The Firm
Design Philosophy
At Michelle Gentile Interiors, we believe that beautiful environments soothe the soul and help people grow together. We honor that philosophy in every space we design, striking the perfect balance of comfort and function.
Whenever possible, our projects showcase our clients’ favorite memories, conversation pieces, or special collections because rooms with meaningful objects uplift and inspire the people within them. We’ve used custom design to make a positive impact on many lives, and we’d love to do the same for you.
Michelle Gentile
Design Principal + Founder
One of Michelle’s first memories was when her mom surprised her and her older sister with a newly decorated bedroom. She came home from kindergarten and their room was transformed into a magical place. The bedding had little pink rose buds on it and the shams coordinated with bedspread. She can recall how special it made her feel.
Michelle knew from a very early age that she had the gift to “see things how they should be.” She immersed herself in projects ranging from rearranging her childhood bedroom, high school work programs and even helping her parents renovate a cottage in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin.
While studying at a prestigious college in DuPage County Illinois, she started her career as a residential designer. She gained vast knowledge of the Interior Design industry ranging from showroom design to office management. In 2000 she ventured to Boston, Massachusetts to tackle Corporate and Hospitality Design.
Not only did she work for the top commercial firm in Boston, but she also designed top retail settings at Crate and Barrel and Van Millwork.
In 2004, Michelle opened her own firm and worked solely with established Boston clientele designing their residences and models for development. Her design aesthetic is simple yet elegant. Michelle uses her sense of aesthetics, history of design, and studies of Feng Shui to build a space.
Charity work has been a way for her to give back. After running the largest installation for The Room to Dream Foundation in Boston, Michelle decided to return home to Chicago to start a family of her own.
“There was nothing to compare to the joy I felt inside after giving that family the home they deserved, At that point, I knew I wanted my own family.” She now happily resides in Downers Grove, Illinois with her husband, Tony. Her three sons, Mason, Mike & Andrew and her daughter Morgan Ella.
She opened her shop, Maple Home Market in September of 2019, after her and her husband renovated the building at 1015 Maple Ave. She is now committed fully to her design projects and is rebranding the shop into her interior design studio called Michelle Gentile Interiors + HOME.
Michelle is still an active part of her community and has been a board member of the Downers Grove Junior Women League and is also the Girls Scout Troop leader to her daughter's Brownie troop.
Laura Hernandez-Denk
Associate Designer + Office Manager
Laura spent much of her life in Chicago, specifically Lincoln Park. She graduated from Harrington College of Interior Design. Laura still loves the city and travels there at every chance, but she now lives in the suburbs with her husband. She has two beautiful daughters in college; one goes to University of Kentucky and the other goes to Elmhurst University. Design is her passion because it’s always changing. She thrives on keeping up with the latest trends and color palettes — both at work and in her personal life. The best part of her job is watching a client’s project unfold into reality.
