Designer in Lake Zurich, IL

“Mary has been our set designer for two years and a vital asset on staff. Her creativity is second to none. She is able to process spacing needs and transform the stage into an original, eye-catching visual display for the audience. Mary stayed within budget and communicated efficiently with our construction manager to produce exactly what we needed for each show. She has strong attention to set detail, and always works with a smile and strong contagious enthusiasm. We loved that Mary was able to work independently, yet had the uncanny ability to provide the detail at just the right times when the directors needed it. She is a joy to work with!”

“Working with Mary Kalesz as we chose colors, designs, fixtures, and furniture for our new house was a fantastic experience. Not only does Mary have an amazing eye for design, but she has a great sense of understanding what our style is and helping us find things to fit that style. She knows how to work within a budget, and is great at identifying multiple options when needed. Most importantly, Mary knew when to challenge us to think outside the box, which ended up creating some of our favorite spaces in the house!”

"We worked with Mary in 2016 and recently went to her again for a new project.  Results from both received an abundance of compliments! It’s a joy to work with Mary.  She has an impressive arsenal of ideas and resources and always educates while sharing her advice and recommendations.  Additionally, she welcomes questions and is easily accessible for answers, which is extremely helpful in keeping a project on track.  She has such a comfortable approach and brings wit and constructive feedback so that it makes any design or re-design manageable and fun.  We look forward to working with Mary again in the future and would recommend her without hesitation!"

"Mary for the WIN! Working with Mary on our kitchen renovation and full first-floor redecorating was a great experience. Blending our modern-leaning style into a more traditional home initially felt daunting, but Mary made it approachable. Her room-by-room vision boards gave us clear direction, helped us see the potential in each space, and allowed us to move at a comfortable pace....and budget. She has a true talent for finding affordable pieces within our budget without sacrificing style. We’ve received many compliments on how seamlessly the rooms flow, our color schemes, and attention to detail—something we fully credit to Mary’s eye for design. Plus, she’s easy-going and fun to work with, which made the entire process even more enjoyable. Thank you, Mary, for helping us love where we live"