Meet the Team
Sarah Montgomery | Owner
Design is a language, and every home tells a story. As CEO and Principal Designer of Sarah Montgomery Interiors, Sarah partners with clients who seek more than just beautiful spaces—they want interiors with intention. With a deep appreciation for architectural history, artistry, and the psychology of design, Sarah creates homes that feel collected rather than decorated, layered rather than styled. The result? Spaces that evolve with their owners, fostering both comfort and curiosity.
Sarah’s resume is vast. She has a past life in set design and prop mastery, creating transformative worlds for Chicago’s iconic theater scene. She spent close to a decade in luxury product design for leading brands and traveling the globe connecting with the top bespoke artisans and manufacturers. Today, she cultivates all of her expertise through her work as a luxury designer bringing it into the most important place, home.
Sarah’s favorite thing about Chicago is how it feels like a small, big city, the food, and of course getting an intimate portrait into the unique charm of its many neighborhoods. She is on the pulse of all things art and design, spending her free time going to design events, art openings and vintage shopping.
Sarah Druding | Interior Designer
Throughout her career, Sarah has gained experience in residential, retail, workplace, and hospitality design. She has a past life in Advertising, working at some of the most respected Ad agencies in Chicago. Ultimately, she decided to pursue her passion, receiving her masters degree in Interior Design from Harrington College of Design. Passionate about creating spaces where memories are made, Sarah approaches each project with a deep appreciation for historical integrity, functionality, and sustainability whenever possible. She wants spaces to feel eclectic, collected, and to tell the story of the people who live there.
Sarah lives in the city's Avondale neighborhood with her husband and their spirited German Shepherd-hound mix, Margot. She enjoys live music, vintage shopping, and traveling both locally and abroad.
Kylee Smith | Interior Designer
Kylee holds a Master’s in Interior Architecture and Product Design from Kansas State University. She is passionate about creating designs at all scales that enhance the well-being of their users. In 2023, she became NCIDQ certified. Her expertise spans both residential and commercial design, including workplace, healthcare, and multi-family housing.
Kylee thrives on creative problem-solving and loves transforming ideas into functional, beautiful environments. Outside of design, she expresses her creativity through drawing, painting, and mixed media arts and crafts. She enjoys spending time with her partner and two cats in her historic Logan Square apartment.
Sydney Septoski | OPERATIONS/marketing manager
After growing up in the south suburbs of Chicago, Sydney graduated with a degree in Communications and Leadership from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Her past experience is in digital marketing, client management, and nonprofit communications. She came into the interior design field wanting to utilize these learned skills in a creative environment, and found a home at SMI. Sydney handles all things behind the scenes that take our projects from start to finish, and has implemented many processes along the way. Sydney lives in the Lakeview neighborhood with her partner and two cats. Her favorite thing about Chicago is the many neighborhood flavors and architecture.
Join the team! View our open positions by clicking the button below.
About our Studio
We work out of our design studio in the heart of Logan Square. Formerly an abandoned bodega, the 1300 SF corner storefront has a loft like urban feeling with abundant natural light. When we aren’t busy designing, we like to host clients and friends for presentations and events. On occasion we open up the space for outside events or photoshoots. If you would be interested in hosting an event or renting the studio out for a photoshoot, please reach out directly or see our listing on Peerspace.
“I cannot say enough great things about
working with Sarah and her team!
As a professional family in the Gold Coast neighborhood, we needed a home that could match our lifestyle. Sarah was an expert on scheduling, managing timelines, bringing in critical vendors, and everything in between.
She made our house the go-to place!”