Kobby Akuffo · Chicago & the North Shore

I'm the mastermind
behind the space.

You see the result. I pull every string to get you there. Twenty years of high-end interiors, run end to end by one person.

Say Hi See the Work
The difference
Most designers make a space look good. I run the entire show, so you never have to.

Twenty years of luxury interiors across Chicago and the North Shore, built one beautiful home at a time. The difference is not just taste. It is that one person can carry the whole project, from the first idea to the day you walk in.

Kobby Mason Akuffo, interior designer
My story

One person, twenty years, the whole project on my shoulders.

I'm a Chicago-based interior designer, and I've spent the better part of twenty years turning houses across the city and the North Shore into homes people don't want to leave. My work is built around how a space actually makes you feel: form, function, light, and the wellbeing of the people who live in it.

But here is the part most designers don't say out loud. The look is only half of it. The other half is everything you never see. The trade relationships, the sourcing, the contractors, the purchase orders, the thousand decisions between a mood board and the day you walk in. I run all of it. I'm the one pulling the strings so you never have to.

"I'm the mastermind. That has always been my life."

I trained in interior and sustainable design, and I think about the whole life of a space, not just the photo of it. My focus is residential, and I am increasingly bringing the same end-to-end approach to commercial work.

20+ years high-end interiors
BFA Interior & Sustainable Design
Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design
Graduate study, Sales & Marketing Management (England)
Chicago & the North Shore
What I do

Three services. One designer. Me.

01

Design

The vision, the layouts, the lighting, the color, the floor plans, the materials. The taste that makes a space look like it cost three times what it did.

02

Sourcing

Twenty years of trade relationships. Furniture, paint, wallpaper, window treatments, flooring, countertops, lighting. The right people at the right price, not retail and guesswork.

03

Project Management

The turnkey. I take the whole thing off your hands. Design, sourcing, the contractors, the oversight, start to finish. One person accountable for the entire result.

Three ways to work with me. Or hand me the whole thing and stop worrying.

Start a Conversation
The same man, four different doors

Who I help

Homeowners who want it handled
You've got the house. You don't have the time, and you don't want to manage ten vendors. I do. Design, sourcing at trade pricing, contractors run end to end. One point of contact, one beautiful result, no chaos.
General contractors & builders
You build it. I make it sell. I come in on design and finishes, specify materials, and source furnishings through my network, so your homes show better and move faster. You look like the hero.
Developers & staging
I stage and design to raise perceived value, not cost. A house that sat three months, reset with the furniture already there, moved the next day. The margin more than covers my fee.
Architects & design firms
You handle the structure. I handle everything inside it. Furniture, finishes, lighting, the whole lived-in layer your clients ask for. I plug in as your interiors specialist and make your firm look complete.
How I work

Four steps. One person pulling every string.

Most of a project is the part you never want to deal with. The coordinating, the sourcing, the contractors, the thousand small decisions. My process is built so that work sits with me, not you.

01Consult

First, I listen.

We start with a conversation. I walk the space, learn how you actually live in it, and get honest about budget, timeline, and scope. No surprises later. This is also where I tell you up front roughly how many hours your project takes, so you see a real number before you commit to anything.

Discovery call · budget · timeline · scope
02Conceptualize

Then I find the idea.

Every space has one core idea that makes the rest fall into place. I shape it: the color, the materials, the light, the furniture, the flow, all pulled into one cohesive vision. This is the invisible work, the thinking that decides whether a space feels expensive or just busy.

Concept · palette · materials · layout
03Design

I turn it into a plan you can see.

The vision becomes scaled drawings, real selections, and costed sourcing through twenty years of trade relationships. With my team, plans are drawn build-ready in CAD, and I present the whole thing to you in person, with digital renderings and hard copies where it helps. You approve what you can actually picture.

Drawings · renderings · trade sourcing · presentation
04Build

Then I run the whole show.

Once it's approved, I pull every string. Technical plans, purchase orders with manufacturers and vendors, the installers, the trades, the schedule, the oversight. I run the contractors so you don't have to. One person accountable for the entire result, right up to the day you walk in and it's done.

Purchase orders · contractors · install · oversight
Why it pays

I bring to the table what you already think you have, but don't. The margin you leave on the cabinets, the markup on the furniture, the coordination you'd otherwise pay for in mistakes. I save you that, and it usually covers my fee before you've spent a dollar more.

Behind me

My team

I run every project myself, but I'm never working alone. These are the trusted people I bring in when a job calls for it. My team, my standard.

Griffin Hall
Design Assistant & CAD

Griffin Hall

My design assistant and Revit CAD drafter. When a project needs precise, build-ready drawings, Griffin turns the vision into technical plans the trades can actually build from. He holds a degree in Interior Architecture from Columbia College Chicago.

Laura Padilla Bailey
Senior Design Partner

Laura Padilla Bailey

The designer I call in on the bigger, more complex builds. Laura brings more than thirty years across design, construction, and sustainability, with over twenty of those in sustainable design. She holds a BFA in Sustainable Interior Design from UNLV. When the scope grows, she is the depth behind it.

This is my advisory team, the people I trust. The showrooms, vendors, and trades I work with are my network. That part stays mine.

Featured & published

In print

The Magic of Color
Feature
The Magic of Color
The Power of Color
Feature
The Power of Color
The Emotions of Color, Part 2: Cool Colors
Feature
The Emotions of Color, Part 2: Cool Colors
The Emotions of Color, Part 3: Neutral Colors
Feature
The Emotions of Color, Part 3: Neutral Colors
Triptych Wall Art From Photo Canvas
Feature
Triptych Wall Art From Photo Canvas
Maison & Objet Trade Show
Industry
Maison & Objet Trade Show
Selected work

A few spaces I've run

Contemporary Luxe, Barrington
Barrington, IL · Whole home
Contemporary Luxe
Transitional Luxury, Chicago
Chicago, IL
Transitional Luxury
Luxe Transitional, Barrington
Barrington, IL · Whole home
Luxe Transitional
Modern Transitional, Highland Park
Highland Park, IL
Modern Transitional
Contemporary Industrial Office, Chicago
Chicago, IL
Contemporary Industrial Office
Spa Master Bath, Barrington
Barrington, IL · Master bath
Spa Master Bath
Explore the Before & Afters View Full Portfolio
Voices

Clients, Contractors, CEOs.

“As a general contractor, the value Kobby adds to a project is second to none, with a constant focus on the client.”

Marv SchmuckerGeneral Contractor · Chicago

“He helped design my company's new office and did a phenomenal job, from furniture to flooring to color schemes. It's a place where our employees truly want to be every day. The best thing about Kobby is that he cares about his clients. If I could give him 10 stars I would.”

CW GrabinerCommercial · Office Fit-Out

“We were lucky to meet a highly professional and simply extraordinary person. He made all the interior and exterior decisions, furnished the whole house, designed the backyard, and worked superbly with every contractor. All of it done with extraordinary taste.”

Alex VyboischikResidential · Lake Forest

“Kobby is one of a kind, a true gem. He took the time to know us and made our space not only beautiful but functional, always within our budget. Kobby isn't a 5-star designer, he's a 10-star. Best of the best by far.”

Darla MascoloArlington Heights

“Kobby was/is AMAZING!!! His attention to detail and vision for pulling everything together, even when I couldn't see it, blew me away. He brought a current, chic vibe to our home while always respecting our budget.”

Lynne SakanichHighland Park

“An outstanding interior designer, offering creative ideas and vision for our space. Personable, fun, insightful, and very sensitive to our needs as clients. His experience produces amazing, beautiful, functional results.”

Linda & Ira LippmanLibertyville

“One of the most talented interior designers I have ever met. He listens to a client's vision and provides sound advice on how to bring it to life. As a colorist, he's amazing at picking colors that evoke the right mood in a room.”

Victoria OchollaChicago

“Kobby is absolutely phenomenal. He takes the time to understand who you are, your tastes, and your lifestyle, balancing form, function and value. I have very high standards, and to say Kobby exceeded my expectations is an understatement.”

Allison SuteraResidential

“Kobby came into our home, understood our needs, and balanced them against our family lifestyle. Straightforward, honest, and a pleasure to work with. I can't wait to work with him on my next project.”

A. HeimgartnerHighland Park

“I love all the pieces, which truly capture our lifestyle and taste. The floor plan is amazing. Who would have thought shopping for one chair would lead to designing our whole home. Your work speaks for itself.”

Bob & JulieChicago

“Kobby is fantastic! So helpful, with amazing taste, he loved everything he found for us. I'd have given him 100 stars if I could. Highly recommend him to anyone needing a great designer.”

Tracey HazanLincolnshire

“Working with your vision over the past six years has been an incredible journey, and your focus on getting it right always exceeds the client's expectation. I look forward to many more years of collaborative work.”

Jerry SiegenChicago

“From the time you spent understanding our goals to driving 170 miles to make sure everything worked, you continually exceeded our expectations. Your designs offer such remarkable flexibility, an impressive combination.”

Edie & Peter SoraparuDubuque, IA

“Thank you for designing the interiors of our home. We love the colors that go so well with the furniture. The results are stunning. It's elegant, comfortable and functional. It wouldn't have turned out this way without you.”

Dmitriy & TatyanaResidential

“Kobby was absolutely fantastic, I could not stress that enough. We rehired him immediately for our formal areas. He listened to what we wanted and let us be part of the process as much as we wanted. He cares about his work and making sure you're happy.”

Kristen DuBayResidential

“Kobby was such a pleasure to work with. Professional, ultra knowledgeable, and involved from the very beginning. He brought incredible ideas we'd never have had the guts to try. His design turned our house into a dream home.”

FeliksResidential

“Kobby is the most pleasant and easy-to-work-with designer I have ever used. His attention to detail and eye for design is a gift. I'd strongly recommend anyone looking to design their home to their own personality to partner with Kobby.”

Claudell GedeonResidential

“I can't thank you enough for all your help. This project has been incredible. Thank you for becoming a friend. Your vision is amazing, and you made our home so beautiful.”

Armando, Lucia & Milani PerezBensenville, IL
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Get in touch

Say hi.

Tell me about the space. A quick conversation is all it takes to see what I'd do with it.

Email  ·  info@asorfidesign.com
Phone  ·  (224) 733-3186
Studio  ·  801 E. Park Ave., Libertyville, IL 60048