MAREDI Design

Complete steam shower transformation in Chicago dealt a smaller footprint, but required maximum efficiency (and elegance). Every material and element was selected with extreme intention because in small spaces, each square foot counts.
This transformation wasn’t smooth. We hit a real challenge: an in-between phase where we tried real Tadelakt and it didn’t work. So we pivoted to an alternative healthy material option. (Trust us, there’s more to this story that we’ll share at some point).
Sometimes the most beautiful results come from the hardest problems. Swipe through to see how we turned difficulties into a spa-worthy steam shower that performs as well as it looks.

What’s your favorite detail in this transformation? Drop it in the comments.

The truth about vintage sourcing in France goes FAR beyond Paris! 🇫🇷

As an international interior design studio splitting time between the US & France, we’re a Franco-American duo who knows a thing or two about local culture here. While Paris has incredible vintage options, the REST of France is filled with hidden gems!

Here’s what designers won’t tell you:

→ We spend hours sourcing brands & products (internet makes it efficient ✨)
→ Yes, the internet speeds up our work in this fast-paced world
→ BUT vintage sourcing is STILL best in person
→ There’s nothing quite like roaming aimlessly in an antique emporium

Last month we traveled to Normandy and browsed shops with the most incredible, quintessential French pieces. Antiquing is a famous French pastime, nearly ALL French people partake because heritage is cherished and preserved here.

We’re sharing a roundup of the most French pieces we came across in Normandy. And? We might just make this a regular series. It’s a core piece of our French design life.

💬 What’s your best antiquing find in France (or anywhere)?

SAVE this for your next French vintage hunt & follow MAREDI Design | Healthy Interiors | Franco-American Studio for more ✨

What began as a strange and awkward passageway in the former attic space of the Loire Design Lab soon revealed a hidden wall of tuffeau stone waiting to be brought back to life!

As we uncovered the masonry and expanded the opening, the future emerged beyond: a grand ensuite bathroom was awaiting its debut. A perfect example of where heritage and modern-day living meet.

Swipe through the discovery, the restoration, and the vision.
What’s the best original detail you uncovered in a renovation? Share below ⬇️

Heritage meets the future and you’re invited!

We’re thrilled to present Loire Design Lab as a Satellite Event at the New European Bauhaus Festival 2026! This is a virtual event where we will share the case study of our 150-year-old building renovation in a Loire Valley village, transforming heritage into 21st-century living.

What makes this project unique:
🌿 Living laboratory for natural, non-toxic, locally sourced & European-made materials
🏡 Bridging heritage preservation + modern wellness-focused design
🚜 Adaptive reuse that helps revitalize rural communities
🎨 Evolving into a cultural hub for events, dialogue & creative exchange

This isn’t just a renovation story. It’s proof that sustainable design can honor the past while creating healthier, more inclusive spaces for the future, which are some of the core values of the New European Bauhaus movement.

📅 When: Wednesday, June 10, 2026
🕓 Time: 16:00–17:00 CEST 🇫🇷 / 9:00-10:00 CT 🇺🇸
💻 Format: Online only (free, open to all)
🗣️ Language: English

👉 Tap the link in bio to reserve your spot at this NEB Festival Satellite Event.

Save this post + tag someone passionate about sustainable design, heritage preservation, or European innovation!

Our latest Substack is out and are sharing an exciting upcoming event!

If you've tuned in and heard us talk about our French renovation, Loire Design Lab, a hybrid living showroom and experimental design laboratory, this is your chance to learn more!

Thanks to on the occasion of the 3rd edition of their annual multi-day event, The Festival, we have the honor of taking part and presenting our case study with all of you!

📅 June 10th, 2026

🕑 4 - 5PM CET/9AM CT

🌍 English

Register here:

https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/VJtfXF4UQkCLvbpDmcYFeQ

Loire Design Lab - Chapter 11: A French Renovation with a Bigger Purpose Plus: an invitation to join our June 10 Virtual NEB Satellite Event on heritage, wellness, and sustainable renovation

Maisons de Loire: The homes you’ve never seen and the design inspiration you’ve been missing.

Most people dream of Paris. But there is real magic in the Loire Valley where limestone houses, slate roofs, and centuries-old French countryside architecture create the ultimate design sanctuary.

« Maisons de Loire » was a little series we first shared years ago, now updated from our studio that has expanded to the quaint and picturesque Loire Valley. As a Franco-American design studio, we have a unique lens:
→ We understand the American (and international) love for authentic French design
→ We live the French way of life in this under-the-radar region
→ We bridge both worlds for our clients

Swipe to see typical Loire Valley houses that define this area’s character from intimate village homes to small châteaux, all built with local materials.

👇 Which maison speaks to you? Tell us your favorite in the comments!

We transformed this Dubai villa from overly opulent and uninviting into a refined, layered, and much more livable home.

The goal for the project was to improve flow, embrace the volume, and channel the desert environment in order to create a warmer sense of luxury that still feels practical for everyday living.

The dining room was a central aspect of this home for a couple who entertains frequently. As expats in Dubai, they needed sufficient space to accommodate large families from out-of-town and a vast network of friends.

Touches of biophilic design were central to the process, as well as incorporating natural materials and local artisans and creators.

There’s something so satisfying in understanding the visual transformation of a space! Swipe through to see the before and the final result.
Which piece of the transformation surprised you most?
📸 .photography.studio

Our latest podcast episode of The Green Route with MAREDI Design is out! We had the please of speaking with Ashlee Piper, a sustainability expert and author, all about the importance in lowering our levels of consumption. Especially when it comes to buying new.
Ashlee talks about her hashtag Challenge and offers many resources and mindset shifts that has the power to revolutionize our habits of consumption.
We hope you will take the time to tune it to this enlightening episode!

Turn Up Your Impact Episode 25 OUT NOW

Life in Anjou, in the Loire Valley, is one of our greatest sources of inspiration. If you have followed us for a while, you know how much this region (where we split our time) means to us. There is a certain softness to life in this part of France, in the light, in the landscapes, in the stone and in the pace of everyday living. We call it the slow life, but it’s actually known as “la douceur angevine,” alluding to the quiet tranquility that is a signature of this region.

From village streets to local materials to breathtaking landscapes, this part of France constantly reminds us that the most meaningful spaces are the ones rooted in place. This is a glimpse of Anjou through our eyes, and through the lens of our design studio.

Follow along for more French life, architecture, and design inspiration.