Mick De Giulio Reflects on 40 Years of Diverse Design From Kitchens to Historic Renovations
Mick De Giulio is an acclaimed American designer and author known for his innovative interiors and products. His firm, de Giulio Design, includes a Chicago studio and a Michigan metal crafts studio. The designer is renowned for reimagining homes with a focus on expansive kitchen-centric designs. De Giulio’s work spotlights versatility and serene, shared spaces. He’s an expert in craftsmanship and the use of unique materials, and De Giulio’s residential projects can be found in North America, Europe and the Western Pacific.
De Giulio’s product designs include bespoke furnishings and licensed collections for brands such as SieMatic, Kallista and Visual Comfort & Co. Here, De Giulio discusses his career, inspirations and the impetus behind creating the “Barbie Penthouse” in Los Angeles.
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WWD: Tell us about de Giulio Design. What types of projects does the firm work on?
Mick De Giulio: Our work is quite diverse. When I started the company 40 years ago, the emphasis was on residential kitchen and bathroom design. Over the years, that evolved into doing complete residential interiors, and commercial work including multiple test and demonstration kitchen projects, and then product design.
I have never turned a project down because of its classification. I was recently asked by the pastor of a 100-plus-year-old church in the Little Italy section of Chicago to work with him on the renovation of the church’s interior which I’m very excited about and will be completed in early 2026.
WWD: As you look back over the past four decades since launching the firm, what are some of the milestones and memorable moments?
M.D.G.: When I started my firm, my first office was at one end of our children’s bedroom on the second level of our Chicago bungalow. I actually built my drafting table, desk and file cabinet, and did everything: all designing, drafting, receiving deliveries, managing projects and doing the books. I eventually opened a studio in Wilmette, Illinois, and hired a staff — some of whom are still working with me today — and just kept evolving.
Early on, I partnered with SieMatic, a well-known German kitchen manufacturer, as they were beginning to establish themselves in the U.S. By the early ‘90s I was creating our own design elements to augment the SieMatic kitchen projects we installed. During a visit to my studio in Chicago, the late owner of SieMatic, Mr. August Siekmann noticed those designs and asked if I would work with him on creating new products for his company. Together we developed the Painter’s Collection, which became an international bestseller.
By this time, our project work had also grown significantly to include not only kitchens and bathrooms, but extensive designs and installations of residential interiors across the U.S. and abroad.
I went on to design more product for SieMatic including the Hudson Valley Line, which was selected for the kitchen which was part of a major renovation of the historic Blair House (the presidential guest house) in Washington, D.C., and in the early 2000s, I designed the Beaux Arts line, which also became another international bestseller. I have continued to work on that line and the next iteration is slated to be introduced in early 2026.
In 2008, because I was designing so much using metals, we purchased a metal fabricating company where we now do all of our own metal work.
At the same time, I was hired to do more product design work for other companies, including sinks and faucets for Kallista and lighting fixtures for Visual Comfort & Co.
I have published two books on kitchen design (“Kitchen Centric,” 2010, and “Kitchen,” 2015) and am working on a third to be published in early 2026.
WWD: How would you describe your design ethos?
M.D.G.: I look at every project as an opportunity to create something fresh.
WWD: What makes for good design?
M.D.G.: Good design is simple, edited and purposeful and brings a smile to your face.
WWD: And where do you find inspiration?
M.D.G.: Creativity, for me, can arise from something out of context like going for a walk, coming upon an interesting word in a story, or hearing music — it’s random. It doesn’t necessarily happen at a drawing board with a pencil in hand or happen while working on any specific project.
WWD: What was the impetus behind creating the Barbie Penthouse?
M.D.G.: L.A. designer and friend, Nicole Sassaman, called and asked if we would work with her on a unique project: a condo in L.A. that had been previously owned by Barbara Segal, the daughter of the founders of Mattel and the real-life namesake for Barbie. We quickly dubbed it the Barbie Penthouse, and we aimed to capture the fun and energy that came from the creation and story of Barbie.
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