Meet the Team

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Candace

FOUNDER & PRINCIPAL DESIGNER

Candace Griffin is the founder of Candace Mary Interiors, with a talent for creating spaces people instantly connect with. She believes the magic lies in the emotional bond people form with a place they can truly call home. Her signature style blends timeless elegance with modern elements, resulting in distinctive, statement-making spaces that leave a lasting impression. 

Throughout her career, Candace has worked with a diverse range of clients, including homeowners, brokers, celebrities, and small businesses. Her work has spanned major cities like San Francisco, Detroit, and Chicago. She now calls Evanston, Illinois, home, where she lives with her family.

Candace’s passion for design extends beyond the spaces she creates—she’s inspired by good food, great company, and innovative design. A featured designer in several national publications, with accomplishments including being named one of House Beautiful’s Next Wave Designers (2022) and part of the Next in Design 99 for 2023. A graduate of Goldman Sachs’ 10,000 Small Businesses program and a past Design Council member for House Beautiful Magazine.

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Peri

LEAD DESIGNER

As Lead Designer at Candace Mary Interiors, Peri brings a unique blend of creative intuition and analytical thinking to every project. With a background in finance, she approaches design with a strategic mindset, seamlessly balancing aesthetic vision with practical planning, budgeting, and project management. From our initial consultation to the final touches, Peri's primary focus is to keep each project well-organized and on track, while problem-solving along the way.

 

Leading the charge on renderings, Peri translates ideas into clear visuals that bring the design to life before a single piece is installed. Her ability to combine form and function in the planning stage helps clients make confident decisions and ensures every space is both beautiful and highly livable.

 

Peri grew up with an innate love for interiors. As a child, you’d often find her sketching floor plans of her dream home or constantly rearranging her bedroom. Today, she considers herself lucky to channel that passion into designing beautiful and unique spaces for others. When she’s not creating for clients, Peri enjoys thrifting, discovering new Chicago restaurants and cafes, or diving into home projects of her own, always eager to try something new and pick up a new skill.

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Inmaly

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT

As the Administrative Assistant at Candace Mary Interiors, Inmaly plays a key role in supporting backend operations with a strong focus on administrative organization and client experience. With a natural eye for efficiency and detail, she ensures that every project runs smoothly behind the scenes, allowing the creative team to shine.

Beyond her work at CMI, Inmaly brings a wealth of experience as an operations manager and project manager. She specializes in human resources, systems and process improvements, and coordinating large-scale coalitions and networks. Whether streamlining workflows or building strong organizational foundations, Inmaly is passionate about creating structure that supports both people and purpose.

Nisaa

DESIGN ASSISTANT

From a young age, Nisaa's passion for interior design blossomed through the lens of frequent moves and adaptability. With a keen eye for detail, she learned to transform living spaces into a cozy sanctuary, developing an innate gift for visualizing a space's potential. As Nisaa got older, her friends and family started seeking her expertise, recognizing her talent for creating  spaces. This sparked a desire to help others unlock the full potential of their homes.

Now at Candace Mary Interiors, Nisaa brings a diverse background in virtual design, home staging, and home decor sales. Her exceptional attention to detail drives CMI projects forward, while her love of cooking, exploring Chicago's hidden gems, and browsing Pinterest for design inspiration fuel her creative spark. Nisaa is dedicated to empowering clients to craft the comfortable, stylish spaces of their dreams.

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Our Philosophy

Candace Mary Interiors offers residential and boutique commercial interior design throughout Chicago and beyond.

We begin every project with a simple but essential question: 

How do you want your space to feel? 

That feeling becomes the foundation of our design process. We believe your space should tell your story, evoke emotion, spark connection, and reflect the needs of your lifestyle. Every choice we make is grounded in intention, purpose, and a deep understanding of you.

We balance style with function, taking time to learn how you live and what you truly need. The result? A space that works hard for you while still feeling effortless and undeniably cool.

From start to finish, we’re here to make sure you feel seen, heard, and supported throughout. Through collaborative and thoughtful communication, we tailor each step to suit your needs and vision.