Founder's Statement

A Creative “CLASSROOM”……. Art & Design in mind.

Architecture is the physical definition of “space and place.” My academic/professional experiences span three major cities rich with historical culture and architecture: Chicago – London – New York. All three cities served as campuses for creative explorations in the fields of: Architecture – Design – Visual Arts. A compilation of Studies – Travels – Projects, deeply rooted in historical context, were absorbed experientially over time cultivating a resonating design and education philosophy – architecture that looks to the past in order to shape the present. This philosophy directed a return to Chicago – past roots, to accomplish a vision – future legacy.

This professional journey is a preface for the inception of The Greystone Project, the vintage residential buildings are the spatial foundation. The Greystone Project establishes The Greystone Residence as a house for living / teaching – a creative CLASSROOM. Visitors engage in guided tours of artistically handcrafted interior architectural “roomscapes” and explore an extensive design archive collection comprised of drawings, watercolor paintings, photographs and finish material collages. The Residence continues to evolve as a Design Studio & Cultural Classroom – Design Education Programs provide community leadership and education in the field of architecture, design, visual arts and literature.

An Interior Architectural “LABORATORY”……..Testimonial of a long-term love affair.

Every voyage into the past is an opportunity to study precedent principles. This choosing from the living presence of different times and places, from among their infinite variations, inspire different ways for designing. With interdisciplinary experience rooted in architecture and interior design, a deep appreciation for 19th & early 20th century residential Architecture & Decorative Arts began during a 1994 semester abroad in London. I was captivated by the decorative architectural richness of Period Interiors, notably the Sir John Soane House Museum.

C L Design Studios - CLDS, was founded in 2002, a design-build studio specializing in restoration of Houses built in styles of the past; exploring the philosophies of space, time, and life as “a layering of memories” through a variety of scaled interior architectural environments – “roomscapes.” Over the years, I began to assemble a collection of architectural artifacts, vintage furniture, textiles and fixtures from antique-salvage merchants around the United States. As a signature project, The Greystone Reisdence, exemplifies a commitment to preserving the past and spirit of places we live. The Greystone Project preserves the built environment of an early 19th-century Chicago “Greystone Residence” as an interior architectural LABORATORY to expand knowledge of past historical precedents, encouraging an academic understanding of curated artistically handcrafted interiors through immersive Design Education Programs.

A Cultural “FORUM”…….Visions and passions that will shape the world we live in.

Chicago is home to one of the country’s largest concentrations of working architects, designers, visual artists and writers. The Artist Salon & Residency Programs at The Greystone Artist Apartments & Studios are designed as a cultural FORUM, a collaborative platform to lift the careers of the most promising and gifted creative practitioners in the first half of the 21st Century. The Artist Residency Program serves as an intellectual incubator to cultivate identity and accomplishments of emerging African American Women to perform at their highest professional capacity. The Artist Salon Program fosters interdisciplinary collaboration and public discourse in the fields of architecture, design, visual arts and literature.