meet andy yates, principal designer
Andy Yates Design specializes in exceptional, high-end interior design, creating artistic, smart interiors and custom solutions for affluent clients across Chicago and Michigan, particularly along the shores of Lake Michigan. Principal designer Andy Yates, an award-winning, NCIDQ Certified Interior Designer, is renowned for transforming spaces into deeply personal, stylish, and comfortable havens that reflect clients' unique lifestyles.
Yates brings a decade of experience and a journalistic eye for detail, ensuring every luxury residential project is met with extensive research and an informed perspective. His approach balances creative passion with professional ethics, delivering premium results with exceptional execution. Clients value his vision, professionalism, and ability to navigate complex projects, often noting his commitment to making the design process enjoyable and easy.
Andy Yates Design is dedicated to curating authentic environments that not only look magnificent but also improve the human experience. If you're searching for bespoke interior architecture and a seamless, top-tier design journey for your Chicago penthouse or Michigan luxury estate, Andy Yates is your trusted partner. Let's talk design to begin creating your future heirloom-quality home.
meet ryan allen, assistant designer
Ryan Allen is a senior at Western Michigan University studying interior design. A native of West Michigan, he brings a strong regional sensibility to his work and a hands-on approach to creative problem solving. Ryan’s design aesthetic favors moody, inviting interiors that balance atmosphere with livability—spaces that feel composed yet comfortable, carefully layered with texture, lighting, and color to evoke quiet warmth.
Outside the studio, Ryan raises African goats and shares his home with a beagle named Tank, experiences that keep him grounded and attuned to the rhythms of everyday life. He values the collaborative side of design, enjoying the process of building client relationships, listening to needs and stories, and translating those into thoughtful, personal environments. Practical, empathetic, and detail-oriented, Ryan aims to create interiors that tell a story while functioning beautifully for the people who inhabit them.
“While working with Andy, he is patient and professional, even when I’m not exactly certain what I want. He is intelligent and passionate about his work, and brings a level of enthusiasm to the project that’s inspiring and energizing.” - Roger, Chicago Client
More about andy
Andy was raised in a simple, country home in Kentucky, where his family and community modeled the tenets of working hard and being kind. The charm of southern hospitality still informs many aspects of his work. There is a modest pace and easiness in that culture that he has embraced in professional life. It is important to balance the stresses of construction with a sense of camaraderie and levity. He advocates for an enjoyable experience for you, and the entire team. Andy states that, “Everyone should enjoy the process of design, embrace the unexpected, and leave everything (and everyone) better than when we began.”
Andy worked in media for a decade before transitioning into interior design. Being a journalist aligned perfectly with his naturally inquisitive nature. He relies on these skills when designing for you - doing the research, asking a lot of questions, taking meticulous notes, and combining all of the relevant information to provide custom, creative solutions to your design challenges.
Andy is a degreed, NCIDQ Certified Interior Designer, has won multiple awards, and held several leadership positions in his industry. That isn’t a “humble brag”; he wants you to know that he balances the fun and creativity of his work with ethics and professional obligations - which he takes very seriously. He has high standards, and rarely accepts mediocrity for himself or his clients. Andy understands how to balance the practical and emotional demands of custom design, and creates authentic environments that improve the human experience.
When he is not designing, Andy loves to travel the globe, seeking out new cultures and experiences to expand his understanding of humanity. He writes about art and design for select publications, works with the NKBA to propel the profession forward, and teaches design at GRCC. A global traveler and avid baker, his passions are varied, but always include great food, stimulating conversation, interesting design and dogs. Of course, dogs.