
• Gensler: Global architecture and design firm with a significant Midwest office presence. Competes with Blackline for corporate interiors, hospitality, and commercial projects but operates at much larger scale with a broader portfolio of services beyond the boutique practice model.

Direct peers

• DLR Group: Integrated architecture and engineering firm with established Midwest presence offering comparable services across commercial, multifamily, civic, and workplace design sectors. Overlaps directly with Blackline in corporate interior and mixed-use project types.
• RATIO: Indianapolis-based architecture firm with comparable size and practice areas, including multifamily, mixed-use, commercial, and adaptive reuse projects across the Midwest market. Similar integrated architecture and interior design model serving enterprise clients.
• SmithGroup: Integrated architecture, engineering, and planning firm with a strong Midwest presence and comparable practice in commercial, healthcare, education, and adaptive reuse sectors. Overlaps with Blackline in multifamily, civic, and workplace design engagements.
• Schmidt Associates: Indianapolis-headquartered architecture firm with a comparable portfolio spanning multifamily, commercial, civic, healthcare, and education projects. Both firms share the Indianapolis market, similar practice breadth, and project-based professional services model.
• DesignGroup: Architecture and design firm headquartered in Columbus, Ohio with a comparable practice in commercial, education, civic, and adaptive reuse projects across the Midwest. Similar integrated architecture and interior design service offering and regional Midwest positioning.
• CannonDesign: Architecture and design firm with Midwest offices offering similar integrated architecture and interior design services across healthcare, education, commercial, and civic sectors. Competes for similar enterprise and institutional clients in the region.
• Synthesis Design + Architecture: Indianapolis-based architecture and design firm providing integrated architecture, planning, and interior design services across commercial, residential, and civic project types. Comparable in size and Indianapolis market focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/blklnstudio
• Facebookfacebook.com/BLKLNStudio
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/blackline-studio

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 Blackline Studio