COURTNEY CHESSEN

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Courtney is the owner and lead designer at Mandarine Home. Courtney grew up in New York and Connecticut. She attended The Taft School and studied Art History, Studio Art and Economics at Dartmouth College. She went on to study and work abroad in Florence Italy, and spent 3 years living and working in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Courtney worked at Brown Brothers Harriman, Lehman Brothers, JP Morgan Asset Management, as well as the Argentine firm Consultatio Asset Management. After 10 years on Wall Street, Courtney returned to the states to attend Columbia Business School and took a few courses at New York School of Interior Design. She found her passion. She worked at a design firm in CT for a few years and tried to launch a business on her own. She realized that It was not that easy, and she needed a mentor.

 

In 2011, Courtney moved to Winnetka, IL and stumbled into Susan Kroeger LTD. She loved the store and got a job as Susan’s design assistant. Courtney met Lori Waller while working there, and the two became good friends. They decided in 2014 to open a store of their own, Mandarine Home, in Glenview, IL. The business took off and has been thriving ever since. 

 

In 2019, Mandarine opened a second location, that is only retail, In Courtney’s hometown of Darien, CT. It survived COVID and has been growing fast.  In 2021, Mandarine decided to open a third location and move the interior design business to 574 Lincoln Avenue in Winnetka. Courtney and Lori decided in the summer of 2022 that they wanted to go their separate ways, after a great run. Mandarine will remain in Winnetka with a new design team and Mandarine Connecticut will continue to operate as it has been. Lori will run a new, rebranded store in Glenview under the name Velvet Peel. 

 

Courtney is extremely excited to follow her passion in the two towns she considers home. She loves being part of the community, giving back, playing sports, but most importantly being a mother to her three children Gracyn, Butler and Walker. Courtney feels so lucky to have the wonderful clients she has and be able to run a full-service interior firm, with retail locations to compliment. She has an unpretentious approach to design, with an immaculate attention to detail and a fresh twist on the classic aesthetic. Courtney’s team embraces every project with a delightful eagerness and sensitivity toward a practical lifestyle. Mandarine works productively and efficiently with any budget, and loves every minute of it.