--- title: "Mod Surrounds — Interior Designers & Decorators | Houzz" canonical_html_url: https://www.houzz.com/professionals/interior-designers-and-decorators/mod-surrounds-pfvwus-pf~436331922 markdown_url: https://www.houzz.com/md/professionals/pf~436331922.md entity_type: LocalBusiness business_name: "Mod Surrounds" category: ["Interior Designers & Decorators"] image: https://st.hzcdn.com/fimgs/43b349d20ed96c4b_9222-w400-h400-b0-p0--.jpg address: "Glencoe, Illinois 60022, United States" latitude: 42.1333 longitude: -87.7615 phone: "(206) 326-0328" website: http://www.modsurrounds.com rating: 5 review_count: 9 best_of_houzz_awards: 1 followers: 154 last_updated: 2026-08-17 --- # Mod Surrounds Original Houzz profile: [Mod Surrounds](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/interior-designers-and-decorators/mod-surrounds-pfvwus-pf~436331922) ## Professional summary - **Primary category:** Interior Designers & Decorators - **Location:** Glencoe, IL - **Serves:** Chicago, Evanston, Skokie, Mount Prospect, Glenview, Park Ridge, Northbrook, Highland Park, Wilmette, Lake Forest, Deerfield, Lincolnwood, Winnetka, Glencoe, Lincolnshire, Northfield, Highwood, Riverwoods, Kenilworth, Bannockburn, Fort Sheridan, Ft Sheridan - **Houzz rating:** 5.0 out of 5 (9 reviews) - **Best of Houzz:** 1 award (2015), for Service. ## About ### Houzz Badges - Star Houzzer - Houzz Influencer - Recommended on Houzz - 1,000 Ideabook Saves Over thirteen years in the design industry has molded Melanie Wegner, owner of Mod Surrounds, into a thoughtfully imaginative designer with far reaching knowledge and resources. One thing that hasn't changed over the years is her dedication to clients although a deeper understanding of them has evolved. Understanding their personal style, lifestyle and uniqueness is at the core of every one of her designs alongside creative ingenuity. Although each project is different, all are approached with the goal of creating a visual voice reflecting the client's originality in a way that is often beyond their expectations. All while accentuating a broadly appealing aesthetic that has an effect on everyone who sees it. After several years of working for a couple of hi-end design firms Melanie felt it was time to see what she could on her own and in 2008 formed Mod Surrounds choosing to utilize her diverse knowledge by specializing in whole property design. This gave Mod Surrounds the unique ability to creatively transform landscapes, house exterior, interior furnishings and architectural details into one cohesive space. A client's personality has a significant impact on the overall design. Therefore the client-designer fit and potential for a mutually trusting relationship between the two is the main consideration for Mod Surrounds before taking on a project. In keeping with good design principles, all considerations occur with an open mind, flexibility and respect for budget and timing whether it's a new home construction or a single bathroom remodel. Every space big or small has the the potential to be something magnificent and that's what motivates Mod Surrounds. ### Services Provided - Interior Design - Kitchen Design - Bathroom Design - Color Consulting - Kids Bedroom Design - Custom Cabinets - Lighting Design - Custom Built-ins - Floor Plans - Custom Furniture - Nursery Design - Custom Blinds & Shades - House Plans - Closet Design - 3D Rendering - Custom Walk-in Closets - Custom Fireplace Mantels - Drafting - Holiday Decorating - Kitchen Remodeling ### Areas Served - Chicago - Evanston - Skokie - Mount Prospect - Glenview - Park Ridge - Northbrook - Highland Park - Wilmette - Lake Forest - Deerfield - Lincolnwood - Winnetka - Glencoe - Lincolnshire - Northfield - Highwood - Riverwoods - Kenilworth - Bannockburn - Fort Sheridan - Ft Sheridan ### Typical Job Cost $10,000 - 700,000 ## Business Details | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Business Name | Mod Surrounds | | Address | Glencoe, Illinois 60022, United States | | Phone | (206) 326-0328 | | Website | http://www.modsurrounds.com | | Followers on Houzz | 154 | **Social profiles:** - Facebook — http://www.facebook.com/modsurrounds - LinkedIn — http://www.linkedin.com/pub/melanie-wegner/10/58b/952 - Blog — http://modsurrounds.wordpress.com ## Contact - **Houzz profile:** [Mod Surrounds](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/interior-designers-and-decorators/mod-surrounds-pfvwus-pf~436331922) - **Website:** http://www.modsurrounds.com - **Phone:** (206) 326-0328 ## Credentials - **Best of Houzz:** 1 award (2015), for Service. ## Reviews **Overall rating: 5.0 out of 5 — 9 reviews** ### All 9 reviews **★★★★★ — averbeek, Oct. 2015** > My husband and I can not say enough about working with Melanie at Mod Surrounds. When we started thinking about our kitchen remodel we had a few ideas, but beyond that no idea where to start. From the first consultation with Melanie we felt confident in her ability to understand our needs and guide us through the process. She came back to us with a beautiful and functional design that exceeded our expectations. She worked closely with us and our contractor throughout the project. From cabinets, to countertops, to tiles she offered plenty of choices based on our style and budget. She was always available to answer questions or concerns and offer solutions when problems occurred. Now that our remodel is finished, we see how Melanie’s vision made our dream kitchen a reality. Melanie did an amazing job and is an incredibly talented designer, we would definitely recommend her. **Comment from Mod Surrounds:** > Thank you April for the privilege of working with you and your husband! It was challenging, fun and turned out to be one fantastic kitchen! Nothing is more satisfying for me than to hear you are happy with your new kitchen. Enjoy :-) Melanie Wegner **★★★★★ — nqgill, Feb. 2015** > Melanie is a gift. > I am currently in the process of significant up-grades: new kitchen, three new bathrooms, refinishing the basement and up-dating the master bedroom. Although modest improvements have been made over the 40 years in which I have lived in my townhouse, no significant remodeling has been done during that time. > > Melanie was brought in to coordinate the finishing phase of my new kitchen. I had attempted to manage the process from demolition through to completion, and the project was close to one year in progress when Melanie came on board. Her attention to detail, project management acumen and negotiation (aka cajoling) skills were a godsend, and she brought the project to fruition in short order. The kitchen, although closet-size, is of such quality that it could be shown in "Architectural Digest" as an example of what can be accomplished in an extraordinarily limited space. > > Having learned my lesson from mistakenly thinking that I could manage the kitchen project, I asked Melanie to manage the complete metamorphosis of the three bathrooms. One bathroom was a total gut, one a gut except for the bathtub and, the one that started out as a "replacement of the floor, only" ended up being an almost total re-do. > > Not only has Melanie managed/coordinated the three bathroom projects (including contractor and workmen), she has brought professionalism, taste, style and class to the selection of every product -- from major decision items (e.g., floor and wall tiles, vanities, walk-in shower, light fixtures) to the more mundane (e.g., drawer and door pulls). And, in all three bathrooms, she just made it all "come together". Hence, the bathrooms, although teensy, are gorgeous. > > Except for our three fieldtrips (one to a tile outlet and two to retail stores to accessorize the bathrooms) Melanie has done all the legwork. She has always presented me with workable options, after she had already narrowed down the selection to a few samples, thus making my decision-making process less painful, less overwhelming, and more efficient. > > One other example of Melanie's professionalism is her communication standards. All of my e-mailed questions, comments, requests for clarification, etc. are answered, not only on a same-day basis but, frequently, within a few hours or less. Such responsiveness and follow-up are extremely important to a client who is undertaking projects of t his magnitude. > > In addition to her flair and talent, Melanie is a delight to work with and has transformed the three-bathroom project from an intimidating, time-consuming ordeal to one of pleasure and satisfaction. > > And, now, we move on to the basement... **★★★★★ — ddeppen, Nov. 2014** > After purchasing a home in Chicago this year, with a "less than up to date " design aesthetic, I acquired the professional services of Melanie at Mod Surrounds. What a great experience its been working with a professional that is able to meld her design expertise with my minimalist tastes. > > From my kitchen to the living room, I now have a cohesive modern living space that flows well and reflects my style. Melanie actively listens to what your style is, and puts it together cohesively into a design that works for the client. > > Projects to date include kitchen redesign, as well as living room design. **★★★★★ — Monica Murray, Sept. 2014** > I have had the opportunity to work with Melanie Wegner and Mod Surrounds recently on the renovation and design of my new home. I felt after our first meeting and interview that Melanie would be the right person to manage the design process, especially as I was taking this project on long distance while living on the East Coast, preparing my family for our move. > > I initially discovered Melanie on Houzz as I was attracted to her design aesthetic. However, as importantly, I required a designer who conducts themselves as a consummate professional. Whether it was working with the trade, managing the communication process regarding ideas and products or understanding my wishes, Melanie always focused on delivering the highest level of service. > > I am pleased to say that the house is finished and I couldn't be any happier. There were many elements from our previous home that I wanted to incorporate into our new home. Yet, I also wanted to "dial things up a bit" and take chances and Melanie really encouraged and supported that desire. She stayed within my budget and oftentimes offered me several price points and together we decided which items would be worth it and where we could be more conservative. > > I was very pleased with my decision to use Mod Surrounds and if I do say so myself, my home looks amazing! **★★★★★ — jenros, March 2014** > Melanie has been our lifeline in designing our home and landscape for over 5 years. In that time, she has transformed our traditional Tuscan home and yard into a stunningly beautiful, contemporary home I dreamed of. Unlike other designers who wanted to give us a safe design, Melanie has created areas for living that not only reflect our personality, but has unique, unexpected style that we grow to love more and more each day. She has designed the outside landscape, multiple living rooms, and bedrooms, and I will continue to use her to expertise to bring every nook and cranny of our house to life and function. I am not always able to articulate what I want, but have come to know that she will give me more than I can describe anyway so I just trust her to run with what she envisions knowing the mood and function and we want. Every detail down to the how the lighting is cast and how it will look from outside the window is considered. Light, furnishing selections, accessories, color and style are blended to perfection. We get so many compliments from friends and they say it is so gorgeous it should be in a magazine! I highly recommend Melanie!! **★★★★★ — Darlene Jandecka-- Workspace, June 2013** > I worked with Melanie to create 3D renderings of a project example for a potential client. Her photorealistic renderings were exactly what I needed to help our client see our capabilities. > > Melanie was able to create a visualization tool that was even better than expected. Her renderings are very photorealistic and help clients to visualize with absolute accuracy the intended designed environment. > > She is an amazingly talented designer that was able to take our vague ideas and create an interior environment that was unique, creative and displayed our product perfectly. Most importantly for us, she was able to do all this in a very short time frame. > > I would describe Melanie as collaborative, creative, intuitive and talented with a can-do, positive attitude. I couldn't have asked for a better experience! **★★★★★ — Forma Living, June 2013** > Melanie’s work is stunning and shows an ability to think outside the box when faced with design challenges. She is a talented professional who loves what she does and it shows. She is creative, honest, dependable, and forthright. Her ability to understand what the client wants and to work within their budget and get the project done according to an agreed upon timeline is worthy of my highest recommendation. **★★★★★ — sydneyy, June 2013** > Melanie has helped us with room design for our bonus room and also our girls rooms. She is very creative and has great ideas! **★★★★★ — franspring, Oct. 2012** > We built a new home, with the project taking 11 months once we broke ground. We hired an architect for the initial drawings and then a general contractor. We initially hired Mod Surrounds for designing the exterior materials, but we were so impressed with those services, we hired Mod Surrounds to provided design work for the entire interior and the exterior landscaping. Melanie used her AudoCAD skills to show 3-D renderings, which made it much easier to make decisions. Her taste matched perfectly with our desires, and her sense of humor helped make more palatable the high stress of this project. We were so overwhelmed. sometimes we simply turned it over to Melanie to make decisions for us. She was not afraid to say what she thought, but she accepted that the ultimate decisions were for us to make. The best proof of the quality of her work is the end product. Our new house is very, very beautiful. ## Selected projects - [Mediterranean Modern](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/mediterranean-modern-pj-vj~37311) - Location: Orange County, CA - Photos: 3 - Description: Having a very modern Client in a traditional Mediterannean home made for an interesting marriage of styles in this Orange County, CA home! The key was balance acheived through keeping the bones of the house well rooted in the Mediterannean while adding all modern furnishings, decor and accessories. I now pronounce you Mediterannean and Modern! - [Mediterranean Modern Landscape](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/mediterranean-modern-landscape-pj-vj~37341) - Location: Irvine, CA - Photos: 8 - Description: The expansive backyard (by CA standards) boasts an amazing view of Orange County to LA including a water view. At night lights sparkle mesmerizingly and what better place to be wooed by them than in a bubbling spa or sitting in a cozy sofa next to a fire. Pair the lights with the lulling symphony of trickling water both from the spa into the pool and in a water feature wall behind the fire trough and you have an instant good evening. - [Master Lounge](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/master-lounge-pj-vj~2243086) - Location: Irvine, CA - Photos: 3 - Description: Swanky, loungy and above all comfortable and functional. The perfect master suite stylized with lush curtains and metallic sheers, gray wood wallpaper on a feature wall, ambient glow of wall light doubling as art, two floor length mirrors adding depth and light, comfortable leather swivel chairs with a pop of yellow, a soft purple area rug and a lush California King Tempurpedic dual adjustable bed setting on a custom upholstered platform bed frame. The master bathroom similarly appointed with a… - [Little Boy's Room](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/little-boy-s-room-pj-vj~2243128) - Location: Irvine, CA - Photos: 2 - Description: A boy's room to play, relax, learn and have sleep overs. A metal, double bunk bed gives comfortable space for having Dad read a bedtime story, spread out toys and have friends stay the night. A metal dresser and wood with pipe shelving add lots of storage as does a nice sized desk with a blue laminate top to withstand all of the projects conducted on it. For a little alone time, he can curl up in the custom ball chair. The walls are done in a metallic glaze by a local artist who custom mixed the… - [Artsy Contemporary](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/artsy-contemporary-pj-vj~79697) - Location: Kirkland, WA - Photos: 6 - Description: Some say there are 3,000+ decisions to be made when building a brand new, custom home and this is indeed true with this Seattle Metro area home! Luckily, with the right mix of Designer and Client, those decisions turn into 3,000+ opportunities to make an unusual and spectacular home! Over the course of almost a year, the culmination of many thought out elements came together harmoniously and now surround the happy new homeowners. This is a truly custom home from the windows to the millwork to th… - [Mastering the Bathroom](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/mastering-the-bathroom-pj-vj~79751) - Location: Kirkland, WA - Photos: 4 - Description: Warmth and simplicity define this master bathroom and powder room which were part of a new home construction project built and designed from scratch. The wall behind the sinks in the master bathroom is veneered with a splitface Cararra marble which affectionately became the Homeowner's 'Diamonds'. During the design phase in an attempt to convince her husband the importance of using this stone, she put the stone sample to her fingers declaring it was like having diamonds on the wall! It worked si… - [Contemporary Exterior](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/contemporary-exterior-pj-vj~504227) - Location: Not specified - Photos: 3 - [Pre-Teen Girl's Bedroom](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/pre-teen-girl-s-bedroom-pj-vj~554209) - Location: Not specified - Photos: 2 - [Custom Built In Media Cabinet](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/custom-built-in-media-cabinet-pj-vj~554223) - Location: Not specified - Photos: 1 - [Clean, Bright Kitchen](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/clean-bright-kitchen-pj-vj~2020487) - Location: Morgan Hill, CA - Photos: 3 - Description: Tons of storage, counter space and style make this kitchen a chef's and a designer's dream! [See all 10 projects](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/interior-designers-and-decorators/mod-surrounds-pfvwus-pf~436331922) ## Ideabooks - [Celebrate the Ceiling](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/32508337/list/celebrate-the-ceiling) — 25 ideas - [Wall Coverings](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/24754219/list/wall-coverings) — 10 ideas - [Indoor Pools](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/24463625/list/indoor-pools) — 14 ideas - [Glass Living](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/25109230/list/glass-living) — 41 ideas - [Cozy Courtyards and Rooftops](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/25376260/list/cozy-courtyards-and-rooftops) — 29 ideas - [Cat Walks & Inner Balconies](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/25670511/list/cat-walks-inner-balconies) — 29 ideas - [City Lofts](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/25671501/list/city-lofts) — 4 ideas - [Center of Attention](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/33292652/list/center-of-attention) — 8 ideas - [Fireplaces](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/27402504/list/fireplaces) — 2 ideas - [Stairways to better living](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/25139680/list/stairways-to-better-living) — 31 ideas - [Fresh Kitchens](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/25109315/list/fresh-kitchens) — 25 ideas - [Art Deco](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/24461554/list/art-deco) — 11 ideas - [Efficiency](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/33042524/list/efficiency) — 1 idea [See all 13 ideabooks](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/users/modsurrounds) ## Community Q&A **Q: wall paint color please** *(in Photo Questions)* A: Hello! That paint is actually a metallic glaze from Benjamin Moore. I had an artist mix his own color for the base then painted the glaze on top. It was quite the specialized process but looks amazing! Especially in person. Thank you for the question and best to you. **Q: What color is the wall?** *(in Photo Questions)* I am painting my daughter's room and would like to know the color of the walls. A: Hello Lauren, I am glad you asked the question. The color is Benjamin Moore's "Rolling Hill Green" \#2047-30. It's a very fun color! Wishing you the best with your daughter's room, Melanie Wegner **Q: Tiles** *(in Photo Questions)* Please can you tell me where to find these tiles behind the fireplace A: Thank you and your welcome! ;-) **Q: Hello** *(in Photo Questions)* I would like to know the architect name and the colors he used also the manufacturer of the paint please A: Hi there! The architect who designed the basic look and layout of the home was Larry Ho of Freiheit & Ho Architects. I worked with the homeowners on all of the details. We chose a Sherwin Williams color for the body of the house exterior called Pewter Tankard. It's a slightly warm gray that has just the right tone to it, not being too dark but still having good depth. Thanks for the question! **Q: Were did you get that mirror** *(in Photo Questions)* A: Hi! That fabulous mirror came from Mod Shop. They have a few locations throughout the US or anything can be ordered online. Tons of pre-teen perfect product or for anyone who likes a bit of glam and/or mid century modern. http://modshop1.com/ Let me know if I can answer anything else. **Q: What is the paint color** *(in Photo Questions)* A: Hello Molly, The paint color on the walls and ceiling is a Benjamin Moore color called Rolling Hill Green \#2047-30. I hope that helps! --- *Source: Houzz professional profile. Reflects the profile as of 2026-08-17.*