Like a lot of people, Oak Parker Liz Cardwell found the pandemic gave her a nudge to reexamine her priorities. After spending months at home and teaching her children from her dining room table, she realized the importance of home.
With a milestone birthday on the horizon and her kids back to brick-and-mortar school, she decided to take the plunge and leave her teaching career to become a home stylist.
Cardwell recently founded Happy Place Home Styling and said that she is making official what had been a side gig. “Friends and family were always asking me for help to style their homes,” she said. “I’ve been arranging art and picking paint colors for years.”
When she and her husband Matt began a large-scale renovation of their Oak Park bungalow in 2022, the project catapulted her headfirst into a new career. The year-long project revamped most of their house, from the kitchen to the bathrooms and common spaces of their homes.
The only rooms that remained untouched were the foyer and living room, which Cardwell had finished years earlier with the help of Natalie Papier and Kim Daunis of Home Ec Oak Park. Cardwell called the experience of working with them inspiring. “I loved their approach — their mix of vintage with other items. When I worked with them, I had just gone back to teaching full time and didn’t have a lot of time to focus on the house.”
Cut to 2020, when she had a lot of time to spend at home and began to see her house and her career with fresh eyes.
“Home is really important. Especially over the pandemic times. Home became so paramount to our existence. It’s always been important for me to be surrounded by beautiful things, but the pandemic really made me decide to take that step,” Cardwell said.
While Cardwell and her husband worked with an architect for the major changes to the home, the style is all Liz. The new kitchen centers on a bright green stove and open shelving styled with art and kitchen essentials. In the adjoining family room, a gallery wall captures the spirit of the family of four.
In the basement stairwell and on the landing of the second floor, Cardwell collaborated with muralist Sara Stevens of @mothandmoonco. Cardwell said that pairing with Stevens is a natural fit, noting, “I love big color and fun color.”
On the second-floor landing, Cardwell embellished Steven’s mural with cut out clouds and flying birds that she lifted from wallpaper leftover from the newly renovated children’s bathroom. In the new primary bathroom, Cardwell went for a moodier look with dark tiled floors, a soaking tub, and floral wallpaper.
“We love wallpaper,” she laughed, and indeed the home showcases a number of lively patterns throughout.
With Happy Place Home Styling, Cardwell aims to help others make their homes happy places. She likens the experience to working with a trusted friend who can come over and offer you a bit of design advice.
“To hire a design firm can seem cost-prohibitive,” she noted. “I work with no minimum. I’ll make you a mood board. I’ll shop for you.”
Cardwell charges by the hour and said that she can look at a project and come up with a good estimate for how many hours the job will take.
Some clients like the DIY approach and have Cardwell create a vision for their space while they execute the plan. Others hand over the reins to Cardwell, and she plans, shops fo,r and styles the space. She also offers more pointed help for those who just want a little guidance on choosing paint colors, wallpapers or art selections.
“If you don’t have a huge budget, that’s ok,” she said. “You shouldn’t have to have a big budget to get a beautiful place.”
She noted that her eye is helpful in combining homeowner’s treasured pieces with items that are readily available at big box stores. “I can get your grandmother’s cross stitch in a cool frame. We use stuff that’s meaningful to you in a new way.”
Cardwell works throughout the Chicago area, in Southwest Michigan and also has worked with remote clients on-line. She can be found at: https://www.happyplaceop.com/ and she highlights special projects on Instagram at: @happyplaceop.
Since launching Happy Place in September, Cardwell said she’s leaning into a new stage in life, helping people bring happiness to their homes. “This creative outlet has been so life-giving and energizing. I’m really embracing it.”
