Ania Omski-Talwar Interior Design

09/14/2026

New project coming soon.

08/27/2026

Some of the best travel experiences are the ones you don’t plan.
Last September, a chance encounter with Carlo at an evening concert in a piazza in Siracusa led our group of seven to spend the following day at SlowLife Family Farm, in the countryside near Noto, Sicily.
Carlo and his wife, Jessie, have lovingly brought a derelict 20-acre farm back to life. The land has a much longer history, with archaeological remains connecting it to Greek and Roman civilization, an ancient w**e cellar and a water mill they are restoring.
We picked vegetables from their organic garden, then helped prepare them—w**e in hand—while Carlo and Jessie cooked a wonderful Sicilian meal for us.
Their children and Carlo’s father joined us at the table, and the afternoon was filled with stories, traditional toasts, singing, dancing and a great deal of laughter. We felt as though we had been welcomed into a Sicilian family gathering.
After lunch, we walked down to the river and finished the afternoon with a swim.
It was one of the most joyful and memorable days of our time in Sicily. I couldn’t recommend this experience more highly to anyone planning a trip there.
From Garden to Table in Sicily, Noto.

08/13/2026

166 square feet. One college student. And a lesson in buying less—but buying smarter.

Every August, I think about this little Chicago studio my daughter rented her second year of college. If you’re sending a student off this month, think beyond the first room. The smartest purchases may be the ones that follow them to the next one.
Mika already had a clear sense of what she liked, so, just as I would with a client, I followed her taste and we made practical purchases around it.

1. Invest in good lighting.�Dorm and rental lighting is usually pretty awful, and it has an enormous effect on how a room feels. We added a table lamp, floor lamp and tiny mood light for early mornings.

2. Think ahead with bedding.�We bought queen-size bedding, some of which she still has. Even with a twin bed, consider buying only the fitted sheet in twin and a comforter that can move on to a larger bed later.

3. Look for furniture that can change jobs.�Her bookcase started in the dorm, where it provided privacy and storage, then moved to this apartment. The nightstand, lamps, table and chairs, art and other pieces moved with her too.

4. Buy secondhand.�Facebook Marketplace and college resale groups can be terrific sources, particularly around move-in and move-out time.

5. Find storage in unexpected places.�Every inch counts. The space beneath the wall hooks is about 10 inches deep—enough to tuck away a shoe mat and a pair of wet Chicago winter boots.

Whenever possible, I’d rather buy something thoughtfully once than something destined for the landfill nine months later.
A first college room may be temporary. The things you put in it don’t all have to be.

Back to School · Studio Apartment · Small Space Living · Small Space Design · City Living · Chicago

08/11/2026

I had always dreamed of creating an outdoor space that would nourish my soul. When we found this quirky house, there were mature fruit trees and plenty of potential—but little else. The trees were the only things we kept.
Everything else evolved over time. Long before I had the design experience I have today, I began reimagining the house and garden largely by instinct—changing the architecture, adding texture and color, creating outdoor rooms, and finding ways to connect the house to the landscape.
I didn’t have a master plan. I had a vision of how I wanted the place to feel, and I kept working toward it.
Years later, when we finally added the pool, the pieces began to come together. What had once been a rather ordinary backyard became the heart of our home—a place for quiet mornings, long dinners, family gatherings and time with friends.
To see this very personal project featured in Diablo Magazine’s Personal Style is incredibly meaningful to me. I’m proud of what we created.
And, like every project of this caliber, it took a village.
I am deeply grateful to the talented friends, collaborators and craftspeople who helped bring my vision to life. Each brought expertise, creativity and care to the project, and I couldn’t have achieved this without them.
Landscape design + space planning / Ania Omski-Talwar�Landscape architecture consultant/ _landscape_architecture�Construction / Gold Medallion Commercial Builders
Pool / Aqua Gunite Inc
Plans / Elizabeth Ergood�Stone fabrication / Gm Marble & Granite Inc.
Copper fabrication / Moose Metal�Lighting consultant / Interiors Illuminated�Photography / Jessica Brydson�Styling / Anna Stahl Design

Outdoor Living · Outdoor Kitchen · Outdoor Furniture · Outdoor Entertaining · Indoor-Outdoor Living · California Interiors

06/19/2026

Three designers, three very different projects, one wonderful reason to celebrate.

So grateful to have been featured in the current issue of Diablo Magazine alongside these talented women. It was such a pleasure to finally sit down, share stories, and raise a glass to the homes, creativity, and hard work that brought us here.
Congratulations, ladies—and thank you, , for the honor. 🥂✨

06/05/2026

06/04/2026

I am honored that Diablo Magazine featured this project in its June 2026 issue.

A special thanks to Anh-Minh Le for her thoughtful and beautifully written story and to the talented friends, collaborators, and craftspeople whose contributions helped transform this vision into reality.

PR:

I’m thrilled to share the pages with super talented and

Diablo Magazine June 2026 Link to story in bio.

05/21/2026

05/20/2026

05/07/2026

This bathroom may be small, but every inch was carefully considered.
Custom wall-to-wall cabinetry maximizes storage, while calm, textural tile, a lift-up medicine cabinet, and a heated towel warmer bring comfort to the everyday.
A challenging layout that required borrowing space from a closet to meet code—now transformed into a space that feels both calm and highly functional. ✨
One of the most satisfying space-planning exercises to date.

Interior Design:
Styling:
Photo:
General Contractor:
Stone Fabrication: