Studio Brunstrum

What Studio Brunstrum does

Studio Brunstrum is a Chicago-based, founder-owned interior design firm established in 2002 by Susan Brunstrum. It provides full-service residential interior design for affluent U.S. households, covering space planning, interior architecture, material and furniture specification, custom furnishings, and project management for renovations, single-room remodels, and whole-home turn-key projects. The firm emphasizes a 'wholistic,' human-experience-led approach, operationalized through its proprietary Lifestyle ROI Journal — a 20-question assessment tool that frames design decisions around quality-of-life outcomes rather than aesthetics alone. Client work documented in the portfolio spans empty-nester updates, executive relocations, historic-home renovations, urban single-family homes, and showhouse installations across Chicago and the North Shore.

The business operates on two revenue streams: (1) professional services fees from design engagements, priced via bespoke quotes and delivered through a high-touch, seasonal intake model; and (2) licensing/royalty revenue from the Studio Brunstrum Home collaboration line, anchored by a custom rug collection co-developed with designer Julie Dasher. The GTM motion is sales-led and relationship-driven, leveraging a blog (Communique), Instagram, and email newsletters for inbound demand, with new clients initiating contact via phone, text, or email. The firm is privately held, has 1-10 employees, and shows no external institutional funding, M&A activity, or parent company.

Operations are supported by a curated network of trade manufacturers — Kravet (fabrics/furniture), Urban Electric (lighting), Terrazzo & Marble (slabs), A. Rudin (furniture), and Julie Dasher Rugs — enabling Studio Brunstrum to orchestrate complex projects; the firm has documented a single renovation involving 86 on-site collaborators, 129 manufacturing companies, and 11,958 indirect manufacturing jobs. The firm occupies a 2,200 SQFT studio in a former bicycle manufacturing warehouse at 100 E Bellevue Pl in Chicago, expanded in 2019 from 500 SQFT. Brand credibility is reinforced by features in Modern Luxury, Crain's Chicago Business, and NBCLXTV, and the 2019 Battle of the Chefs win at the Merchandise Mart.

Name

Studio Brunstrum

Legal name

Studio Brunstrum

Website

https://studiobrunstrum.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Studio Brunstrum is a Chicago-based, founder-owned boutique interior design firm founded in 2002 by Susan Brunstrum, providing full-service residential design and licensed home product collaborations to affluent U.S. households.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

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, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Interior Design Services: Full-service interior design for residential homes including space planning, material selection, furnishings design, and project management for renovations, updates, and new construction. The firm works on projects ranging from single room designs to whole-home turn-key renovations.
2. Studio Brunstrum Home Product Line: Custom home products and furnishings created through collaborations with manufacturing partners. Includes the Studio Brunstrum Home Elements rug collection developed with Julie Dasher.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Studio Brunstrum is a Chicago-based interior design firm that delivers full-service residential interior design, including space planning, material and furniture selection, custom furnishings, and project management for whole-home turn-key renovations, single-room remodels, and new construction across the United States. The firm also offers the Studio Brunstrum Home collaboration line, including a custom rug collection co-developed with designer Julie Dasher.

Product overview

Studio Brunstrum is a Chicago-based interior design firm offering residential home design services throughout the United States. The firm provides comprehensive interior design including space planning, renovation project management, furniture selection, and custom furnishings. The portfolio of offerings includes the core Studio Brunstrum design services (whole-home renovations, kitchen and bath remodels, master bedroom designs, and complete home updates), supported by the Studio Brunstrum Home sub-brand featuring a custom rug collaboration with Julie Dasher. Additionally, the firm offers free downloadable tools including the Lifestyle ROI Journal and Work From Home Assessment Journal as client engagement resources.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Residential Interior Design Services

Quantifiable outcome

• One designer + one client project = 12,044 employed people across the design community
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Julie DashercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSusan Brunstrum collaborated with designer Julie Dasher to create the Studio Brunstrum Home Elements rug collection. The collection includes Eddies & Tide Pools, Sophisticated Splashes, Vibrations and Camelia designs. Julie Dasher Rugs are featured throughout the Studio Brunstrum Chicago office and client projects.
• Kravet Inc.majorTechnology or IntegrationKravet, a fifth-generation family business and global leader in 'to the trade' home furnishings, supplies fabrics, furniture, wall coverings, trimmings and accessories. During COVID-19, Ellen Kravet partnered with Studio Brunstrum on the 'Mask Coalition' to streamline mask manufacturing for healthcare workers.
• Urban ElectricmajorTechnology or IntegrationUrban Electric is a manufacturer partner that supplies lighting fixtures for Studio Brunstrum residential projects. Custom Urban Electric ceiling fixtures were featured in Monteverde restaurant design featured on the blog.
• Terrazzo & MarblemajorTechnology or IntegrationTerrazzo & Marble is Studio Brunstrum's go-to source for slab selections. The green marble countertop slab featured in the 'Newly Minted Master Bath' project was selected from Terrazzo & Marble.
• The Beaux ArtsminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerDigital agency credited for website development and maintenance for Studio Brunstrum.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Markham Roberts Inc. Boutique residential interior design firm serving high-net-worth clients on full-home projects. Comparable on founder-led model, project scale, and prestige-media positioning.
• Bunny Williams Home: Long-established, founder-led luxury residential interior design firm with an adjacent product/home goods line. Comparable on boutique scale, affluent clientele, and brand extension into licensed products.
• Windsor Smith: Boutique residential interior designer working with affluent clients on whole-home projects. Comparable on founder-led boutique model and luxury-segment positioning.
• Alexa Hampton: Founder-led luxury residential interior design practice with a complementary furniture line. Comparable on founder-as-brand model and prestige trade positioning.
• Nate Berkus Associates: Celebrity-founded luxury residential interior design practice. Directly comparable as a founder-led, prestige-media-driven boutique serving affluent U.S. homeowners with full-service design.
• Ashley Whittaker Design: Boutique residential interior designer focused on traditional/legacy homes for affluent clients. Comparable on small-team, founder-led delivery and whole-home turnkey project style.
• Steven Gambrel: Founder-led interior design and architecture practice for luxury residential clients. Comparable because Studio Brunstrum also explicitly mixes interior design with interior architecture on whole-home projects.
• Suzanne Kasler Interiors: Founder-led luxury residential design firm with a parallel licensed product line (furniture, lighting, fabric). Comparable on service-plus-product model and affluent homeowner target.

Emerging players

• Havenly: Tech-enabled interior design platform offering online and hybrid design services. Adjacent competitor whose growth signals margin pressure on traditional boutique designers lacking technology or scale advantages.
• Modsy: Online interior design service that combines 3D visualization with remote designers. Partial-overlap competitor whose technology-led model pressures traditional discovery and sourcing workflows that boutique designers rely on.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/studiobrunstrum
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/studio-brunstrum

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Studio Brunstrum