After college, Christine Baumbach followed a number of paths: a stint in the Peace Corps, a position at Hyatt Hotels and a job in telecommunications. “None of them hit my heart,” she recalls.
When her second daughter was born, she took her time in re-joining the working world, and this time she decided to focus on the creative path that fed her soul. The family was living in Oak Park, and Baumbach began painting house portraits part-time. She later added murals to her repertoire and painted her designs in many local homes, including in more than 20 Infant Welfare Society showcase houses.
When she stopped enjoying spending her days atop a ladder, Baumbach transitioned to the world of interior design. Much of her work is local, and she says, “I do some work on clients’ vacation homes, but I’m very attached to this community. There’s hardly a block where I haven’t touched a house with a home, mural or garden design.”
It is an honor to be invited into someone’s home Baumbach says, and most of the time that clients reach out, it is because of a positive life event, such as a new house or a new baby.
“It’s nice that people trust me to make the homes that support the lives they want to live,” she says.
Baumbach, who has a business degree with a minor in art, says that her years in the corporate world helped her in her career as a designer. The creative aspects feed her soul, but the technical details are just as important.
“Our old houses have so many details,” she says. “They are charming, but often need updates like plumbing and electric work.”
She says it’s important to discuss budget upfront. “Most people don’t know what it’s going to cost to get what they want. I do this every day, but most people don’t.”
“I’m responsive to people’s budgets. People have a lot of other things going on, a lot of priorities like kids, education and travel.” She adds, “I talk budget early. There’s always more than one way to accomplish a goal.”
Clients can realize savings by working with a professional. Baumbach says she often shops a client’s own home. “I can reupholster and refresh a piece and maintain sentimentality.”
Because she works locally and has a large number of clients, Baumbach says there can be moments of serendipity to her work as well. “Some people are disposing of furniture at the same time some people need furniture.”
A recent three-way swap included three sets of clients and bunk beds, a settee and end tables that all found new homes.
Baumbach’s clients span all age ranges. Just as one client hired her to decorate a nursery for a soon-to-arrive baby, other clients are downsizing and moving into senior living communities.
It’s important to consider each client’s needs on an individual basis. Beyond mobility and convenience issues posed by less mobile, elderly clients, Baumbach points out that some industry standards need to be adjusted.
“The center of a picture on the wall should be 60 inches from the floor. But my client spends much of his day sitting, so we put the picture at his eye level. When you do a toddler’s bedroom, you bring everything down. In all instances, it’s truly about what will make clients feel comfortable in their homes.”
Baumbach prefers to meet with her clients in-person rather than online and says that meeting in person allows her to get all of the clues and non-verbals about personalities.
While many clients seek guidance on the big projects, like kitchens and baths, others bring her in for projects with a more limited scope, like bedrooms, basements and attics.
Baumbach says she doesn’t limit herself to the inside of the home. A self-taught gardener, she will help clients with landscape design and even dabbles in creating decorative planters.
While she no longer paints room-sized murals, Baumbach continues to work as an artist and maintains a studio in her Oak Park home. With her children out on their own, she enjoys having so many interests that keep her connected with her community and her creativity. “Some days, I do wake up and wonder, which hat am I wearing today?” she laughs.